NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL FIRST CIRCUIT 2022 CA 0182 MARGARET S. CHOUEST

VERSUS EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE, INC., MR. AND MRS. EDISON S. CHOUEST, SR., GARY J. CHOUEST, LANEY J. CHOUEST, EDISON S. CHOUEST, JR.. KELLIE C. DUET AND KIRT E. CHOUEST Judgment rendered 

### APR 12 2023

On Appeal from the Seventeenth Judicial District Court

Parish ofLafourche State ofLouisiana No. 100906 

### Honorable John E. LeBlanc,Judge Presiding

Briton J. Myer Attorneys forAppellant 

### James R.Clary,Jr. Margaret S. Chouest Christopher S. Suba Baton Rouge, LA W. Patrick Klotz New Orleans, LA Jerald P. Block Attorneys forAppellee Sarah M.Lambert Edison S. Chouest, Jr. Thibodaux, LA Todd M. Magee Attorneys for Appellees Christopher H. Riviere Edison Chouest Offshore, Inc., Thibodaux LA Mr. and Mrs. Edison S. Chouest, Sr., Thomas Kent Morrison 

### GaryJ. Chouest, LaneyJ. Chouest, Taylor. M. Bologna Kellie C. Duet, and Kirt E. Chouest Kellie C. Duet Taylor M. Bologna New Orleans, LA

BEFORE: McCLENDON, CHUTZ, PENZATO, HOLDRIDGE, AND GREENE, JJ.HOLDRIDGE, J.



## Plaintiff,MargaretS. Chouest,appeals aJjudgmentofthetrial courtgranting the defendants' 

## peremptory exceptions raisingIthe objection ofprescription. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand. BACKGRO Plaintiffmarried Edison S. Chouest, Jr. 

### in 1996, and in 1998, they executed a CPSA). On March 9, 2005, plaintiff filed Edison Chouest Offshore, Inc. ( ECO), Mr. & Chouest, Jr., 

### Laney J. Chouest, Kellie sometimes collectively referred to as " defendants' alleged fraudulent scheme to 

### closely held family corporation. Plaintiff ison) in 1985. The two divorced 

### ity property settlement agreement instant lawsuit against Edison Edison S. Chouest, Sr., 

### Gary Duet, and Kirt E. Chouest is"), 

### seeking damages based onthe ive her of her interest in ECO, a

that unbeknownst to her, 

### defendants conspired to deprive the community's interest in ECO through deceit, 

### fraud,trickery, coercion, and other conducttolmake it appear thatthe community had no interest or reduced percentage of that Edison had sold his interest in ECO, 

### p in ECO, orto make it appear in fact he had not. Plaintiffalleged that she first learned ofthe fraud on March 10, P004. It is undisputed that the alleged fraud 

### occurred in January of 1996, when Edison ECO to two ofthe defendants, his children ina as the basis for this lawsuit all of his shares ofstock in

a former marriage. On November 

### 25, 2020, Edison filed aperemptory exception raising the objection ofprescription, while the remaining defendants filed a prey ription objection on November 6, 2020, 

### and an amended prescription objectio4 on December 14, 2020. In their 

### peremptory exceptions, defendants urgedthat by the one-year prescriptive period provided 2 intiffs fraud claims are governed for in Louisiana Civil Code article3492, which began to run from the date pl



### known ofthe underlying factsthatgave rise to In support oftheir claim that plaintiff 

### facts supporting herfraud claim againstthem 

### knew or reasonably should have

cause of action. knowledge of all ofthe pertinent 

### than oneyearpriorto filing the 

## 2005 fraud lawsuit,defendantsprincipally reliedonalawsuitplaintifffiledonMay 14, 2003, 

### against Edison seeking to rescind lawsuit, plaintiff alleged that Edison undervai 

### concerning the assets ofECO during negotiate 

### signing of the CPSA, that such concealment CPSA. In the 2003 rescission and/or concealed relevant facts 

### and discussions leading upto the her to enter into the CPSA 

### with Edison, and as a result, she received a disproportionate share ofcommunity

assets. 

