WHIPPLE, C.J.
This matter is before us on appeal by defendant-in-reconvention, Deborah Riedel, from a judgment of the trial court granting summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs-in-reconvention, Frank and Theresa Cali. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
On April 25, 2014, Riedel, with the assistance of real estate agent Angie Fenasci, entered into a purchase agreement for a condominium located at 2700 Rue St. Martin, Unit A, in Hammond, Louisiana, that was owned by Frank and Theresa Cali.
Following a home inspection of the property by Dale Brunet of Brunet's Home Inspection, LLC, Riedel executed a promissory note and credit deed (mortgage) on May 9, 2014, through which she purchased the property from the Calis for the sum of $67,500.00. Riedel paid a down payment of $25,000.00 and financed the balance of $42,500.00 with the Calis with interest of 6.75% until paid in full via an owner-financed promissory note. According to the terms of the note, Riedel was to make 240 equal monthly installments of $323.15 each, commencing June 1, 2014, and on the same day of each month thereafter, until paid.
Riedel contends that after moving into the home, she detected moisture and smelled a "strong odor" that worsened each day, and that she and her children "began feeling very ill and developed illnesses." Thereafter, on May 6, 2015, Riedel individually, and on behalf of her minor children, filed a petition for damages against the Calis, Yarborough, Coldwell Banker Bobby Tallo Realty, L.L.C., Fenasci, and Hollie Realty, L.L.C./RE/MAX Northshore, asserting claims of fraud and misrepresentation and contending that they "had to have known" about the moisture and mold in the home before it was sold. Specifically, Riedel asserted breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims against Frank Cali, Landon Yarborough, and Angie Fenasci as licensed agents and breach of contract claims and "re-habitation violations" against Frank and Theresa Cali as owners of the property. Riedel accordingly sought damages for illnesses and injuries that she and her children purportedly suffered as a result of exposure to "black mold" found in the home.
The Calis answered the petition and subsequently filed a reconventional demand against Riedel, as holders of the May 9, 2014 promissory note, averring that Riedel had not made any payments on the promissory note since her payment in December of 2014, and had further defaulted
Riedel answered the reconventional demand, adopting as affirmative defenses the claims she had asserted against the defendants in her petition for damages on the main demand, "not limited to fraud, deceit and redhibition rights."
Thereafter, the Calis, as plaintiffs-in-reconvention, filed a motion for summary judgment, seeking judgment in their favor on the claims asserted against Riedel in their reconventional demand. Motions for summary judgment were also filed by the Calis, Fenasci, and Hollie Realty, L.L.C. seeking dismissal of Riedel's claims in the original demand.
The three motions for summary judgment were heard before the trial court on August 28, 2017. Following the hearing, the trial court granted the motions for summary judgment filed by the Calis, Fenasci, and Hollie Realty, L.L.C., and dismissed with prejudice the claims Riedel had asserted against them in the main demand. Thereafter, the trial court granted the motion for summary judgment by the Calls, as plaintiffs-in-reconvention, on the claims asserted against Riedel in their reconventional demand.
On September 20, 2017, the trial court signed a judgment, granting the summary judgment in favor of the Calis, and against Riedel, finding that there were no genuine issues of material fact remaining and that the Calis were entitled to judgment in their favor as a matter of law on the issue of Riedel's indebtedness for the May 19, 2014 promissory note and mortgage.
Riedel now appeals, contending that the trial court erred in prematurely granting summary judgment on the reconventional demand, contending: (1) that this appeal should be "stayed" until the two companion appeals are ruled upon by this court; and (2) that the issues presented in the reconventional demand are appropriate for jury consideration.
After an opportunity for adequate discovery, 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
The burden of proof rests with the mover. Nevertheless, if the mover will not bear the burden of proof at trial on the issue before the court on the motion for summary judgment, the mover's burden does not require that he negate all essential elements of the adverse party's claim, action, or defense, but rather to point to the absence of factual support for one or more elements essential to the adverse party's claim, action, or defense. 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. LSA-C.C.P. art. 966(D)(1).
When a motion for summary judgment is made and supported as provided in LSA-C.C.P. art. 967, an adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleadings, but his response, by affidavits or as otherwise provided in LSA-C.C.P. art. 967, must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. If he does not so respond, summary judgment, if appropriate, shall be rendered against him. LSA-C.C.P. art. 967(B). In determining whether summary judgment is appropriate, appellate courts review evidence de novo under the same criteria that govern the trial court's determination of whether summary judgment is appropriate.
Summary judgment is an appropriate procedural device to enforce a negotiable instrument when the defendant establishes no defense against enforcement.
The promissory note and credit deed submitted in support of the Calis's motion for summary judgment contain Riedel's signature. In her deposition testimony, Riedel admitted that the signatures on the documents were hers. Moreover, Riedel readily conceded that she had not made any payments on the note since January of 2015.
The credit deed provides that if the note should be "placed in the hands of an attorney for collection, or suit [was] brought," the "purchaser shall pay an additional sum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of principal and interest then owing as attorney's fees, and all other costs of [the] suit." The credit deed further provides that the purchaser agrees to keep the buildings on the mortgaged property insured with both hazard and flood insurance with limits of $67,500.00 and general liability coverage of $300,000.00, and that:
The affidavit executed by the Calis sets forth: that Riedel was delinquent on her payments of the note since January 1, 2015; that pursuant to the credit deed, Riedel was obligated to reimburse the Calis for the payment of ad valorem city and parish taxes; that pursuant to the note, Riedel was responsible for accrued late charges of $50.00 per month; and that Riedel was obligated to reimburse the Calis for expenses incurred for maintaining fire and casualty insurance on the property pursuant to the terms of the credit deed.
In Riedel's opposition to the motion for summary judgment and in her brief on appeal, she essentially argues that the summary judgment that was granted is "premature and invalid" and that she should have been allowed the opportunity to appeal the dismissal of her claims in the main demand before summary judgment
As to Riedel's contentions that any grant of summary judgment and appeal on the reconventional demand is premature, we note that all three motions for summary judgment were set for hearing on August 28, 2017. A review of the transcript reveals that the matters were called for hearing and appearances were made.
Moreover, to the extent that Riedel relies on the affirmative defenses of "fraud, redhibition, failure to disclose," which were asserted in her main demand against Fenasci, Yarborough, and the Calls, we have found no error by the trial court in dismissing those claims and have affirmed the granting of summary judgment in the companion appeals to this matter.
Finally, to the extent that Riedel contends that this matter should be tried before a jury, we note that a request for trial by jury does not of itself preclude a motion for summary judgment.
Because Riedel failed to offer any evidence to establish an affirmative defense to her liability on the note or to otherwise prove the existence of a triable issue of material fact as to her execution of the promissory note and credit deed, on de novo review, we find no error in the trial court's grant of summary judgment in the instant matter.
For the above and foregoing reasons, the September 20, 2017 judgment of the trial court, granting summary judgment in
Higginbotham, J. Concurs.
McClendon, J. Concurs.