Case Name: Peter REVOLTA, et al. v. REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, et al.
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1992-10-29
Citations: 607 So. 2d 963
Docket Number: No. 92-C-1338
Parties: Peter REVOLTA, et al. v. REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, et al.
Judges: Before BYRNES, LOBRANO, PLOTKIN, WALTZER and LANDRIEU, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 607
Pages: 963–967

Head Matter:
Peter REVOLTA, et al. v. REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, et al.
No. 92-C-1338.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
Oct. 29, 1992.
Walter I. Willard, Berrigan, Danielson, Litchfield, Olsen, Schonekas & Mann, New Orleans, for relators.
Joseph Race, Murray Law Firm, New Orleans, McNeil J. Kemmerly, Law Offices of Paul A. Eckert, Metairie, for respondents.
Before BYRNES, LOBRANO, PLOTKIN, WALTZER and LANDRIEU, JJ.

Opinion:
WALTZER, Judge.
This action was initiated after an accident involving two minors and a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus. Plaintiff, Peter Revolta, the father and administrator of the estate of his minor daughter Sherri, the passenger of the automobile, brought suit against James Howard, the father and administrator of the estate of his minor daughter Jennifer, the driver of the automobile, their insurer, Yolanda Reddi, the driver of the bus, and RTA. The accident occurred in Orleans Parish. The suit was filed in St. Bernard parish, the domicile of Peter and Sherri Revolta and James and Jennifer Howard. RTA filed an exception of improper venue in the trial court, which was denied. RTA thereupon applied for writs to this Court, asking that the trial court's denial of their exception of improper venue be reversed.
This writ poses an interesting and unique question of statutory interpretation of LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B) and LSA-R.S. 48:1654(A). LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B), a section in Part XY entitled Suits Against State, State Agencies, or Political Subdivisions, is the statute defining the proper venue for suits against political subdivisions. LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B) states:
All suits filed against a political subdivision of the state shall be instituted before the district court of the judicial district in which the political subdivision is located or in the district court having jurisdiction in the parish in which the cause arises. (West 1985).
RTA argues that their exception of improper venue should have been granted by the trial court due to the fact that LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B) venue is mandatory and that Orleans Parish is the only proper venue in this case.
We agree that venue under LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B) is mandatory. The Louisiana legislature amended this statute in 1985 changing only the word "may" to the statute's current reading "shall", thereby indicating that a suit filed against a political subdivision must be brought in the parish where it is "located" or where the "cause arises". Texaco Inc. v. Plaque-mines Parish Government, 527 So.2d 1128, 1130 (see also J. Lanier's concurrence p. 1130, 1131) (La.App. 1st Cir.1988); reh. den. (August 24, 1988). The accident, the cause giving rise to this action, occurred in Orleans Parish. We are therefore left with the sole question of whether RTA is "located" in St. Bernard Parish.
The statute establishing the Regional Transit Authority, LSA-R.S. 48:1654, states in pertinent part;
A. There is hereby created the Regional Transit Authority, subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, which shall be a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana comprising all of the territory in the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany, or of such of the aforesaid or other parishes as elect to participate in the authority. The domicile of the authority shall be the parish of Orleans, but may be situated in one of the other participating parishes but only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total weighted vote of the authority.
This statute clearly defines RTA's domicile as Orleans Parish, but not its location. Respondent argues that location and domicile are not the same. While we initially agree with this argument, we believe that in this situation location and domicile are the same. When interpreting statutes, it is presumed that every word, sentence, or provisions in the law was intended to serve some useful purpose, that some effect is to be given to each such provision, and that no unnecessary words or provisions were used. Sanchez v. Sanchez, 582 So.2d 978, 980 (La.App. 1st Cir.1991). The Louisiana legislature well knows the difference between "domicile" and "located". Other statutes concerning suits against political bodies have specified domicile as the proper venue. See LSA-R.S. 13:5123 and 13:5125.
However, this Court has a duty to interpret laws as legislated and to honor that meaning as revealed by its language, purpose, and history. Sanchez, supra at 971. We believe that the history and purpose of LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B) indicate that the legislature intended only one parish for venue when they used the word "located". We further note the legislature's use of the word "the" to introduce "parish" in LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B). The Code of Civil Procedure article providing the general rules of venue uses "a" to indicate that more than one parish may be proper for venue, but uses "the" to indicate that only one parish is proper for venue. See La.C.C.P. art. 42.
We further find the recent analysis of the Louisiana Second Circuit enlightening in interpreting LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B). Commercial National Bank in Shreveport v. First National Bank of Fairfield, Texas and Transworld Life Insurance Co., 603 So.2d 270 (La.App. 2d Cir.1992). In that case, the court interpreted the second part of the venue provision which provides that the parish in which the "cause arises" is also a proper venue. LSA-R.S. 13:5104(B). The Second Circuit reasoned that the same considerations given to ordinary contract cases to determine venue, provided for in La.C.C.P. 76.1, should be given in determining venue under LSA-R.S. 13:5401(B). supra at p. 273. The present case is one in tort. Venue in tort suits is proper in either the parish of the defendant's domicile or in the parish where the cause of action arose. Smith v. Orleans Electronic, Inc., 457 So.2d 216, 218 (La.App. 4th Cir.); writ den., 460 So.2d 1045 (La.1984); see also La.C.C.P. articles 42 and 74. The general rules of venue in ordinary tort suits can be followed in interpreting the venue statute for tort suits against political subdivisions. Furthermore, statutes allowing exceptions to the general rule of venue that an action must be brought against a defendant in the parish of his domicile should be strictly construed and applied only in cases falling clearly within their provisions. Schueler v. Schueler, 460 So.2d 1120, 1125 (La.App. 2 Cir.); writ den., 464 So.2d 318 (La.1985); Dupre v. Pelotto, 336 So.2d 329, 331 (La.App. 1st Cir.1976). A political subdivision, as a defendant, should not be sued outside its domicile unless clearly indicated by the legislature. We do not believe the legislature's use of the word "located", after they had expressly specified the domicile of the RTA (see R.S. 48:1654), is a clear enough indication that a proper venue exists outside the RTA's domicile for this cause of action.
For the foregoing reasons, the trial court's denial of RTA's exception of improper venue is reversed and set aside, and the case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
BYRNES, J., concurs with written reasons.
LOBRANO, J., dissents.
. The minutes of the Senate Committee On Judiciary, Section C for June 18, 1983 reveal comments made on behalf of the proposer of the 1985 amendment.
Mr. Roy M. Bowes, speaking on behalf of Mr. D'Gerolamo and Jefferson Parish, stated that this bill has statewide applicability, and deals with venue. Mr. Bowes explained that present law provides that all suits filed against a political subdivision of the State may be instituted in the parish or the jurisdiction of that political subdivision. The proposed legislation would provide that the suits shall be in the district court of the judicial district in which the political subdivision is located or in the district court having jurisdiction in the parish in which the cause arises. Present law gives the election to the petitioner as to the parish in which the suit will be filed. Prior to 1960 a party could only file a suit against the state or political subdivision if the legislature enacted legislation authorizing that particular lawsuit. In 1960 the legislature waived governmental tort immunity and liability. Mr. Bowes states it was his understanding, and has been with many of the district courts, that it was actually legislative intent to provide venue only in the parish of that particular subdivision, and this is an effort to clarify that understanding, (emphasis added)