### Defendants urged that the filing of the 2003 lawsuit did not interrupt prescription on the 2005 fraud lawsuit becau e plaintiff failed to prosecute that lawsuit, which was dismissed as abandoned or June 11, 2018. Defendants argued that the allegations of the 2003 lawsuit knowledge ofthe alleged fraudulent acts prior to the date on which she filed the that plaintiff had sufficient ida as the basis forthe instant lawsuit is ion lawsuit. 

### Thus, they maintained 

## that prescription forany fraud claims piaintifflmay have had againstthem arising out of the ECO stock transfer commenced tb run at the latest on the date the 

### rescission lawsuit was filed, May 14, 2003, a4d prescribed one year thereafter on 

### May 14, 2004,making the instant lawsuit filedIon March 9,2005, untimely. A hearing was held on the introduced in support of and in opposi 

### Following the parties' arguments, the trial plaintiff's fraud lawsuit was a delictual acti period of one year. The trial court then evidence demonstrated that plaintiff had 3 

### during which evidence was

to the prescription objections. made a legal determination that subject to a liberative prescriptive

a factual determination that the of the actions for which she

### filed the fraud lawsuit when she filed the lawsuit to rescind the CPSA in 2003,



### more than one year prior to the filing ofthe fraud lawsuit. Therefore, the court concluded that the claims offraud raised in the instant lawsuit against Edison and the other defendants were prescribed. On April 26, 2021, 

### the trial court rendered judgment maintaining the prescription objections filed 

### by Edison and 

### the remaining defendants and dismissed plaintiff's claims against them with prejudice. Thereafter, plaintifffiled

a motion for a new trial. In her motion, plaintiff asserted that the trial court erred 

### as a matteroflaw in applying the incorrect prescriptive periodto herfraud claims. Further, she claimed thatthe trial court erred in finding she had knowledge ofher 

### fraud claims against ECO and Edison's family members at the time she filed the wholly separate action against Edison to rescind the CPSA in 2003. 

### Additionally, 

### plaintiffurged that the ruling is contraryto lawand evidence becausethe court did 

### not allow her the opportunity to amend her petition following the granting ofthe defendants' peremptory exceptions as required by La.Code Civ. P. art. 934. In opposition, the defendants argued that the trial court's ruling was not 

### contrary to the law and evidence and they opposed plaintiffs demand that she be allowed to amend her petition. In response, plaintiff submitted memoranda 

### asserting additional grounds supporting her motion for new trial that did not require a reversal ofthe trial court's knowledge ruling. First, citing La. Code Civ. P. art. 2369.3, she argued that her claims against the defendants are subject to a 

### ten-yearprescriptive period applicable to claims againstafiduciary. She submitted 

### that by alienating the ECO stock to ensure she would not receive her one-half interesttherein in 1996, Edison breached his fiduciary dutyto properly manage the 

### former community property stock immediately prior to the termination of the community property regime. She further submitted that whether Edison' s other 4

### family members owed hera fiduciary duty was irrelevant to the application ofthe

ten-year prescriptive period because they are liable in solido to herwith Edison as a result of their participation in the conspiracy and fraudulent transfer. Thus, plaintiff submitted, because the ten-year prescriptive period for claims against a 

### fiduciary applied to her claims against Edison, it also applies to ECO and his 

### defendantfamily memberswho acted in concertwith him. 

### Secondly, plaintiff argued that the trial court erred in dismissing all of her claims against defendants because it failed to considerthe claims ofa sham sale or a simulated sale tied to the fraud of defendants as set forth in her petition. 

