Court Opinion

ID: 9375443
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-27 19:04:42.742027+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:58.912771
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

        COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

BAYVIEW      LOAN        SERVICING,             LLC                                        NO.            2022    CW    1226

VERSUS

SEDRIC MORRIS                WILSON       AND                                              FEBRUARY              27,    2023
SEVETRI MONIQUE                WILSON

In Re:          Sedric             Morris       Wilson,           applying           for        supervisory             writs,
                  21st         Judicial          District            Court,           Parish          of     Tangipahoa,
                No.          20200002076.

BEFORE:         McCLENDON,                HOLDRIDGE,            CHUTZ,         HESTER,          AND       GREENE,       JJ.

        WRIT      GRANTED.           The     denial          of      the    motion         to     withdraw             matters
deemed       admitted              filed        by    defendant,               Sedric           Morris       Wilson,           is
reversed.                Regarding                   discovery                  admissions, "                     technical
considerations"                    should            not "      prevail              to     the           detriment            of
substantial              justice."          Voisin         v.       Luke,       191       So.2d           503,    507 (       La.
1966).         We       find       plaintiff,             Bayview         Loan       Servicing,              LLC,       failed
to   show      it       would        be    prejudiced               by    the     withdrawal;                further,          we
find    that        a    presentation                of    the       merits       will          be     subserved          if    a
withdrawal              is         denied.           See       La.        Code        Civ.           P.      art.        14 68.
Accordingly,             the        motion       to       withdraw          matters         deemed           admitted          is
granted.
                                                             PMc
                                                               GH
                                                             WRC
                                                             CHH

        Greene,          J.,        dissents          and      would        deny      th~        writ       application.
Requests       for           admission          are " admitted              unless,             within       thirty         days
after    service              of    the     request,           or    within          such        shorter          or    longer
time    as     the       court       may     allow,          the      party          to   whom         the       request       is
directed          serves            upon        the        party         requesting              the        admission           a
written        answer          or    objection             addressed            to    the       matter."          La.       Code
Civ.      P.            art.        1467.             Further,              any       matter               admitted            is
 conclusively                  established"                unless           the       trial            court           permits
withdrawal,             which       it "may permit ... when                       the      presentation                of     the
merits    of      the        action will             be    subserved thereby                     and      the     party who
obtained          the          admission              fails          to        satisfyl          the         court          that
                                                                                            1

withdrawal              or    amendment          will        prejudice            him. "    1

                                                                                                 La.       Code     Civ.       P.
art.    14 68 (     emphasis              added) .         A    trial       court         has     broad          discretion
                                                                                            1

in   discovery           matters,           and       such      discretion            wil l       not       be    disturbed
on     appeal       absent           a     clear       showing            of    abuse.           Bell        v.    Treasure
Chest     Casino,             L.L.C.,        2006-1538 (              La.      2/22/07),              950     So.2d         654,
656.     Here,          the        district          court        exercised           reasonable                 discretion
and found a             withdrawal was                not warranted.

COURT    OF APPEAL,                FIRST CIRCUIT

       DEPUTY       CLERK OF             COURT
             FOR        THE    COURT