Case Name: Randell Hunt vs. James E. Zuntz
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1876-05
Citations: 28 La. Ann. 500
Docket Number: No. 5755
Parties: Randell Hunt vs. James E. Zuntz.
Judges: 
Reporter: Louisiana Annual Reports
Volume: 28
Pages: 500–510

Head Matter:
No. 5755.
Randell Hunt vs. James E. Zuntz.
Tho appeal referred to in article 3130 oí tho Revised Code is an appeal from the judgment or decision oí arbitrators to the court of original jurisdiction. It lias no application to the appellate jurisdiction of this court. The article cited in no manner modifies tho jurisdiction oí this court as fixed in article seventy-íbur oí the constitution and also-in the Code of Practice.
Tho case at bar is a suit brought by plaintiff on a contract and the award of arbitrators thereon. Tho court below has decided that the decision was properly made, and that tho deiendant should pay tho amount awarded and also tho further sum of ten thousand dollars, liquidated damages, for failing to comply with the arbitration within tho timo stipulated. "Whether an amount has boon properly awarded, and whether defendant is guilty of non-compliance with thoaward, and incurred tho penalty stipulated, aro questions passed on in the court a qua, and there is no law forbidding tho review by this court of tho judgment of said court. Defendant, who complains that he is aggrieved, has tho constitutional right of appeal, however indifferent his defense may be on the merits. Tho motion to dismiss can not prevail.
There is nothing in tho constitution or laws which prohibits parties from submitting their differences to arbitration; nor is thoro any authority for saying that parties can not bind themselves in any penalty to abide by tho dooision of arbitrators selected by themselves,
The objection that the defendant was not given a proper opportunity to be heard before tho umpire is n ot well founded. On tho contrary, it is shown that he was notified when and whero the umpire was to commence his investigations, and that he did not appear before him at tho timo and place designated, either in person or by counsel.
The article 3108 of tho Codo recognizes the rights of parties to contract that thoy will bo held in a penalty in case thoy do not abide by the award of parties of their own selection, or selected under their authority, to whom they have agreed to submit their differences.
If they could not affix a penalty as tho result of thoir non-compliance, the article of the Code just -quoted would be meaningless. If, having affixed a penalty, it; should he hold that the award and penalty can not both bo exacted, tho rosult might lead to an absurdity.
Article 2123 of the Code, relied on hy defendant, is rather conclusive against him than otherwise. He is bound for the amount of the penalty claimed of Mm by reason of the decision of the umpire, to which ho promised to submit, and be-. cause he agreed to pay said penalty unless ho complied with his covenant.
APPEAL from the Sixth District Court, parish oí Orleans. Saucier, J.
Bcindell Hunt, Clarice, Bayne & Renahaw, D. S. Bryon, and Robert G. Duíju >, for plaintiff and appellee.
A. & W. Voot'Mes, for defendant and appellant.

Opinion:
On Motion to Dismiss.
"Wyly, J".
Plaintiff and defendant being unable to agree as to the amount due the former by the latter for professional services in a certain litigation, submitted the matter to arbitration, indicating in the contract the names of the arbitrators and the name of an umpire in case his services should be required. They also bound themselves to. abide by the judgment of the arbitrators, and to pay the amount thereof within five days after the decision; and thoy further bound themselves " to each other in the sum of ten thousand dollars liquidated damages, to be paid in case of non-compliance within the time named." The arbitrators failing to agree, the matter was referred to tho umpire, who fixe.d the amount to be paid plaintiff by defendant at fifty-seven hundred dollars. Defendant having failed, after due notice for more than five days, to comply with the award, the plaintiff brought this suit to recover the amount of the award and also the ten thousand dollars liquidated damages stipulated to be paid in case of failure for more than five days after a decision to comply with the arbitration.
The court gave judgment as prayed for, and defendant has appealed.
• Plaintiff now moves to dismiss this appeal on the ground that defendant has been condemned to pay the amount awarded by arbitrators and a penalty for failing to comply therewith and no appeal lies in a case of this kind. In support of the motion article 3130 of the Revised Code is •cir.ed, which reads as follows: "He who is not satisfied with the award may appeal from it, though the parties have renounced such appeal by the submission; but the appellant, before being heard on his appeal, ought to pay the penalty stipulated in the submission, if any has been stipulated." The appeal here referred to is. an appeal from the judgment or decision of arbitrators to the court. It has no application to the appellate jurisdiction of this court. The article cited in no manner modifies the jurisdiction of this court as fixed in article seventy-four of the constitution and also in the Code of Practice.
The case at bar is a suit brought by plaintiff on a contract and the award of arbitrators thereon. The court below lias decided that the arbitration was properly made and that the defendant should pay the amount awarded, and also the further sum of ten thousand dollars liquidated damages, for failing to comply with the arbitration within the time stipulated. Whether an amount has been properly awarded, and whether defendant is guilty of non-compliance with the award, and incurred the penalty stipulated, are questions that have been passed on by the court below, and there is no law forbidding the review by this court of the judgment of the court below. Defendant, who complains that he is aggrieved, has the constitutional right of appeal, however indifferent his defense may be on the merits.
The motion is denied.