### According to plaintiff,those simulation claims are imprescriptible under La. Civ. 

### Code art. 2032, which provides that an action for annulment ofan absolutely null contract does not prescribe. In opposition to the motion for new trial, defendants opposed plaintiff's assertion that the 1996 sale of ECO stock was a simulation. In his opposition, 

### Edison offered documentary evidence and his affidavit in which he attestedthathe was paid in full for the stock by his children. The other defendants pointed to 

### evidence submitted by plaintiff in connection with the prescription objections which they claimed proved that Edison was paid for the 1996 stock sale. 

### Defendants asked the court to deny plaintiffs request to amend her petition to assert a simulation claim because Edison' s children paid for the stock, and therefore, as a matter of law, there could be no simulation. Edison asked the court 

### to deny the plaintiffthe opportunity to amend her petition to assert a cause of 

### action against him for breach offiduciary duty, insisting thatunderLouisiana law, he did not owe a fiduciary duty to plaintiff. Edison urged that no matter how plaintiff attempted to frame her additional claims against defendants, she only asserted a cause ofaction for fraud in her petition and all of plaintiff' s new claims 5arise out ofthe alleged fraud. Thus, Edison posited, plaintiff's last-minute attempt



## to insertadditional arguments and additional causes ofaction simply cametoo late in the litigation. 

### A hearing on the motion for newtrial was held, during which the trial court determined that plaintiff's petition stated a cause of action for simulation. 

### However, the court ruled that there was documentary evidence before the court demonstrating that consideration had been paid for the 1996 stock sale, and therefore, there could be no simulation; thus, there was no need for a trial on plaintiff's simulation claim. 

### The court furtherfound thatplaintiff's fiduciaryduty theory did not apply to the case. The trial court maintained the prescription objection and denied plaintiffs motion for a new trial. 

### Ajudgment denying the motion fornewtrial was signed bythe trial court on October 5, 2021. 

### Plaintiffappealed boththe April 26,2021 judgment maintaining defendants' prescription objections andthe October 5, 2021 judgment denying her motion for a

new trial. In her brief,plaintiff contends that the trial court committed reversible

error as follows: 

### 1) In finding that a one-year prescriptive period for delictual actions applied to her fraud claims against defendants rather than the 

### applicable prescriptive period often years provided by La. Civ. Code art. 3499. 

### 2) In dismissing her simulation claims related to the purported January 1, 1996 stock sale, which are imprescriptible pursuant to La. Civ. Code art. 2032; because the fraud claims and the imprescriptible simulation claims are mutually exclusive, 

### the trial court further erred by dismissing the fraud claims regardless ofthe applicable prescriptive period or when prescription began to accrue on the fraud claims. 

### 3) 1n finding that she had knowledge, constructive or otherwise, of her claims asserted against defendants in this suit sufficient to start the 

### running of prescription at the time she filed her separate rescission suiton May 14, 2003, asserting unrelated claims. 4) 

### In placing the burden on her to establish that her claims had not prescribed, even though they were not prescribed on the face ofthe RI

### petition, and further, in finding that defendants met their burden of



### establishing that prescription began to run on her claims on May 14, 2003, the date on which she filed her separate rescission suit against her husband. 

### 5) In refusing to allow her an opportunity to amend her petition to remove the grounds of the objection pleaded by the peremptory exception raising the objection ofprescription as provided in La. Code Civ. P. art. 934. 

### 6) In finding the doctrine of contra non valentem did not apply to prevent the running of prescription on her claims, regardless of the prescriptive period applied to the fraud claims. 

### 7) By casting her with over sixteen years ofcourt costs in the April 26, 2021 judgment on the defendants' prescription objections.) 

### 8) In failing to grant her motion for new trial on the prescription objections on the grounds that the ruling was clearly contrary to the law and evidence presented. DISCUSSION 

### Appellate review applicable to a peremptory exception depends on the manner in which it is heard. When, as here, evidence is received on the exception 

### bythe trial court, an appellate court reviews the trial court's factual findings, such

as the date on which prescription commences to run, under the manifest error - clearly wrong standard of review. 

