GREMILLION, Judge.
The defendants-appellants, Fred Taylor, Jeremy Taylor, and Fred's Automotive Repair and Wrecker Service, LLC (Fred's Automotive), appeal the judgment of the trial court finding Fred's Automotive in contempt and ordering it to produce a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was located at Fred's Automotive. For the following reasons, we affirm.
In May 2010, Morris Davis mortgaged a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in favor of Eaglemark Savings Bank to secure the payment of a promissory note for $19,165.10. The State of Alabama issued a title recognizing Davis as the owner and Eaglemark as the first lienholder. Eaglemark thereafter assigned the note to the plaintiff, Harley-Davidson Credit Corporation (Harley-Davidson).
In January 2012, Harley-Davidson filed a petition for executory process against Davis due to Davis's default on the note. The trial court issued a writ of seizure and sale. In June 2012, Harley-Davidson filed a motion to amend the order attached to the petition to correct a clerical error regarding the VIN number of the motorcycle. Testimony at the October 2012 hearing indicated that the Concordia Parish Sherriff's office had seized the motorcycle from Fred's Automotive but returned it due to the clerical error. In the interim, between the return of the motorcycle to Fred's Automotive and the issuance of the corrected order to produce collateral, Fred's Automotive sold the motorcycle to a third party pursuant to La.R.S. 32:1719. Fred's Automotive had received a permit to sell from the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in April 2012.
In September 2012, Harley-Davidson filed a rule to produce collateral and/or
Fred's Automotive failed to appear at the October 2012 hearing on the matter. The trial court issued a judgment finding Fred's Automotive in contempt of court for failing to appear and ordered them to immediately deliver the motorcycle to the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office. Fred's Automotive filed a motion for new trial in November 2012. Fred's Automotive also filed a motion for the trial court to assign written reasons for judgment on November 13, 2012. The trial court signed the order requiring that written reasons be filed into the record within thirty days of its November 7, 2012 judgment on November 15, 2012.
A hearing was held on November 26, 2012, on the motion for new trial. In a December 27, 2012 judgment providing written reasons, the trial court denied Fred's Automotive's request for a new trial and again ordered it to produce the motorcycle.
In March 2013, this court issued an order to the trial court to supplement the record with written reasons for judgment.
Fred's Automotive now appeals.
First, Fred's Automotive argues that we should remand the matter for a new trial as the record on appeal is incomplete due to the failure of the trial court to issue written reasons for judgment pursuant to La.Code Civ.P. art. 1917. Fred's Automotive further assigns as error:
Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 1917(A) states:
Although the trial court signed an order indicating that it would provide written reasons, it never did so. The remedy for a trial court's failure to produce written reasons is by writ or a motion for remand. See Wooley v. Lucksinger, 09-0571, 09-584, 09-585, 09-586 (La.4/1/11), 61 So.3d 507. In fact, we signed an order on March 28, 2013, ordering the trial court to supplement the record with its written reasons. However, the trial court judge was unable to comply with this order due to his suspension from office beginning March 15, 2013. See In re Boothe, 12-1821 (La.1/29/13), 110 So.3d 1002.
Clearly, remand at this juncture to provide written reasons is an impossibility; remand for a new trial is an inappropriate remedy. The supreme court has noted:
Wooley, 61 So.3d at 572.
Moreover, the judgment itself and the written reasons provided in the denial of the motion for new trial provide a sufficient basis for this court to review the matter on appeal. Additionally, considering the fact that Fred's Automotive failed to appear for the hearing, there is little in the way of factual findings that could have been noted in written reasons for judgment. This is an uncomplicated matter mainly involving questions of law rather than factual findings. We are unable to remand the matter, and we find it is unnecessary to do so.
Although Fred's Automotive does not expressly state so, it is essentially appealing the trial court's denial of its motion for new trial. A new trial will be granted "[w]hen the verdict or judgment appears clearly contrary to the law and evidence." La.Code Civ.P. art. 1972. When reviewing the grant or denial of a motion for new trial, an appellate court cannot reverse the trial court's decision unless an abuse of discretion can be demonstrated. Harbor v. Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hosp., 06-593 (La.App. 3 Cir. 11/2/06), 943 So.2d 545. Based on our discussion below, we find the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant Fred's Automotive a new trial.
In this assignment of error, Fred's Automotive argues that Harley-Davidson's security interest was not properly perfected in Louisiana pursuant to La.R.S. 32:702.2. Whether this argument has any merit is irrelevant. Fred's Automotive cannot now challenge, for the first time on appeal, the validity of the security instrument. Uniform Rules — Courts of Appeal, Rule 1-3.
In this assignment of error, Fred's Automotive argues that the trial court improperly used a summary proceeding to deprive them of their rights. Fred's Automotive argues that a summary proceeding is inappropriate because the action Harley-Davidson filed against Fred's Automotive was either for a declaratory judgment or mandatory injunctive relief. We disagree. Furthermore, objections to use of a summary proceeding are made by dilatory exception and are waived if not pleaded. La.Code Civ.P. art. 926; Howard v. La. Citizens Prop. Ins. Corp., 10-1302 (La. App. 4 Cir. 4/27/11), 65 So.3d 697.
Pursuant to La.Code Civ.P. art. 2592(1), summary proceedings are appropriate only in the listed matters including:
Harley-Davidson's initial suit was filed against Davis and is subject to the law pertaining to executory proceedings found
Fred's Automotive's remedy was to intervene in the pending executory process action pursuant to La.Code Civ.P. art. 1091: "A third person having an interest therein may intervene in a pending action to enforce a right related to or connected with the object of the pending action against one or more parties." Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 2643 addresses the rights of a third person claiming an interest in seized property:
Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 1092 provides:
Fred's Automotive was fully aware of the executory proceedings. The Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office had already seized the motorcycle and returned it due to a clerical error. Fred's Automotive should have intervened in the executory proceedings to assert its privilege for towing and storage. Finally, Harley-Davidson's uncontested security interest in the motorcycle outranks any claim that Fred's Automotive may have. See La.R.S. 32:1730, La.R.S. 9:4501 (a perfected security interest superior to repairmen's lien).
In this assignment of error, Fred's Automotive argues that Fred Taylor could not be held in contempt because he was not named individually nor served with any pleadings individually, and because Harley-Davidson's rule did not seek a contempt finding against Fred's Automotive or Fred. Fred argues that he was never served with any rule for contempt.
The November 2012 judgment found:
Fred's Automotive concedes that it was properly served through its agent for service of process, Jeremy Taylor. Pursuant to La.Code Civ.P. art. 225(A), a rule to show cause for contempt may issue on the court's own motion. Further, a corporation may be found in contempt for the actions of its members or representatives. Pettus v. Atchafalaya Wildlife Protective Soc., 351 So.2d 790 (La.App. 1 Cir. 1977); La.Code Civ.P. art. 224. The trial court has vast discretion in determining whether a party should be held in contempt for disobeying a court order, and its decision will be reversed only when the appellate court discerns an abuse of that discretion. McDonald v. McDonald, 08-1165 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/4/09), 10 So.3d 780. Fred's Automotive failed to appear and failed to produce the collateral. Fred himself was never found in contempt of court. We find no abuse of the trial court's discretion in finding Fred's Automotive in contempt of court.
The trial court properly denied Fred's Automotive Repair & Wrecker Service, LLC's motion for new trial. The judgment of the trial court in favor of Harley-Davidson Credit Corporation is affirmed. All costs of this appeal are assessed against Fred's Automotive Repair & Wrecker Service, LLC.