Opinion ID: 67234
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Minvielle I

Text: In August 2003, Minvielle sued, among others, IMC Global Operations, Inc. (“IMC”)—Petro-Lewis’s successor and Mosaic’s predecessor—in Louisiana state court, bringing both contract and tort claims for alleged contamination of the property. The defendants removed to the Western District of Louisiana on 2 No. 08-30399 the basis of diversity, see Frank C. Minvielle, L.L.C. v. IMC Global Operations, Inc. (Minvielle I), 380 F. Supp. 2d 755 (W.D. La. 2004), after which all remaining defendants except IMC were dismissed. IMC filed various motions to dismiss, including one under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim, which the district court converted to a motion for summary judgment. The court granted the motion. As to the contract claims, the court explained that under Louisiana law the right to sue for the property damage is a personal right, and it found both that Minvielle did not receive an assignment of the right to sue for prior damages from the Cowans at the time of the sale and that the 1961 lease did not create a stipulation pour autrie in Minvielle’s favor. Id. at 766, 770. It therefore held that Minvielle lacked standing to bring the contract claims against IMC. Id. at 770. As to the tort claims, the court noted that under Louisiana law, “the owner of land at the time of the alleged damages is the person with the real and actual interest to assert the claim for damages to the land,” id. at 770, and that Minvielle sought damages arising from operations that occurred prior to its purchase of the property, id. at 772. Accordingly, it found that Minvielle lacked standing to bring the tort claims against IMC.1 Id. Minvielle moved for reconsideration, arguing that at the time of the 1998 Act of Cash Sale, the Cowans intended to convey all rights to Minvielle & Segura, including the right to sue for past damages to the property. In support, Minvielle asserted that it had procured an amendment to the Act of Cash Sale reflecting this purported agreement, and it informed the court that it would file the document with the court. Minvielle, however, never filed the purported amendment. On January 12, 2005, the district court denied Minvielle’s motion 1 On the same day that the court granted IMC’s motion for summary judgment, IMC filed a third-party complaint against Atlantic Refining, Oxy, and Pacific Oil, among others, asserting claims for contribution on the ground that each was a former party to or successorin-interest of a party to the Operating Agreement. Because of the court’s decision in its favor, however, IMC never served this complaint. 3 No. 08-30399 for reconsideration, reiterating its previous ruling and noting that Minvielle had neither amended the Act of Cash Sale nor demonstrated that a Louisiana court would allow such an amendment. Minvielle did not appeal the judgment, and it became final.