### See McKenzie v. Imperial Fire and Casualty Insurance Company, 2012- 1648 ( 

### La. App. 1St Cir. 7/30113), 122 So.3d 42, 46, writ denied, 2013-2066 ( La. 1216113), 129 So.3d 534. 

### In applying the manifest 

### error - clearlywrong standard ofreview,the appellate court does notdecide whether thetrier offactwas right orwrong, butwhetherthe fact - finder's conclusion was a

reasonable one. Clifford v. OLOL Regional Medical Center, 2018- 1483 ( La. 

### App. 1" Cir. 513111.9), 277 So.3d 1210, 1213. Thus, ifthe fact - finder's conclusion 

### is reasonable in light of the record in its entirety, an appellate court may not 1 Because we decide, infra, that plaintiffshould be allowed to amend her petition to remove the grounds ofthe objection pleaded by the peremptory exception, and we remand the matter to the trial court for that purpose, we pretermit discussion of the propriety of the trial court's cost assessment. 7

### reverse, even though convinced that had it been sitting as the trier offact, itwould



### have weighed the evidence differently. Id.; Rando v. Anco Insulations, Inc., 2008- 1163, 2008- 1169 (La. 5/22/09), 16 So.3d 1065, 1082. However, the issue of the prescriptive period applicable to the plaintiff's claim involves a question of 

### law, and is reviewed by an appellate court de novo, without deference to the trial court' s legal conclusions. McKenzie, 122 So.3d at 46. Applicable Prescriptive Period 

### There is no prescription otherthan that established by legislation. La. Civ. Code art. 3457. The Louisiana Civil Code provides forthree forms ofprescription: liberative, acquisitive, and prescription of non-use. La. Civ. Code art. 3445; Taranto v. 

### Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, 2010-0105 La. 3/ 15/ 11), 62 So.3d 721, 726. 

### Statutes providing for prescription are strictly construed against prescription and in favor of the obligation sought to be extinguished. Taranto, 62 So.3d at 726. Where, as here, the petition is not 

### prescribed on itsface,themoverbearsthe burden ofproving prescription. Id. At issue in this case is the applicable liberative prescriptive period. 

### Liberative prescription is a mode of barring actions as a result of inaction for a period of time. La. Civ. Code art. 3447. All personal actions are subject to a 

### liberative prescription period often years, unless otherwise provided for by law. La. Civ. Code art. 3499. Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of

one year. La. Civ. Code art. 3492. With respect to a cause ofaction for fraud, the Civil Code provides for two possible prescriptive periods: the one-year prescriptive period found in La. Civ. Code art. 3492, and the ten-year prescriptive period provided for in La. Civ. Code art. 3499. CamSoft Data Systems, Inc. v 

### Southern Electronics Supply Inc., 2019-0730 ( 

### La. App, 1st Cir. 7/2/ 19), 2019 WL 2865138 * 19 ( unpublished opinion), writs denied, 2019-01232 (La. 11/ 19/ 19),282 So.3d 1069, 2019-01436 ( La. 11/ 19/ 19), 282 So.3d 1070, 2019-01349 ( La.

11/ 19/ 19), 282 So.3d 1073. The allegations of the plaintiff's prayer and petition must be examined in order to determine the true nature of the action and the applicable prescriptive period. DePhillips v. Hospital Service District No. 1 of Tangipahoa Parish, 2019-01496 ( La. 719120), 340 So.3d 817, 822; 

### Quality Gas Products, Inc. v. 

### BankOne Corporation, 2003- 1959 (La.App. 1St Cir. 6/25/04), 885 So.2d 1179, 1181. It is a basic premise of Louisiana law that where an act arises out of the 

### breach of a duty imposed by law, the damages arise ex delicto, and are extinguished 

### by the prescription of one year. DePhillips, 885 So.3d at 822. However, where there is a " special obligation" 

### created by contract, by law, or by a special relationship between the parties, the longer prescriptive period of 

### ten years for personal actions may be applicable. DePhillips, 340 So.3d at 822; CamSoft Data Systems, Inc, 2019 WL 2865138 at * 19-20. For instance, a suit 

