Articles Posted in Real Estate

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pexels-brett-sayles-1756957-1024x683A celebratory night out turned into a nightmare for Reuben Ellis when he was shot in a parking lot after attending a friend’s wedding reception at Bella Noche nightclub. Ellis’s quest for justice led him to sue not only the nightclub but also the property owner, Plaza Holdings, LLC. This legal battle highlights the complexities of premises liability and the extent to which property owners are responsible for the safety of their tenants’ patrons.

The Incident & Ensuing Legal Battle:

In the early hours of July 27, 2015, gunfire erupted in the parking lot outside Bella Noche, leaving Ellis with a gunshot wound to the neck. He sued several parties, including Plaza Holdings, the owner of the shopping center where the nightclub was located.

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pexels-sora-shimazaki-5673488-1024x683In a case highlighting the importance of carefully crafted real estate contracts, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, upheld a trial court’s decision awarding stipulated damages and attorney’s fees to sellers in a failed all-cash real estate transaction.

The case centered on a failed real estate purchase agreement, underscoring the importance of understanding contractual obligations and the potential consequences of non-performance.

Case Background:

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pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-6077447-1024x683In a stark reminder of the importance of procedural precision in the legal world, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, recently dismissed an appeal due to a lack of a final, appealable judgment. The case highlights the critical importance of precise decretal language in judgments, even in seemingly straightforward summary judgment grants.

Cassandra Smith filed a lawsuit against B-3 Property, Blair Bail Bonds, and St. Roch Villa, alleging negligence in connection with a slip-and-fall incident at her apartment complex. After several years of litigation, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Smith. The defendants appealed this decision.

The Issue of Appellate Jurisdiction

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pexels-ono-kosuki-5999944-1024x683In a recent decision by the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Third Circuit, the court affirmed a trial court’s judgment granting summary judgment in favor of Stanley Access Technologies LLC (Stanley) in a personal injury case brought by Vera Bernard. The case stemmed from an incident where Ms. Bernard allegedly sustained injuries after striking a revolving door at the Lafayette Airport.

Ms. Bernard filed a lawsuit alleging that the revolving door, installed by Stanley, came to an abrupt halt, causing her to fall and sustain injuries. She claimed Stanley was negligent in the installation, maintenance, repair, and employee training related to the door.

Stanley filed a motion for summary judgment, asserting that it had no duty to Ms. Bernard as the responsibility for daily inspection and maintenance of the doors rested with the Lafayette Airport. They also argued that there was no evidence of the door malfunctioning.

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pexels-colin-lloyd-2120291-3751006-635x1024A recent Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit decision has underscored a crucial procedural point in the state’s legal system: not all judgments are created equal. In Holmes v. Paul, the court dismissed an appeal because the trial court’s judgment, while seemingly resolving the main dispute, left a lingering reconventional demand unaddressed. This seemingly minor detail had significant consequences, highlighting the importance of understanding what constitutes a “final judgment” in Louisiana.

The case stemmed from a real estate deal gone sour. Ms. Holmes sued the Pauls for breach of contract after they canceled a contract to purchase her property. The Pauls countersued (filed a reconventional demand) seeking the return of their deposit. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the Pauls, dismissing Ms. Holmes’ claims. However, the judgment was silent on the Pauls’ reconventional demand.

Ms. Holmes appealed, but the Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal, stating it lacked jurisdiction. The reason? The trial court’s judgment wasn’t considered “final” because it hadn’t addressed all the claims between the parties.

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pexels-pixabay-209112-1024x598Imagine moving into your new apartment, only to find it’s more like a horror movie set than a cozy home. Mold creeping up the walls, evidence of unwanted rodent roommates… it’s enough to make anyone sick. But does that automatically mean your landlord is liable? A recent court case dives deep into this messy situation, highlighting the legal hurdles tenants face when seeking damages for a less-than-habitable dwelling.

Dewayne Montgomery, our tenant-turned-plaintiff, found himself in this exact predicament. He sued his landlord, Garry Lewis, claiming the apartment was riddled with mold and rat droppings, causing him various health issues. Montgomery alleged negligence, breach of contract, and even emotional distress as a result of his claimed paltry living conditions.

Lewis denied responsibility, arguing Montgomery couldn’t prove the mold caused his health problems or that Lewis knew about any pre-existing issues.

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house_townhouse_house_exterior_0-1024x768Buying and selling real estate can be stressful because of the emotions and large sums of money involved. In order to have certainty in transactions involving real estate, Louisiana law has strict requirements of what is required to form a valid contract, including signatures from both the buyer and seller. What happens if a would-be buyer unilaterally signs a contract and claims they own your property? 

