Case Name: TOWN OF CHURCH POINT, et al. v. ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY, et al.
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 2003-07-14
Citations: 849 So. 2d 87
Docket Number: No. 03-890
Parties: TOWN OF CHURCH POINT, et al. v. ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY, et al.
Judges: Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, JOHN D. SAUNDERS, and BILLY H. EZELL, Judges.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 849
Pages: 87–93

Head Matter:
TOWN OF CHURCH POINT, et al. v. ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY, et al.
No. 03-890.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.
July 14, 2003.
Order Denying Rehearing July 15, 2003.
J. Lee Wimberley, Jr., Vidrine & Wim-berley, Church Point, LA, for Plain tiffs/Appellants Town of Church Point, Et AI.
Andre’ Doguet, Rayne, LA, for Defendants/AppeUees Acadia Parish Police Jury, EtAl.
Court composed of ULYSSES GENE THIBODEAUX, JOHN D. SAUNDERS, and BILLY H. EZELL, Judges.

Opinion:
THIBODEAUX, Judge.
This matter is before the court on the devolutive appeal of the plaintiffs-appellants, the Town of Church Point and Roger Boudreaux, the Mayor of the Town of Church Point. The plaintiffs are appealing a judgment of the trial court denying their request to enjoin a special tax election called for July 19, 2003. The plaintiffs argue the Acadia Parish Police Jury, acting as the governing authority of the Mosquito Control Sales Tax District # 3 of Acadia Parish (hereinafter the "District"), had no statutory or constitutional authority to adopt a resolution calling for the July 19, 2003 election to authorize the District to levy and collect a tax.
The relevant facts are not in dispute. On May 20, 2003, the Acadia Parish Police Jury, relying on La.R.S. 33:2721.6, adopted Ordinance 854 creating Mosquito Control Sales Tax District # 3. Also on May 20, the Police Jury, acting as the governing authority of the District, adopted a resolution calling for a July 19, 2003 election to place a proposition before the voters of the district to authorize the District to levy and collect a tax. The Town of Church Point, as well as its mayor, filed suit on June 25, 2003, seeking an injunction and in the alternative, a request for mandamus to enjoin the election.
The trial court at a hearing on July 8, 2003, found that the Police Jury, not the District, called the election and that it had the statutory power to do so. The trial court, therefore, denied the injunction and in the alternative, the mandamus relief. The trial court did not address the issue of the possible unconstitutional delegation of the power by the Police Jury to authorize the district to levy a sales tax. It is from this ruling which appellants have sought the appeal.
For the reasons assigned below, we find that the trial court's judgment should be affirmed but on the ground that the plaintiffs' action is perempted.
| This is an election suit objecting to the calling of a special election. Pursuant to La.R.S. 18:1405(G), such actions must be instituted within fourteen days after the calling of the election. The calling of the special election occurred on May 20, 2003 by resolution. Suit was not instituted until June 25, 2003, past the fourteen day period. Therefore, we must determine whether this time period pursuant to 18:1405(G) is peremptive.
This court in Small v. Desselle, 520 So.2d 1167 (La.App. 3 Cir.1987), set forth the analysis to be employed in determining whether a statutory time period for a cause of action is peremptive. The court therein stated:
An early case discussing peremption is Guillory v. Avoyelles Ry. Co., 104 La. 11, 28 So. 899 (1900), which involved the contest of a tax proposition. The statute that allowed the tax election contest provided that any suit must be instituted within three months after the promulgation of the results of the election. The date of the election was July 26, 1894, and suit was filed on April 29, 1899. In discussing the statute, the court stated:
"When a statute creates a right of action, and stipulates the delay within which that right is to be executed, the delay thus fixed is not, properly speaking one of prescription, but it is one of peremption. Statutes of prescription simply bar the remedy. Statutes of peremption destroy the cause of action itself. That is to say, after the limit of time expires the cause of action no longer exists; it is lost." Guillory, supra, 28 So. at 901.
In Hebert v. Doctors Memorial Hosp., 486 So.2d 717 (La.1986), our Supreme Court discussed the criteria outlined in Guillory, supra, for distinguishing between peremption and prescription, stating:
"In Guillory v. Avoyelles Railway Co., the Louisiana Supreme Court found peremptive the three-month period to file suit when contesting the validity of a property tax election. The statute under consideration in Guillory both created the right of action and stipulated the delay during which the right could be exercised. Other statutes with both characteristics (creation of the right and stipulation of the delay for filing suit) have also been found to have established peremptive periods.10 Another characteristic of a statutorily created per-emptive period is the existence of an underlying public interest that a right exist only for a limited period of time. Thus the Guillory court emphasized the need for one with grounds to challenge a tax to do so [..¡promptly, before large sums of money were expended under the authorization.11" (Footnotes omitted).
In Hebert, supra, the court discussed the differences between prescription and peremption stating:
"Peremption differs from prescription in several respects. Although prescription prevents the enforcement of a right by legal action, it does not terminate the natural obligation (La. Civ.Code art. 1762 (1))12; peremption, however, extinguishes or destroys the right (La.Civ.Code art. 3458). Public policy requires that rights to which peremptive periods attach are to be extinguished after passage of a specified period. Accordingly, nothing may interfere with the running of a peremptive period. It may not be interrupted or suspended; nor is there provision for its renunciation. And exceptions such as contra non valentem are not applicable. As an inchoate right, prescription, on the other hand, may be renounced, interrupted, or suspended; and contra non valentem applies an exception to the statutory prescription period where in fact and for good cause a plaintiff is unable to exercise his cause of action when it accrues." (Footnote omitted).
We have considered the issue presented, in light of the foregoing principles, and conclude that the time period set forth in La.R.S. 18.-1405B is peremptive.
The Election Code specifically provides for an action contesting an election to an office and stipulates that such action shall be instituted within seven (7) days after the election. The statute thus creates the cause of action and stipulates the delay within which the right is to be executed. In suits contesting elections or objecting to candidacy, public interest demands that the issue be disposed of quickly. Therefore, the right to contest an election or an individual's right to office should exist only for a limited period of time. Hebert, supra, at 722; Guillory, supra, 28 So. at 901. The need for finality of elections is of very high priority. Thus, litigants have a limited time period within which to institute suit and the courts are directed to hear such cases on a preferential basis. See La.R.S. 18:1409.
In Evans v. West, 357 So.2d 916 (La.App. 2d Cir.1978), our brethren of the Second Circuit held that La.R.S. 18:1405A, which allows a ten day period for one to object to a candidate's qualifications for office, is a peremptive period. La.R.S. 18:1405A and B contain the same operative language with respect to delays, as both paragraphs state that actions "shall be instituted" within the time period set forth therein.
For these reasons, we conclude that plaintiffs action filed after expiration of the peremptive period of La.R.S. 18:1405B fails to state a cause of action. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed at appellant's cost.
¿520 So.2d at 1168-69.
In this case, we find that the time period set forth in La.R.S. 18:1405(G) was intended to limit the duration of the right of a party to contest the calling of a special election. Accordingly, the statute created a peremptive period. Having failed to file their claim within this period, the Plaintiffs' action is now lost, that is, the plaintiffs cannot now object to the calling of this special election. See La.R.S. 18:1405(G). Their remedy is now limited to challenging the legality of the election and tax, if authorized, pursuant to La.R.S. 18:1405(E).
The judgment of the trial court denying appellants' request for an injunction is affirmed. Costs of the appeal are assessed against the appellants, the Town of Church Point and Roger Boudreaux.
AFFIRMED.
SAUNDERS, J., Dissents and Assigns Written Reasons.