Case Name: GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Louis J. BOUTTE, Defendant-Appellee
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1976-09-29
Citations: 338 So. 2d 363
Docket Number: No. 5614
Parties: GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Louis J. BOUTTE, Defendant-Appellee.
Judges: Before HOOD, MILLER and WATSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 338
Pages: 363–367

Head Matter:
GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Louis J. BOUTTE, Defendant-Appellee.
No. 5614.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
Sept. 29, 1976.
Dissenting Opinion Oct. 8, 1976.
Rehearing Denied Nov. 4, 1976.
Piccione & Piccione by Peter C. Piccione, Jr., Lafayette, for plaintiff-appellant.
Armentor & Wattigny by Gerald B. Wat-tigny, New Iberia, for defendant-appellee.
Before HOOD, MILLER and WATSON, JJ.

Opinion:
MILLER, Judge.
Plaintiff General Motors Acceptance Corporation appeals the judgment refusing to grant it a deficiency judgment against defendant Louis J. Boutte amounting to $2,641.62 plus interest. The deficiency judgment was denied on finding the evidence established that the automobile seized and sold for $134 at GMAC's foreclosure was not properly appraised as required by LSA-R.S. 13-4364 et seq. and C.C. arts. 2771 et seq. We affirm.
On October 12, 1973, Boutte bought a used 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and signed a note for the sum of $2,796.20 payable in thirty installments at GMAC's offices. When the outstanding balance was reduced to $2,122.88, he defaulted. Under executory process GMAC had the car seized and on September 11, 1974 it sold at sheriff's sale for the price of $134.
Boutte failed to appoint an appraiser and the Monte Carlo was appraised for $200 and bought in by GMAC for $134. At the time of the sheriff's sale, the average retail value of a Monte Carlo in average condition was in the $1,500 to $2,000 range.
The evidence supports the trial court's conclusion that the appraisal did not meet the standards required by the cited statutes and codal articles. The repossession report in evidence as Exhibit D-l described the condition of the Monte Carlo as a good body, good grill, good top, but with a scratch on the hood. Tr. 117.
In answer to interrogatories GMAC stated that at the time of seizure, the car had been abandoned for approximately one year; it had no rear end or differential, no battery, paint on the car was peeling and spotted, upholstery was torn and mildewed, one window on the car was broken, etc.
At trial, GMAC's witnesses acknowledged this description did not remotely fit Boutte's car. Although the car had been run into a ditch on one occasion, the colli sion insurance which GMAC required Boutte to purchase covered the loss and GMAC's dealer who originally sold the car made the repairs.
Both appraisers thought the car was inoperable when they appraised the Monte Carlo. They were wrong and the trial court specifically so held. Within eight days after the sheriffs sale, a battery was installed and the car was sold to a wholesale car buyer for the price of $400. So far as the record indicates only a few dollars, if any, were spent for the battery and one or two other minor repairs made before the car was delivered to the wholesale buyer. The wholesale buyer in turn spent some $600 on the car and sold it for $1,495. Tr. 96.
Boutte introduced evidence at Tr. 141,2 indicating that except for a weak battery the ear was in good shape when it was seized. This supports the trial court's conclusion.
Appellant failed to establish manifest error in the trial court determination that Boutte successfully carried his burden of proof. Boutte established the appraisers did not substantially comply with the law set forth in LSA-R.S. 13:4365 so as to make "a true and just appraisement of" the Monte Carlo. See Ford Motor Credit Company v. Blackwell, 295 So.2d 522 (La.App. 4 Cir. 1974).
The trial court judgment is affirmed at appellant's costs.
Affirmed.
HOOD, J., dissents and assigns written reasons.