### for the breach of a fiduciary duty is generally considered a breach ofa special obligation, to which the ten-year prescriptive period for personal actions set forth in La. Civ. Code art. 3499 applies. Id. In CamSoft Data Systems, Inc., upon examining the allegations ofthe petition,this court concluded that the nature ofthe 

### plaintiff's fraud cause of action was that of a breach ofa fiduciary relationship. This court's analysis ofthe pleadings, in which the plaintiffspecifically plead the 

### existence of a fiduciary relationship among the parties, prompted this court to characterize the action as a personal one subject the ten - prescriptive period, rather than a delictual one subject to the one-year prescriptive period. Id., 2019 WL 2865138 at * 22. Fraud is defined in the Civil Code as a " misrepresentation or a suppression of the truth made with the intention either to obtain an unjust advantage for one 0

### party or to cause a loss or inconvenience to the other." La. Civ. Code art. 1953.



### Fraud may also result from silence or inaction. La. Civ. Code art. 1953. In pleading fraud, the circumstances constituting fraud shall be alleged with particularity. La. Code Civ. P. art. 856. In her petition, plaintiff stated a cause of action for fraud against defendants. Her petition is styled " Petition for Damages 

### Resulting from Fraud." In her petition, plaintiff alleged that defendants conspired 

## to deprive her ofher interest in ECO byway of "deceit, fraud, trickery, coercion,

and other conduct" 

### to make it appear that the community had no interest or a reduced percentage of ownership in ECO, or to make it appear that her former husband had sold his interest in ECO, when in fact he had not. Plaintiff did not 

### allege the existence ofany special duty imposed by contract or law on defendants, 

### nordid she allegethatanyofthe defendants owed her afiduciary duty. Moreover, plaintiffdid not seek rescission or annulment ofthe alleged fraudulent sale of her former husband' s interest in ECO, which may have triggered a different prescriptive period. Instead, she sought to recover damages based on the defendants' participation in the alleged fraudulent ECO stock sale. Based on the 

### allegations of the petition, the trial court properly characterized plaintiff's fraud claim as delictual in nature, to which the one-year prescriptive period for delictual

actions applies. Commencement of Prescription 

### Prescription on a delictual action commences to run from the date the injury

or damage is sustained. La. Civ. Code art. 3492. Prescription commences to run 

### when a plaintiff has actual or constructive knowledge of facts indicating to a reasonable person that he or she is a victim of a tort. Campo v. Correa, 2001- 2707 (La. 6121102), 

### 828 So.2d 502, 510; Guillotv. Doughty,2013- 1348 (La.App. 1st Cir. 3121/ 14), 142 So.3d 1034, 1046, writ denied, 2014-0824 (La. 6113114), 140 10So.3d 1192. Constructive notice is whatever notice is enough to excite attention



## and put the injured party on guard and call for an inquiry. Such notice is 

## tantamount to knowledge or notice ofeverything to which a reasonable inquiry may lead. Guillot, 142 So.3d at 1046. When a plaintiff is not aware ofthe facts 

### giving rise to his or hercause ofaction against a defendant, prescription is forthat

reason suspended until the tort victim discovers or should have discovered the facts upon which the cause ofaction is based. Id. Plaintiff and Edison were married in 1985. Edison' s shares in ECO were acquired from his parents in 1992. At that time, Edison purchased 27. 1064 shares of stock from his parents, and three shares were donated to him. Plaintiff and Edison separated in 1995 and on August 20, 1996, 

### they were divorced. The 

### conduct giving rise to plaintiff's claims of fraud against defendants occurred on 

### January 1, 1996, when Edison transferred his shares in ECO to his children from a former marriage. 

### In 1998, plaintiffand Edison settled their community property dispute and executed a CPSA. 

### In that agreement, plaintifftransferred any interest she may have had in all businesses in which Edison owned an interest, including ECO, to Edison. 

