Opinion ID: 1646811
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Remaining Procedural Claims

Text: In her third and fourth assignments of error, the plaintiff contends the court of appeal failed to acknowledge that she acquired by acquisitive prescription Ms. Theus's rights and claims to file suit against the defendants. In support, she urges the inchoate right to file suit is an incorporeal movable subject to a three-year acquisitive prescriptive period. She relies on Louisiana Civil Code article 3490, which states [o]ne who has possessed a movable as owner, in good faith, under an act sufficient to transfer ownership, and without interruption for three years, acquires ownership by prescription. Based on such, the plaintiff maintains she has had uninterrupted and continuous possession of Ms. Theus's inchoate rights since July 18, 2001, the day she sought issuance of the writ of fieri facias. Further, she alleges due to the defendants' six-year delay in procedurally objecting to her right to file suit, they should be estopped and/or have acquiesced in the seizure. We find no merit in the plaintiff's contentions. Particularly, we find her reliance on Louisiana Civil Code article 3490 to be misplaced. Louisiana Civil Code article 3446 provides [a]cquisitive prescription is a mode of acquiring ownership or other real rights by possession for a period of time. Generally, it applies to real rights, which confer direct and immediate authority over a thing. La. C.C. art. 476 (comment (a)). However, as we have already stated, the right to institute suit is a strictly personal, inchoate right not susceptible to involuntary relinquishment. As such, it logically follows that it is not subject to adverse possession and the tolling of acquisitive prescription in the manner asserted by the plaintiff. Furthermore, the plaintiff cites no legal basis to support her estoppel argument. By contrast, the law provides a defendant's motion for summary judgment may be made at any time. La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(1). It is undisputed the summary judgment procedure is favored, so as to achieve a just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action. La. C.C.P. art. 966(A)(2). The appellate review of the defendants' claims in response to the petition was in furtherance of and accomplished these procedural ends. Therefore, we find no error on the part of the court of appeal in this regard. Finally, in the alternative to their argument as to the impropriety of the seizure, the defendants contend the plaintiff has no cause and/or right of action because the bad faith claims asserted pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:658 and 22:1221 are contractual in nature, and can only be raised by their insured, Ms. Theus. Our determination that the suit was improperly brought, based on the defectiveness of the seizure of Ms. Theus's inchoate rights, pretermits a discussion of the merits of the defendants' procedural claims.