Opinion ID: 1759461
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: proof of change of domicile

Text: We begin our analysis by considering the evidence presented by the plaintiff in this case in an effort to carry her initial burden of proof by establishing a prima facie case that Mr. Richmond was not domiciled in New Orleans City Council District D for at least two years immediately preceding the scheduled April 2, 2005, election. The record indicates that Mr. Richmond's family home is located at 8701 Lomond Road in the City of New Orleans, an address that the parties agree is located within New Orleans City Council District D, the district Mr. Richmond seeks to represent. The candidate's primary defense in this case is that at no time did he intend to change his domicile from that location. The plaintiff claims however that she presented overwhelming documentary and objective evidence to show that, for much of the two-year period immediately preceding the election scheduled on April 2, 2005, Mr. Richmond's domicile in fact was 4809 Eastview Drive in the City of New Orleans, an address the parties agree is located outside District D. Because the plaintiff is trying to prove that the candidate's domicile was changed from his domicile of origin (which was unquestionably at his family's home), she must overcome the presumption against change of domicile by presenting positive and satisfactory proof of establishment of domicile as a matter of fact with the intention of remaining in the new place and of abandoning the former domicile, i.e., changing domicile from one place to another. Becker, 03-2493 at 11, 854 So.2d at 871; Russell, 00-2595 at 5, 780 So.2d at 1051. The testimony in this case indicates that Mr. Richmond and his brother, Sidney Richmond, purchased the property on Eastview Drive, outside District D, in 1996 (in fact, in District E). The candidate admits that, following the purchase of the property, the Eastview Drive house became one of his places of residence. The plaintiff claims that, despite Mr. Richmond's protestations to the contrary, the Eastview Drive house became Mr. Richmond's primary domestic establishment, and thus his domicile in fact, at least as early as 1997. In support of that claim, the plaintiff presented the following pieces of documentary evidence: 1. A series of three voter registration cards: (a) Mr. Richmond's Original Registration dated June 19, 1995, listing his residence address as 8701 Lomond Road; (b) Mr. Richmond's Application for Transfer dated December 15, 1997, changing his registration from 8701 Lomond Road to 4809 Eastview Drive; and (c) Mr. Richmond's Mail Voter Registration Application dated September 20, 2004, listing his Residence Address as 8701 Lomond Road. [10] 2. A series of four sworn, notarized Notice of Candidacy Forms: (a) sworn form noticing Mr. Richmond's candidacy for election to the office of New Orleans City Councilmember District E, identifying his domicile address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated December 12, 1997; (b) sworn form noticing Mr. Richmond's candidacy for election to the office of Democratic State Central Committee Member, 101st Representative District, Office B, identifying Mr. Richmond's domicile address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated March 14, 2000; (c) sworn form noticing Mr. Richmond's candidacy for election to the office of State Representative, 101st Representative District, listing his domicile address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated August 19, 2003; and (d) sworn form noticing Mr. Richmond's candidacy for election to the office of New Orleans City Councilmember District D, listing his domicile address as 8701 Lomond Road, dated February 11, 2005. [11] 3. A series of three Candidate's Reports filed by Mr. Richmond's mother, Maple Gaines, treasurer of his campaigns, all listing his address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated September 2, 2003; November 5, 2003; and March 8, 2004; and a Statement of Organization for Residents for Cedric Richmond filed by Ms. Gaines, listing his address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated February 12, 2003. [12] 4. A Cash Sale conveying the property at 4809 Eastview Drive to Mr. Richmond and his brother, listing his mailing address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated November 1, 1996. [13] 5. A report of a Residence Burglary at 4809 Eastview Dr., listing Mr. Richmond as a Victim/Reporting Person and listing his Home Address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated May 20, 2004, and stating that he reside[d] at 4809 Eastview Drive. [14] 6. A Motor Vehicle Record for three vehicles owned and registered by Mr. Richmond, listing his Mailing Address as 4809 Eastview Drive, dated current through May 28, 2004. [15] 7. A series of Homestead Exemption Applications and Assessment Rolls indicating that Mr. Richmond took homestead exemptions for 4809 Eastview Drive for all eight of the tax years between 1996 and 2004. [16] 8. New Orleans Area Telephone Book white pages, listing telephone numbers for Mr. Richmond at 4809 Eastview Drive for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005. Our review of all the above documentary evidence presented by the plaintiff in her case in chief convinces us that she presented sufficient positive and satisfactory proof of establishment of domicile as a matter of fact with the intention of remaining in the new place and of abandoning the former domicile, as required to establish a prima facie case that Mr. Richmond's domicile changed from his domicile of origin at his family home on Lomond Drive to 4809 Eastview Drive, an address outside New Orleans City Council District D, on or before December 12, 1997, when he filed his sworn, notarized Notice of Candidacy for election to the office of New Orleans City Councilmember District E on December 12, 1997. Becker, 03-2493 at 11, 854 So.2d at 871; Russell, 00-2595 at 5, 780 So.2d at 1051. In fact, we find the sworn, notarized Notice of Candidacy forms filed by Mr. Richmond as most telling on the issue of his intent concerning which of his two residences he had chosen as his domicile. Not only did Mr. Richmond list 4809 Eastview Drive as his domicile address on the 1997 form, but he also expressly certified on that form that he met the qualifications for the office for which he was then applying. In order to meet the qualifications for the office of New Orleans City Councilmember District E, Home Rule Charter, City of New Orleans, § 3-104, Mr. Richmond was required to have been domiciled in the Council District E at least two years immediately preceding the election for that office. Mr. Richmond's own sworn statement in the December 12, 1997, notice of candidacy form that his domicile address was 4809 Eastview Drive in Council District E is by itself sufficient to rebut the presumption against change of domicile. In making that statement under oath, Mr. Richmond clearly established his intent to change his domicile from his domicile of origin at his family's home at 8701 Lomond Road in Council District D to 4809 Eastview Drive in Council District E. Our finding that the plaintiff carried her initial burden of proving that Mr. Richmond was in fact domiciled outside of District D is not however based entirely on his multiple sworn, certified Notice of Candidacy forms. The plaintiff in this case presented evidence of virtually every type of indicia of domicile previously recognized by Louisiana courts. For example, the evidence presented shows that Mr. Richmond changed his voter registration to the Eastview Drive address. Additionally, the plaintiff presented objective documentary evidence to show that Mr. Richmond claimed homestead exemptions for 4809 Eastview Drive for eight years, from 1996 to 2004. Further, Mr. Richmond's address was listed as 4809 Eastview Drive on the Cash Sale for the Eastview Drive property in the conveyance records, on vehicle registration records, and on Candidate's Reports completed for him by his mother. All of these documents are public records. Considering all the documentary and objective evidence together, we find that the plaintiff clearly carried her initial burden of proving that the candidate was not qualified for the office he seeks because of lack of domicile. The evidence presented by the plaintiff was sufficient to make out a prima facie case that Mr. Richmond is ineligible to run for the office of New Orleans City Councilmember District D during the April 2, 2005, election.