Williams v. City of New Orleans

193 So. 3d 259, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0769, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 765, 2016 WL 3353913
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 20, 2016
DocketNo. 2015-CA-0769
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 193 So. 3d 259 (Williams v. City of New Orleans) 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
Williams v. City of New Orleans, 193 So. 3d 259, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0769, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 765, 2016 WL 3353913 (La. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinions

TERRI F. LOVE, Judge.

|-i Plaintiffs townhouse in New Orleans was demolished although it was not condemned or slated for demolition. Plaintiff filed a motion for partial summary judgment contending that she was a third party beneficiary to the contract between the City of New Orleans and the demolition contractor. The trial court denied the motion, but once re-urged, the trial court granted plaintiffs motion finding that the contract anticipated that the plaintiff was a third party beneficiary to the contract. The demolition contractor appeals, contending that the issue of whether plaintiff is a third party beneficiary is a mixed question of law and fact improper on a motion for summary judgment. The contract between the City of New Orleans and the demolition contractor states that the demolition contractor will repair damage caused during demolitions. This stipulation. in favor .of other property owners meets the criteria for finding a stipulation pour autrui. As a third party property owner, plaintiffs townhouse was demol[262]*262ished during the demolition of her neighbor’s townhouse. Therefore, we find that plaintiff is a third party beneficiary to the contract between the City of New Orleans and the demolition contractor. ' The trial court did ndt err, and we affirm.

j^Actual background and PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Following Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans (“City”) entered into a contract with Beck Disaster Recovery (“BDR”) to provide project management services for the City’s demolition program. The City then entered into a contract with DRC Emergency Services, LLC (“DRC”) to perform the demolitions managed by BDR. ;

Cora Williams, the owner of a townhouse on Lakeview Court in New Orleans, had gutted her townhouse, treated it with Boraeare, and replaced the roof, Mrs. Williams was waiting for funding to finish rebuilding her rental property. However, in • April 2008, DRC demolished Mrs. Williams’ townhouse located at 5235 Lake-view Court while, -it was demolishing 5237 Lakeview Court, Upon discovering the demolition, Mrs. Williams attempted, to seek a remedy from the City for the. wrongful demolition. The City did not provide Mrs. Williams with- relief.

Mrs. Williams subsequently filed a Petition for Damages against the City, BDR, and Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“LCPIC”) seeking damages for the wrongful demolition of her townhouse.- Mrs. Williams filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment regarding liability and undisputed ■ damages. Mrs. Williams then filed her First Amended Petition, which added DRC as an additional defendant. The trial court denied Mrs. Williams’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment;

LCPIC filed a Motion for Summary Judgment seeking dismissal from the suit. However, Mrs. Williams filed a Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment against LCPIC in response. The trial court denied both LCPIC’s and Mrs. Williams’ Motions for Summary Judgment.

Mrs. Williams then filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment regarding |aDRC’s liability and her status as a third party beneficiary to the contract between DRC and the City. LCPIC filed a Cross-Claim and Third Party Demand seeking indemnity against the City, BDR, DRC, and Cahaba Disaster Recovery, LLC (“Ca-haba”).1 The trial court denied Mrs. Williams’- Motion for Partial -Summary Judgment against DRC.

LCPIC filed a Motion to Dismiss with prejudice, which the trial court granted. LCPIC then filed a Motion to Dismiss its cross-claims and third party demand against the City, BDR, DRC, and Cahaba, which the trial court granted. Mrs. Williams and BDR filed a Joint Motion for Dismissal with prejudice, which the trial court also granted.2

DRC then filed a Motion for 'Summary Judgment contending Mrs. Williams was not a third party beneficiary to the contract between DRC and the City, and that DRC was not negligent by following the plans and specifications provided. Mrs. Williams responded by filing a Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment against the City and DRC. Following-a hearing, the trial court partially granted Mrs. Williams’ Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, and found that, as a question of law, Mrs. Williams was a third [263]*263party beneficiary to DRC’s contract with the City. The trial court also denied DRC’s Motion for Summary Judgment. Mrs. Williams filed a Notice of Intent to seek writs, which is not before this Court-on appeal.3 DRC filed a Motion for Appeal seeking to overturn the trial court’s partial grant of Mrs. Williams’ Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

DRC contends that the trial court should not have considered Mrs. Williams’ Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment because it previously denied a ^similar motion. DRC also asserts that whether Mrs. Williams was a third party beneficiary to the contract with the City was contested and a mixed question of law and fact that should be reserved' for the factfinder.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

' “The summary judgment procedure is designed to .secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action, except those disallowed by Article 969.” La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(2). “The procedure is favored and shall be construed to accomplish these ends.” Id, “[A] motion for summary judgment shall be granted if the motion, memorandum, and supporting documents show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(3).'

The burden of proof remains with the mover. La. C.C.P. art. 966(D)(1). However, “if the mover will not bear the burden of proof at trial on -the issue that- is before the court on the motion for summary judgment,” then the mover must merely “point out to the court the absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party’s claim, action, or defense.” La. C.C.P; art. 966(D)(1). “The burden is on the adverse party to produce factual support sufficient to establish the existence of a genuine issue of material fact or'that the mover is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” La. C.C.P. art.' 966(D)(1). - “When faced with a supported motion for summary judgment, an adverse-party -may not rest on the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided by law, must set forth specific facts showing |Bthat there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial.” Huber v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 00-0679, pp. 6-6 (LáApp. 4 Cir. 2/7/01),' 780' So.2d 561,564. ’

“Appellate courts review the granting of summary judgment de novo under the same criteria governing the trial court’s consideration of whether summary judgment is áppropriáte.” Bank One, Nat.' Ass’n v.' Velten, 04-2001, p. 4 (La. App. 4 Cir. 8/17/05), 917 So.2d 454, 457. “Both the evidence and all inferences drawn from the evidence must be construed in favor' of the party opposing the motion,' and all doubt must be resolved in his favor.” Hebert v. 'St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 99-0333, p. 3 (La.App. 4 Cir'.-2/23/00), 757 So.2d 814, 816.

PROCEDURAL POSTURE

DRC ’ contends that the trial court should not have considered Mrs. Williams’ Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment because a similar motion-was previously denied and the law of the case doctrine prevents reconsideration.

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Bluebook (online)
193 So. 3d 259, 2015 La.App. 4 Cir. 0769, 2016 La. App. LEXIS 765, 2016 WL 3353913, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-city-of-new-orleans-lactapp-2016.