Court Opinion

ID: 9401922
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-06-14 17:07:52.804277+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:56.190052
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

                  COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

JUDY    JONES                                                                                            NO.     2023       CW   0196

VERSUS

BREC       FOUNDATION,             CITY       OF
BATON       ROUGE/ PARISH               OF    EAST
BATON       ROUGE,        RECREATION               AND

PARK    COMMISSION              FOR      THE
                                                                                                                JUNE    14,      2023
PARISH       OF     EAST      BATON          ROUGE,
JOHN       DOE,    AND       ABC    INSURANCE

COMPANY

In    Re:           The       Recreation             and           Park       Commission                  for    the        Parish      of

                    East        Baton        Rouge,        applying for supervisory writs,                                            19th
                       Judicial          District          Court,  Parish of East  Baton  Rouge,
                    No.       583052.

BEFORE:             THERIOT,            CHUTZ,       AND        HESTER,            JJ.

        WRIT           GRANTED.          The       district              court'       s    January              25,    2023        order

denying           the     motion         for       summary           judgment              filed           by    the    defendant,
The    Recreation               and      Park       Commission                for         the    Parish           of    East       Baton
Rouge ("          BREC"),          is    reversed.                  La.       R. S.        9: 2800( 0)           provides             that

 no     person            shall          have        a     cause          of       action                based        solely          upon

liability imposed under Civil Code Article 2317 against a public
entity        for       damages          caused          by the           condition              of        things       within         its
care        and         custody           unless           the           public            entity               had     actual          or

construction               notice ..,         and a         reasonable                opportunity to remedy the
defect."               Further,          under       La.         R. S.        9: 2800,          the        Louisiana             Supreme

Court       has        held     that "[        t] he       plaintiff               must         establish ...               actual      or

constructive                 notice           of     the           defect"            and        a         failure          to "      take

corrective              measures             within            a     reasonable                 time."           Lee        v.     State

Through            Dept.           of        Transp.                and        Development,                       97- 0350 (           La.
10/ 21/ 97),            701     So. 2d        676,        578.           In    this        matter,              the    complained -

of     area        of     the       park       was        covered             by      grass,              and     there          was    no

evidence               BREC        had         actual               or        constructive                      notice           of     an

unreasonably               dangerous               condition.                 Thus,         we       find        the    plaintiff,

Judy        Jones (`            Jones"),                 failed           to          produce                  factual           support

sufficient              to      establish                the       existence               of        a     genuine          issue       of

material           fact       as    to    actual          or       constructive                 notice           of    the       alleged
defect        by        BREC,       which          is      an       essential               element              of    her        claim.

Therefore,              the        motion          for         summary          judgment                  filed        by     BREC      is
granted,          and the claims by Jones against BREC are dismissed.

                                                                   MRT

                                                                   WRC
                                                                    CHH

COURT       OF APPEAL,              FIRST       CIRCUIT

       D     TJ    Y    CLERK       OF   COURT
                  FOR     THE      COURT