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Mongrue v. Monsanto Co.

The trial court correctly denied a motion for new trial because the appellants treated their unconstitutional takings claim throughout the litigation as a claim arising under the Louisiana Constitution and not the U.S. Constitution, and the appellants may not relitigate their takings claim on a new basis.

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Appeal from the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana

The issue before the court is whether remand is necessary for the district court to consider a takings claim against a private entity under the federal Constitution rather than the Louisiana Constitution. Roland J. Mongrue, Clyde A. Gisclair and Sylvia Gisclair (collectively, “Appellants”) originally brought an action in Louisiana state court against Monsanto Company (“Monsanto”). The Appellants had alleged, inter alia, that wastewater injected underground by Monsanto pursuant to a permit issued by the Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation had migrated into their subsurface property, thereby constituting a taking without just compensation. Following removal on diversity grounds, the district court on October 21, 1999, entered an order granting in part Monsanto’s motion for summary judgment. In the order, the district court ruled, inter alia, that the Appellants could not establish a claim of unconstitutional taking because Monsanto was not a “private entity authorized by law to expropriate” for a “public and necessary purpose,” as required under the Louisiana Constitution. On October 26, 1999, the district court granted the Appellants’ motion for leave to dismiss with prejudice to their remaining claim of trespass, thereby rendering the summary judgment order final and appealable.*fn2 The Appellants subsequently moved for a new trial on the basis that they had claimed takings under both the Louisiana and United States Constitutions. The district court denied this motion. Appellants appeal from both the summary judgment order and the denial of their motion for a new trial. We affirm.

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