T & S Feed Co., Inc. v. Meaux

339 So. 2d 421, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4409
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 20, 1976
DocketNo. 10994
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 339 So. 2d 421 (T & S Feed Co., Inc. v. Meaux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
T & S Feed Co., Inc. v. Meaux, 339 So. 2d 421, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4409 (La. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

LANDRY, Judge.

J. J. Meaux (Applicant) seeks to invoke the supervisory jurisdiction of this court to review a trial court judgment granting Applicant a devolutive appeal upon posting bond in the sum of $350.00, unless bond was dispensed with upon Applicant showing his entitlement to continue to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to LSA-C.C.P. Article 5181, et seq., notwithstanding the trial court’s having previously signed an ex parte order permitting Applicant to litigate in forma pauperis. Applicant also seeks review of the trial court’s denial of his rule to proceed in forma pauperis filed subsequent to his posting the required appeal bond. Additionally, Applicant seeks judgment dispensing him from the obligation of paying the filing fee of $25.00 required by LSA-R.S. 13:352(2), for filing this writ application in the appellate court.

Plaintiff (Respondent) instituted this action for judgment against Applicant on an open account. On October 31, 1973, Applicant, on his ex parte motion, was authorized to proceed in forma pauperis. On May 31,1974, judgment was rendered below in favor of Respondent and Applicant’s third party demand against Cargill, Inc., et al, was dismissed. Applicant’s timely motion for new trial was heard and denied on October 29,1974, on which same date Applicant moved for and was granted a devolu-tive appeal, returnable December 28, 1974 “ — upon plaintiff (sic) furnishing bond in the amount of $350.00; unless bond id (sic) dispensed with on application of appellant pursuant to Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure 5181; et seq. (sic)”. On December 12, 1974, within the ninety-day devolutive appeal period, Applicant moved for a devolu-tive appeal in forma pauperis which motion was set for hearing on February 24, 1975, and the return date extended to March 24, 1975. On February 24,1975, the hearing on Applicant’s motion to appeal in forma pau-peris was continued to February 27, 1975, on which date the motion was heard and denied. It suffices to state that the transcript of the hearing amply supports the decision of the trial court rescinding its previous order permitting Applicant to proceed in forma pauperis. On February 27, 1975, Applicant applied for and was granted a devolutive appeal with bond set in the amount of $350.00 and a suspensive appeal for which a $5,000.00 bond was set. Applicant posted both bonds that same day. On April 7, 1976 (erroneously appearing of record as February 7, 1976), Applicant again moved the trial court for an order permitting him to proceed in forma pauper-is, contending his financial circumstances changed drastically when Applicant became [423]*423disabled because of injuries sustained in a traffic accident on February 26, 1976. The trial court declined to hear Applicant’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis on the ground that its jurisdiction was divested when Applicant posted bond for appeal on February 27, 1975.

Applicant contends appellate jurisdiction vested in this court upon the granting of his devolutive appeal on October 29,1974. Because the prior order authorizing his proceeding in forma pauperis was then in effect and had not been rescinded, Applicant contends the fixing of an appeal bond was beyond the authority of the trial court.

Applicant invokes LSA-C.C.P. Article 2088 which provides that the jurisdiction of a trial court is divested and that of the appellate court attaches upon the timely filing of an appeal bond where bond is required, or the granting of an order of appeal where no bond is necessary. Thereafter, the trial court has jurisdiction only to test the solvency of the surety on the bond; to consider objections to the form, substance and sufficiency of the appeal bond; and to permit the curing of such defects as otherwise provided by law.

LSA-C.C.P. Article 5185, pertinently provides:

“When an order of court permits a party to litigate without the payment of costs, until this order is rescinded, he is entitled to:
******
(4) The right to a devolutive appeal, and to apply for supervisory writs.”

Our codal provisions authorizing indigents to sue in forma pauperis are to be liberally construed in favor of affording a litigant his day in court. Brumfield v. Community Mobile Homes, Inc., 315 So.2d 901, 902 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1975).

Notwithstanding the liberal construction of codal provisions authorizing indigents to sue in forma pauperis, trial courts have the authority as well as the duty of continuous scrutiny to prevent abuse of the privilege. Said authority is subject only to the requirement of due process, namely, that an evidentiary hearing is required when rescission of an order to proceed in forma pauperis depends upon contested factual issues. City Stores Co. v. Petersen, 263 La. 577, 268 So.2d 662, 663 (1972).

Where an order to proceed in forma pauperis is granted on an ex parte motion and the trial court subsequently learns that the litigant may not be entitled to continue the litigation in forma pauperis, the trial court has authority to order a contradictory hearing at any stage of the proceeding prior to perfection of an appeal. City Stores Co. v. Petersen, above.

Where an order to proceed in forma pauperis remains unrescinded and an indigent is granted a devolutive appeal upon furnishing bond, but the order of appeal contains no language otherwise affecting the right to proceed in forma pauperis, the appeal is perfected immediately upon granting the order for appeal. Steiner v. Pel State Oil Company, Inc., 271 So.2d 335 (La.App. 2nd Cir. 1972); Jackson v. Jackson, 255 So.2d 249 (La.App. 2nd Cir. 1971); Courville v. Anchor Gasoline Corporation, 174 So.2d 680 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1965).

Applicant correctly urges that upon perfection of an appeal, the trial court is divested of all jurisdiction except that to test the solvency of the surety on the appeal bond; to consider objections to the form, substance and sufficiency of the appeal bond; and to permit curing of such defects as otherwise provided by law. LSA-C.C.P. Article 2088.

In this instance, however, the trial court declined to grant Applicant an appeal instanter in forma pauperis and conditioned the devolutive appeal granted upon Applicant either furnishing bond in a specified sum or showing Applicant’s continued entitlement to proceed as an indigent. This we believe to be well within the discretion permitted the trial court in instances of this nature considering it is the duty and obligation of the trial court to continuously scrutinize such situations to prevent abuse of the [424]*424privilege. City Stores Co. v. Petersen, above. Under the circumstances, we hold that the jurisdiction of the appellate court did not vest in this instance upon rendition of the order of appeal entered herein. We find the instant matter clearly distinguishable from Steiner v. Pel State Oil Company, Inc., above; Jackson v. Jackson, above; and Courville v. Anchor Gasoline Corporation, above, in which the orders of appeal granted made no mention of Appellant’s right to continue to litigate as an indigent.

Applicant’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis, filed December 12, 1974, was within the 90-day devolutive appeal period. However, the motion was not heard until February 27, 1975, on which same date it was denied, the former order to proceed as an indigent was rescinded and Applicant was ordered to post bond for a devolutive and suspensive appeal.

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339 So. 2d 421, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/t-s-feed-co-inc-v-meaux-lactapp-1976.