Case Name: METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS CHAPTER OF the LOUISIANA CONSUMER'S LEAGUE, INC., Nancy Peters, wife of/and Stephen I. Dwyer, Kathy Sherman, Wife of/and Richard R. Sims, and all others similarly situated v. The COUNCIL OF the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and New Orleans Public Service, Inc
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1982-11-04
Citations: 423 So. 2d 1213
Docket Number: No. 11607
Parties: METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS CHAPTER OF the LOUISIANA CONSUMER’S LEAGUE, INC., Nancy Peters, wife of/and Stephen I. Dwyer, Kathy Sherman, Wife of/and Richard R. Sims, and all others similarly situated v. The COUNCIL OF the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and New Orleans Public Service, Inc.
Judges: Before SAMUEL, SCHOTT and GARRISON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 423
Pages: 1213–1218

Head Matter:
METROPOLITAN NEW ORLEANS CHAPTER OF the LOUISIANA CONSUMER’S LEAGUE, INC., Nancy Peters, wife of/and Stephen I. Dwyer, Kathy Sherman, Wife of/and Richard R. Sims, and all others similarly situated v. The COUNCIL OF the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and New Orleans Public Service, Inc.
No. 11607.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
Nov. 4, 1982.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 14, 1983.
Stephen M. Irving, Baton Rouge, and John Robbert, New Orleans, for plaintiffs-appellants.
Salvador Anzelmo, City Atty., Jacob Tar-anto, III, Deputy. City Atty., Chaffe, McCall, Phillips, Toler & Sarpy, Harry McCall, Jr., Norris S.L. Williams and James P. Farwell, New Orleans, for defendants-appellees.
Before SAMUEL, SCHOTT and GARRISON, JJ.

Opinion:
GARRISON, Judge.
This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court dismissing plaintiff's class action suit to recover 26.2 million dollars in allegedly improper Fuel Adjustment-Charges (hereinafter FAC). The trial court dismissed the case on a directed verdict in favor of the defendants, the City Council of the City of New Orleans (hereinafter City Council) and New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (hereinafter NOPSI).
The Metropolitan New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana Consumers' League, Inc. (hereinafter Metro) filed suit seeking an injunction mandating the City Council to hold monthly public hearings prior to allowing NOPSI to assess a fuel adjustment charge and seeking a 26.2 million dollar refund of all fuel adjustment charges assessed from January 1, 1973 to the present.
On appeal plaintiffs-appellants allege that the trial court erred by applying an incorrect standard for a directed verdict and that the trial court erred in granting a directed verdict in light of the evidence presented.
C.C.P. Article 1810 provides as follows: "A. A party who moves for a directed verdict at the close of the evidence offered by an opponent may offer evidence in the event that the motion is not granted, without having reserved the right so to do and to the same extent as if the motion had not been made. A motion for a directed verdict which is not granted is not a waiver of trial by jury even though all parties to the action have moved for directed verdicts. A motion for a directed verdict shall state the specific grounds therefor. The order of the court granting a motion for a directed verdict is effective without any assent of the jury. "B. In an action tried by the court without a jury, after the plaintiff has completed the presentation of his evidence, any party, without waiving his right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not granted, may move for a dismissal of the action as to him on the ground that upon the facts and law, the plaintiff has shown no right to relief. The court may then determine the facts and render judgment against the plaintiff and in favor of the moving party or may decline to render any judgment until the close of all the evidence."
We note that the trial judge has much discretion in determining whether or not a motion for directed verdict should be granted. Broussard v. Missouri Pac. R. Co., 376 So.2d 532, 536 (La.App.3rd Cir.1979).
In Sevin v. Shape Spa for Health & Beauty, Inc., 384 So.2d 1011 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1980) this court further discussed C.C.P. Art. 1810(B) as follows:
"Before reviewing plaintiff's evidence we must determine what weight or standard the trial judge sitting without a jury should accord plaintiff's evidence under Art. 1810(B). Able counsel for plaintiff strongly advocates that evidence should be weighed in the light most favorable to plaintiff's case. The alternative is for the trial judge to evaluate plaintiff's case in chief based on a preponderance of the evidence.
"We are satisfied that this question is res nova. LSA-C.C.P. Art. 1810 is of very recent vintage (1977). The first paragraph (A) provides for a directed verdict in the District Court sitting with a jury; and paragraph (B) allows a directed verdict by the trial judge sitting without a jury.