### On May 14, 2003, plaintifffiled a lawsuit against Edison seeking to rescind the CPSA.2 In the 2003 rescission lawsuit, plaintiffalleged that Edison "concealed 

### and/or undervalued the community assets during discussions and negotiations leading up to the signing of the community property settlement, resulting in 

### petitioner receiving a disproportionate share ofthe community property assets...."

2Thefiling ofthe petitionforrescission ofthe CPSAdidnot interruptprescription on plaintiff's fraud cause of action against defendants. Plaintiff failed to prosecute that lawsuit and on June 19, 2018, the trial court signed ajudgment dismissing the rescission lawsuit for the failure of either party to take any steps in its prosecution or defense since 2011. As a result, any 

### interruption ofprescription resulting from the filing ofthat lawsuit is considered neverto have occurred. See La. Civ. Code arts. 3462 and 3463.

### Shefurtherspecifically allegedthat Edison "undervalued and/orconcealed relevant

facts concerning the assets" ofECO. On March 10, 2004, in connection with the rescission lawsuit, Edison was deposed. 

### During the deposition, Edison testified that he sold his entire interest in 

## ECO to his children because he was told to do so by his father, mother, and brother. 

### According to Edison, he did not have a choice in the matter, and he 

### gathered that his family had him transfer his interest in ECO because theywanted to make sure plaintiffwould nothaveanykind ofownership interest in ECO. Plaintiffcontends that the trial court erred in finding that she had notice of the underlying conduct forming the basis ofthe fraud lawsuit more than one year before she filed the lawsuit. 

### According to plaintiff,the 1996 transfer ofEdison's 

### stock in ECO to his children and the circumstances surrounding that transfer remained hidden from her until 8 years later when Edison was deposed in 2004 and 

### revealed to her forthe first time that his family members conspired and planned to 

### defraud her of community interest in ECO by executing a simulated sale ofthat stock in 1996. 

### Plaintiff maintains that as specifically alleged in her 2005 fraud lawsuit, she first learned ofthe defendants' fraudulent acts on March 10, 2004, and 

### thisfraud lawsuit,filedwithin oneyearofthatknowledge, istimely.

However, the trial court concluded that the evidence demonstrated that 

### plaintiffhad knowledge ofthe fraud - based conspiracy actions forwhich she filed the instant lawsuit priorto filing the lawsuit to rescind the CPSA in 2003. In that 

### lawsuit, plaintiff claimed that Edison wrongfully induced her to enter into their CPSA by undervaluing and/or concealing relevant facts concerning ECO. At a minimum, the facts alleged in the rescission lawsuit were sufficient to incite 

### plaintiff's attention to do further investigation into the circumstances surrounding 

### Edison's concealment offacts concerning the value ofECO prior to the filing of 12

### the 2003 lawsuit and well before Edison was deposed on March 10, 2004. The



### trial court's factual determination that prescription commenced to run on plaintiff's 

## cause of action for fraud against defendants at the latest on May 14, 2003, is 

## reasonably supported by the record and may not be disturbed by this court. Therefore, based on the allegations of the petition, the instant lawsuit, filed on March 9, 2005, more than one year from the date on which prescription on 

## plaintiffs fraud cause ofaction commenced to run, is untimely, and the trial court properly maintained defendants' peremptory exceptions raising the objection of prescription.3 

### Opportunity toAmend Petition 

### Atthe outset,we find thatthetrial court erred in dismissing plaintiffs claim that the 1996 stock sale was a simulated sale on the motion for new trial. While plaintiff asserted a simulation claim in the motion for new trial as a reason for challenging the trial court's prescription ruling, the merits ofplaintiffs simulation 

### claimwere notbeforethecourtonthe motionfornewtrial,makingthetrial court's dismissal ofthat claim improper. 

### Further,the trial court erred in dismissing plaintiffs lawsuit without giving her the opportunity to amend the petition. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure 