James Gobert owed a house located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He listed the house for sale with Lutricia Cobb, who owned a real estate company. He signed an agreement with Cobb whereby Cobb would act as his agent to lease and manage his property. 

Linda Haley personally contacted Gobert, without Cobb knowing, and made him an offer to buy his property. Haley asked to rent the property from Gobert while they tried to get a mortgage. Gobert suggested entering into a six-month lease that had an option to purchase. The lease set a monthly rental payment of $800 and included an option to buy the property for $131,000 at the end of the six month lease. 

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neighborhood_house_roof_line-1024x768Under the Louisiana Recreational Use Immunity Statues, owners and operators of property used for recreational purposes are immune for liability for tortious acts. Does this immunity apply when a child is injured playing in a gated residential community? 

Three Doyle children were playing in the common area of their subdivision in Covington, Louisiana when a rotted tree fell on one of the children, severely injuring him. His parents filed a lawsuit against Lonesome Development, the Natchez Trace Property Owners Association, Renaissance Property Management, and their insurers. The Doyles claimed Lonesome and Natchez Trace were responsible for maintaining the common area of the subdivision. The Doyles also claimed Lonesome, Natchez Trace, and Renaissance had responsibility and control for the rotted tree and should have known it posed an unreasonable risk of harm. 

Lonesome was the original owner of the Natchez Trace subdivision. Natchez Trace had an agreement with Renaissance, whereby Renaissance was responsible for maintaining and managing the homeowners’ association. Lonesome and its insurer filed a summary judgment motion, arguging it was immune from liability under La. R.S. 9:2791 and 9:2795 (the Recreational Use Immunity Statutes). Renaissance and Natchez Trace subsequently filed almost identical summary judgment motions. The trial court granted Natchez Trace’s summary judgment motion, finding it was immune under the Recreational Use Immunity Statutes, but denied Lonesome and Renaissance’s summary judgment motions. 

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the_samuel_young_house-1024x683Owning property is not easy, especially when you have to share ownership with multiple individuals. Co-ownership can present challenging issues, especially when one owner wants to make renovations or sell the property. This case examines a dispute among family members involving property in the Parish of St. Bernard in Louisiana. 

The plaintiffs, including Charles Gettys, Jr., and defendants, including William Gettys, each had a one-fifth interest in the at-issue property. The plaintiffs sued to have the property sold and the proceeds divided among the five co-owners. William responded, claiming after Hurricane Katrina, the defendants said they no longer wanted to have an interest in the property and did not want to spend any more money on the property or repairs.  William claimed he completed a property renovation and moved into the house following Hurricane Katrina. William claimed before Hurricane Katrina that he had agreed with Charles that they would renovate the property together and then sell it. Then, they would split the money they made from the sale. The renovations purportedly cost $46,000. William claimed Charles had agreed to split the renovation costs with him.  

However, Charles had not paid for his share of the renovations. William argued Charles owed him his share of the total cost of the repairs and renovations. After trial, the court ordered the parties to sell the property via auction, at a $50,000 minimum bid, or through a private sale, with the first $48,476 of the proceeds to go to William to reimburse him for the renovations he carried out in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

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defense_gov_news_photo_526-1024x680When renting an apartment, tenants expect a safe and secure living environment. However, what happens when an accident occurs due to negligence by the apartment owner and management company? If a leaky roof in your apartment injures you, can you make a claim for your injuries? The following lawsuit answers that question. 

Kim Faciane lived in the Golden Key Apartments. After moving out, she filed a lawsuit against Golden Key, who owned the apartment complex, and Ohio Management, who managed the complex, and its insurer (collectively, the defendants). She claimed one night, while asleep in her apartment, sheetrock fell from the ceiling because of the leak. She claimed it hit her leg and caused her to slip and injure her back and neck. She claimed the defendants were liable because they kept the apartment in disrepair, did not repair the ceiling after being informed it leaked, and otherwise not properly maintaining or inspecting the apartments. 

The defendants filed a summary judgment motion, arguing that the lease had a provision that required Faciane to hold them harmless for any property or personal injury claims. They argued under La. R.S. 9:3221, Faciane was responsible for the premises’ conditions unless they were neglectful or failed to take action after she notified them in writing of a defect. They argued they did not know of any issues with the roof until after the accident occurred. Faciane countered the defendants had been notified about issues with the apartment’s ceiling at least two times before. The trial court granted the defendants’ summary judgment motion and dismissed Faciane’s lawsuit, who appealed.

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