Court Opinion

ID: 9864705
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-25 15:06:17.984045+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:33:26.259677
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

               COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

 ROBERT      NEILL AGUILUZ                                                                    NO.           2023 CW         0704

 VERSUS

 SUSAN CRUMHOLT AGUILUZ                                                                SEPTEMBER 25,                        2023

 In Re:            Robert           Neill         Aguiluz,          applying            for       supervisory               writs,
                   Family           Court          in       and       for       the       Parish           of        East       Baton
                   Rouge,          No.       221919.

 BEFORE:           GUIDRY,          C.J.,         CHUTZ AND           LANIER,          JJ.

         WRIT       GRANTED             IN       PART      WITH       ORDER          AND    DENIED              IN    PART.         The
portion       of    the       trial          court's        April          10,    2023       judgment                which      denied
the "    Motion          for        Ex       Parte         Order       Requiring              the           Preparation             And
Submission          of    a       Final           Judgment"           filed          by     the        plaintiff,               Robert
Neill Aguiluz ("              Robert"),               is    reversed.                A judgment             that       determines
the    merits      in     whole          or      in   part       is    a    final          judgment,            La.       Code     Civ.
P.    art.    1841,       and       a    final          judgment           is    appealable                in    all      causes     in
which appeals            are       given by law.                   La.      Code Civ.             P.       art.       2083(A).          A
valid judgment must be " precise,                                  definite,           and certain."                      See Laird
v.    St.    Tammany          Parish             Safe      Harbor,          2002-0045 (               La.       App.       1st     Cir.
12/20/02),          836        So.2d             364,       365.           Moreover,              a        final       appealable
judgment       must           contain             decretal            language.               Advanced                Leveling &
Concrete       Solutions                v.       Lathan      Co.,          Inc.,       2017-1250 (               La.       App.     1st
Cir.     12/20/18),            268       So.3d          1044,         1046.            In    this          regard,          a     final
judgment       in     accordance                  with      Article             1841       shall       be        identified          as
such by appropriate                     language;            shall be            signed and dated;                     and shall,
in    its    decree,          identify            the       name      of    the       party           in    whose         favor     the
relief is awarded,                  the name               of the party against whom the relief is
awarded,       and       the       relief          that      is       awarded.              La.       Code        Civ.       P.    art.
1918(A).           Although the parties                          do not dispute that all issues have
been     resolved,            the        trial        court's          March          30,     2022          judgment,             which
ordered       Robert          and       defendant,           Susan         Crumholt          Aguiluz ("               Susan"),       to
divide       the    LASERS          and          deferred          compensation               accounts               by     domestic
relations       order         and        further           ordered         Susan       to    prepare             said domestic
relations          order          among          other       relief,             is    not        a        valid       final        and
appealable         judgment.                 See Ennis v. McManus,                         2019-0167 ( La.                  App.    1st
Cir.    9/27/19),             2019       WL      4729645, *           2(    unpublished) (                  citing         La.     R.S.
9: 2801 ( B));       see       also          Advanced            Leveling &             Concrete                Solutions,          268
So.3d at       1046 (         the       specific           nature      and       amount       of       damages            should be
determinable             from       a     judgment           so       that       a     third          person          is    able     to
determine          from       a     judgment               the     amount         owed       without              reference          to
other       documents) .                 Accordingly,                 the "      Motion           for       Ex       Parte        Order
Requiring          the    Preparation                 And        Submission            of     a       Final          Judgment"       is
granted.            This          matter              is     remanded            to        the        trial           court        with
instructions             to    sign          a    final      judgment             that      is        precise,             definite,
and     certain      and          contains            proper       decretal            language.                  In      all     other
respects,       the writ is denied as moot.

                                                                 JMG
                                                                 WRC
                                                                 WIL
 COURT       OF APPEAL,            FIRST CIRCUIT

             IA.s.J)
        DEPUTY CLERK OF COURT
               FOR THE            COURT