### article 934 provides that when the grounds of a peremptory exception may be 

### removed by amendment ofthe petition, the judgment maintaining the exception 

### shall order such amendment within the delay allowed by the court. Where the plaintiff has raised allegations in argument which might be sufficient to overcome

3 Because we find no error in the trial court's conclusion that plaintiff had knowledge ofthe fraud in 2003, we find no merit to plaintiff's claim that the trial court erred in refusing to apply the doctrine of contra non valentem to interrupt prescription on her fraud claim against the defendants. Further, because plaintiffs arguments that the trial court should have granted her motion fora newtrial are based on the same reasons as those set forth in her briefwarranting a 

### reversal ofthetrial court'sprescription ruling,wefind no error inthetrial court'srefusalto grant plaintiffa new trial on the prescription ruling. 13a peremptory exception of prescription, the plaintiff should be allowed to amend

the petition to assert such allegations. Whitnell v. Menville, 540 So.2d 304, 309, 311 ( La. 1989). Thus, 

### a court may allow amendment of a petition if the new 

### allegations raise the possibilitythat the claim is not prescribed, even ifthe ultimate outcome ofthe prescription issue, once the petition is amended, is uncertain. 

### Id 

### During the course ofthis litigation, plaintiff has argued that the one-year 

### prescriptive period did not apply to her lawsuit for two reasons. First, she has maintained that the 1996 stock sale was a simulated or sham sale, which is imprescriptible. 

### As distinguished from an action seeking damages fora fraudulent sale, an action to have a simulated sale declared a nullity and set aside does not prescribe. 

### Scoggins v. Frederick, 98- 1814, 98-1815, 98- 1816 (La. App. 1ST Cir. 9124199), 744 So.2d 676, 681, writ denied, 1999-3557 ( La. 3117100), 756 So.2d 1141. 

### Although plaintiffmay have alleged in her petition thatthe fraudulent sale was made to appear that Edison had sold his interest in ECO when in fact he had 

### not, she did not seekto havethe 1996 stocksale declared an absolute nullity. 

### Moreover, plaintiff has argued that Edison breached his fiduciary duty to preservethe community stock in ECO by colluding and conspiring with his family members to sell or effectuate a simulated sale of the ECO stock prior to the 

### division oftheir community property with the specific goal ofdepriving her ofher interest therein. As noted earlier, 

### claims for breach of a fiduciary duty are generally subjecttotheten-year prescriptive period forpersonal actions. The likelihood ofplaintiff's success on the merits ofeither ofthese claims is not determinative as to the issue ofwhether plaintiff should be allowed to amend her petition to allege those claims. 

### Rather, the only issue is whether allowing plaintiffto amend her petition to state these causes of action could have an effect

on the prescription issue. See Whitnell, 540 So.2d at 309. While the plaintiff has 14

## alleged claims ofasimulated saleand abreach offiduciary duty, herpetition does

not allege specific facts as to either claim. 

## Similarly, claims are made not only against Edison but as to various other defendants. However, no specific facts are 

### alleged as to how the other defendants played a part in the simulated sale or 

### conspiracy to breach a fiduciary duty. Since both claims may have different prescriptive periods than the one-year period afforded to delictual actions, in accordance with La. Code Civ. P. art. 934, we are mandated to permit the plaintiff 

### to amend her petition to cure the prescription objection ifshe can.4 Therefore, we 

### find that the trial court erred in dismissing plaintiff's lawsuit without allowing plaintiffthe opportunityto amend her petition, and we reverse the dismissal ofthe petition. CONCLUSION 

### Forthe foregoing reasons, thetrial court'sjudgment maintaining defendants' 

### peremptory exceptions raising the objection of prescription is affirmed. We

reverse the dismissal of the lawsuit and remand the matter to the trial court to 

### afford plaintiff the opportunity to amend her petition in accordance with the procedure provided by La. Code Civ. P. art. 934. All costs of this appeal are assessed to plaintiff,Margaret S. Chouest. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART, REMANDED.



