Court Opinion

ID: 9392567
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-05 15:05:55.962047+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:46.657045
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

                  COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

AUGUST           J.    LEVERT,              JR.,                                                        NO.        2023        CW         0349
FAMILY,           LLC;           RONALD          R.

LEVERT;           PAUL           M.    LEVERT;           MARK

W.    LEVERT,              JR.;        JOHN        E.
SANFORD;              JAMES           L.    SANFORD;

AND        CAMPO       E.        MATENS

VERSUS                                                                                                              MAY        5,         2023

BP    AMERICA               PRODUCTION
COMPANY

In     Re:             BP              America                Production                    Company,               applying                      for

                           supervisory                   writs,            18th            Judicial           District                    Court,
                           Parish          of    Iberville,               No.     78953.

BEFORE:                GUIDRY,              C. J.,       McCLENDON              AND    WELCH,          JJ.

           WRIT            GRANTED.              The      district              court' s         April       19,    2023        judgment

granting               partial                  summary            judgment            in        favor        of     Thomas                    James

Levert,               John            Michael           Levert,           Paul        M.     Levert,          Mark        W.             Levert,

Jr.,         John           E.        Sanford,            James           L.     Sanford,             and     Campo        E.             Matens

     collectively                     referred           to    as "       the     Leverts")             is hereby reversed.
The        mineral               lease       executed              by members               of    the    Schwing family and
BP'    s     predecessor                   holds         the        lessee        and       its       assignees           responsible

for        damages               suffered             by "    Lessor,"            which          is    specifically defined
therein               as    certain              members            of    the     Schwing             family.  It  is well-
established                      that       such        limiting               language           precludes          a    party                 from

enjoying               third -party                     beneficiary               status.               See        Lejeune                Bros.,

Inc.        v.        Goodrich             Petroleum               Co.,        LLC,    2006- 1557 (           La.    App.                3d     Cir.
11/ 28/ 07),                981         So. 2d          23,        writ        denied,           2008- 0298 (        La.            4/    4/    08),
978        So. 2d          327;        Broussard              v.    Northcott              Exploration             Co.,        Inc.,             481
So. 2d        125 (         La.        1986).            As        such,        the    Leverts          failed        to       establish

they were entitled to judgment as a matter of law.   Accordingly,
the Leverts' motion for partial summary judgment is denied.

                                                                          JMG
                                                                          JEW

           McClendon,                      J.,        concurs             with        the        result        reached                   by      the

majority.

COURT        OF       APPEAL,              FIRST        CIRCUIT

           DEPUTY           CLERK          OF    COURT
                  FOR        THE        COURT