"Unfortunately, Art. 1810 does not establish any standard for the trial court to use in weighing evidence on a defendant's motion for dismissal.
"Plaintiff urges the holding in Campbell v. Mouton, 373 So.2d 237 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1979) which said that all of the evidence should be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion; if there is evidence of such quality and weight that reasonable and fair minded persons in the exercise of impartial judgment might reach different conclusions, a motion for directed verdict should be denied. Campbell, 373 So.2d at 239. However, that case does not apply here since the decision involved a jury trial and application of paragraph (A) under Art. 1810. The Third Circuit in Campbell adopted the philosophy of our federal courts in interpreting Art. 1810(A) by looking to the parallel provi sions of F.R.C.P. Rule 50(a). Both this court and the First Circuit have followed that same reasoning in jury cases on directed verdicts. See: Ragas v. Argonaut Southwest Ins. Co., 379 So.2d 822 (La. App. 4th Cir., 1980); Perkins v. American Machine & Foundry Co., 385 So.2d. 492 (La.App. 1st Cir.1980). Application of this federal counterpart was made in Boeing Company v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365 (5th Cir.1969) which said that the trial judge, when considering a motion for directed jury verdict, may grant the motion only when 'facts and inferences point so strongly and overwhelmingly in favor of one party that the Court believes that reasonable men could not arrive at a contrary verdict . ' 411 F.2d at 374. "Plaintiff, in argument and brief, refers to a number of decisions in other states which support the general proposition that the trial court must consider plaintiff's evidence in a light most favorable to the party against whom the motion is directed. However, all were jury cases applicable to the standard of paragraph (A) of Art. 1810. Is the severe restriction on the trial judge under (A) applicable here when we are not concerned with plaintiff's right to a jury determination of the facts?
"Article 1810(B) basically tracts the language in the second sentence of F.R.C.P. Rule 41(b). We have no doubt this procedural innovation found its way into our state statutes via the conceptual origin in the federal system. One solution would be to utilize the logic in Madison v. Traveler's Insurance Company, 308 So.2d 784 (La.1975) which held that when state rules of procedure are obtained from federal rules the state courts may look for guidance to federal decisions which have interpreted identical provisions. In Emerson Electric Co. v. Farmer, 427 F.2d 1082 (5th Cir.1970) the Fifth Circuit in referring to F.R.C.P. Rule 41(b) said: 'The Judge should now ordinarily evaluate the evidence without making special inferences in the Plaintiff's favor. The Court should go ahead and resolve the case on the basis of preponderance of the evidence.' 427 F.2d at 1086.
"In civil cases, following a complete trial, the trial judge has the responsibility to weigh and evaluate all evidence and ultimately render a decision based upon a preponderance of evidence. Suppose here following the plaintiff's case in chief the defendant rested without presenting any evidence. Then the trial court would render its decision based upon the same facts it had when plaintiff rested. The outcome in this example would be the same as we now have before us with the granting of a directed verdict. Realistically, this defendant would not offer any evidence if this case was remanded for further proceedings. The district judge must eventually render a decision and it is reasonable and logical for him to apply the same standard to evidence following a motion for directed verdict or following a completed trial. Despite the harsh results of a directed verdict, we have no alternative but to apply the standard of preponderance of evidence under the provisions of Art. 1810(B)." (at 1012-13).
The main thrust of Metro's argument is that by controlling the amount and interest rate for loans made by NOPSI to its subsidiary, Systems, Fuel, Inc., by allocating certain costs into one company or the other, by creating unnecessary, repetitive and extraneous executive and administrative branches and personnel in both companies, by allocating non-fuel costs of operation and maintenance into the fuel adjustment cost formula, and by engaging in the costly and risky business of oil field exploration, NOP-SI can artificially inflate or decrease its "cost" and funnel those elements through the fuel-adjustment clause in an attempt to circumvent public regulation.
As seen by the above statement of Metro's allegations, the instant case involves a massive amount of proof in the nature of business records, detailed accounting and "tracing" of funds, examination of the work performed by various departments of both companies, the hier-archial structure of both companies as well as the entire Mid-South System, and an examination of fuel purchases on a case-by-case basis. That proof was simply not presented at trial. We find, as did the trial court, that plaintiff failed to carry its burden of proof. Accordingly, the trial judge properly granted defendants' motions for a directed verdict.
For the reasons discussed the judgment of the district court is affirmed.
SCHOTT and SAMUEL, JJ., concur.