### 4Thisopinion innowayprecludesthedefendantsfrom seeking sanctions inthetrial courtunder La. Code Civ.P. art. 863 ifthe pleadings filed therein do not contain specific facts and are being 

### presented for any improper purpose such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost oflitigation. See La. Code Civ. P. art. 863(13)( 1). 15STATE OF LOUISIANA COURT OF APPEAL FIRST CIRCUIT DOCKET NUMBER 2022 CA 0182 MARGARET S. CHOUEST

VERSUS EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE, INC., MR. AND MRS. EDISON S. CHOUEST, SR., GARY J. CHOUEST, LANEY 3. CHOUEST, EDISON S. CHOUEST, 3R., KELLIE C. DUET AND KIRT E. CHOUEST GREENE, 3., 

### dissenting. 

### I disagreewith the majority opinion and thinkthe trial courterred in denying Ms. Chouest's motion for new trial and in granting the defendants' exceptions pleading the objection of prescription.

In Louisiana, the circumstances constituting fraud must be alleged with particularity. La. C.C. art. 856. 

### However, technical forms of pleading are not required, and courts are required to construe all pleadings so as to do substantial justice. La. C.C. P. arts. 854 and 865. 

### SeeMcLin v. HIHD, Inc, 13-0036 (La. App. I Cir. 6/7/13), 119 So.3d 830, 832, n.2. Further, courts must strictly construe prescription statutes against prescription and in favor of the obligation sought to be extinguished. Jenkins v. Kauffman, 21- 1596 ( 

### La. App. 1 Cir. 7/ 13/22), 344 So.3d 689, 693. Considering these principles, I think Ms. Chouest's 2005 petition alleges a cause of action for fraud 

### committed during a special relationship ( i e., marriage) against her ex-husband, and as such, under La. C.C. art. 2369.3, her cause of action is subject to ten-year prescription, not to one-year prescription. See La. C.C. art. 3499. Under La. C.C. art. 2369.3, a spouse " 

### has a duty to preserve and to manage 

### prudentlyformer community property under his control in a mannerconsistent with the mode of use of that property immediately prior to the termination of the community regime." 

### According to a comment under La. C.C. art. 2369.3, breach of this special obligation between spouses is subject to ten-year prescription. La. C.C. art. 2369.3 - Comments - 1995, comment ( c). 

### In this case, Mr. Chouest's duty to preserve and to

### prudently manage the former community property began on November 14, 1995, the



### date he filed the petition for divorce and upon which the community property regime

ended.' See La. C.C. art. 159. 

### Strictly construing Ms. Chouest's 2005 petition against prescription and "so as to do substantial justice," I think she has adequately alleged that Mr. Chouest breached the 

### dutyheowed herunderLa. C.C. art.2369.3to preserve and prudentlymanagetheformer community property, i.e.,the community's interest in ECO. And, although Ms. Chouest 

### has not alleged a special relationship with the remaining defendants, I think ten-year prescription also applies to her claims against them, because they allegedly committed fraud with her ex-husband and would be solidarily liable with him. See La. C.C. art. 2324(C).

Further, I think Ms. Chouest's allegations also state a cause of action for simulation, which is imprescriptible. 

### SeeScoggins v.Frederick,98-1814 (La. App. 1 Cir. 9/24/99), 744 So.2d 676, 681, writdenied,99-3557 ( La. 3/ 17/00), 756 So - 2d 1141. 

### Thus, I think the trial court erred in denying Ms. Chouest's motion for new trial 

### and in granting the defendants' exceptions of prescription. Because I think the petition already adequately alleges causes of action forfraud and simulation, I also see no need to remand this matter for Ms. Chouest to amend her petition. Therefore, I think this 

### court should reverse the judgment granting the defendants' exceptions of prescription 

### and dismissing Ms. Chouest'sfraud and simulation claims.

1 Ms. Chouest introduced a copy ofthe divorce petition atthe hearing on her motion for newtrial.

PC