Louisiana Civil Code

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TITLE XIX - OF ARBITRATION

 

Art. 3099. A submission is a covenant by which persons who have a lawsuit or difference with one another, name arbitrators to decide the matter and bind themselves reciprocally to perform what shall be arbitrated.

Art. 3100. A submission must be reduced to writing.

Art. 3101. They who cannot bind themselves cannot make a submission. An attorney in fact cannot make a submission without a special power.

The tutors of minors and the curators of persons interdicted or absent, cannot do it without being authorized by the judge. [Amended by Acts 1979, No. 711, §1]

Art. 3102. Parties may submit either all their differences, or only some of them in particular; and likewise they may submit to arbitration a lawsuit already instituted or only in contemplation, and generally every thing which they are concerned in, or which they may dispose of.

Art. 3103. One may submit to arbitration the damages incurred for a public offense; but it is without any prejudice to the prosecution of it in behalf of the State.

Art. 3104. The power of arbitrators is limited to what is explained in the submission.

Art. 3105. A. If the submission does not limit any time, the power of the arbitrators may continue in force during three months from the date of the submission, unless the parties agree to revoke it.

B. Prescription is interrupted as to any matter submitted to arbitration from the date of the submission and shall continue until the submission and power given to the arbitrators are put at an end by one of the causes in Article 3132, unless suit has been filed, in which case the provisions of Articles 3462 and 3463 shall apply. [Acts 1984, No. 782, §1]

Art. 3106. It is usual to undergo a penalty of a certain sum of money in the submission, which the person who shall contravene the award, or bring appeal therefrom, shall be bound to pay to the other who is willing to abide by it; but this covenant is not essential, and the submission may subsist without the penalty.

Art. 3107. A. All persons may be arbitrators, except such as are under some incapacity or infirmity, which renders them unfit for that function.

B. Therefore, minors under the age of eighteen years, persons interdicted, those who are deaf and unable to speak, can not be arbitrators [Acts 2014, No. 811, §30, eff. June 23, 2014]

Art. 3108. [Repealed. Acts 1979, No. 709, §2]

Art. 3109. There are two sorts of arbitrators: The arbitrators properly so called; And the amicable compounders.

Art. 3110. The arbitrators ought to determine as judges, agreeably to the strictness of the law.

Amicable compounders are authorized to abate something of the strictness of the law in favor of natural equity.

Amicable compounders are, in other respects, subject to the same rules which are provided for the arbitrators by the present title.

Art. 3111. Before examining the difference to them submitted, the arbitrators ought to take an oath before a judge or justice of the peace, to render their award with integrity and impartiality in the cause which is laid before them.

Art. 3112. The parties, who have submitted their differences to arbitrators, must make known their claims, and prove them, in the same manner as in a court of justice, by producing written or verbal evidence in the order agreed on between them or fixed by the arbitrators.

Art. 3113. The arbitrators shall appoint a time and place for examining the matter to them submitted, and give notice thereof to the parties or to their attorneys.

Art. 3114. The parties must attend the arbitrators either in person, or by their attorney, with their witnesses and documents. If one or both of them should not appear, the arbitrators may proceed and inquire into the affair in their absence.

Art. 3115. Arbitrators have no authority to compel witnesses to appear before them or to administer an oath; but, at the request of arbitrators, it will be the duty of justices of the peace to compel witnesses to appear and to administer the oath to them.

Art. 3116. If the arbitrators disagree another shall decide, and that other is called an umpire.

Art. 3117. The nomination of the umpire is either made by the parties themselves at the time of the submission, or left to the discretion of the arbitrators.

Art. 3118. Whenever the umpire has not been appointed by the submission, the arbitrators have the power to appoint him, though such power is not mentioned in the submission. But if the arbitrators can not agree on this election, the umpire shall be appointed ex officio by the judge.

Art. 3119. The umpire shall take an oath similar to that taken by the arbitrators, before examining the matter or the point submitted to him.

Art. 3120. The arbitrators who have consented to act as such, ought to determine the suit or the difference which is submitted to them, as soon as possible and within the time fixed by the submission.

Art. 3121. Arbitrators can not exceed the power which is given to them; and if they exceed it, their award is null for so much.

Art. 3122. The authority of arbitrators extend [extends] only to the things contained in the submission, unless it has been stated that they shall have power to decide all disputes which may arise between the parties in the course of the arbitration.

Art. 3123. The arbitrators ought to give their award within the time limited by the submission, and it would be null if it were given after the time is expired.

Art. 3124. Nevertheless the parties may give power to the arbitrators to prolong the time, and in this case their power lasts during the time of the prorogation.

Art. 3125. If the submission specifies a certain time for the examination of the cause which the arbitrators are to decide, they can not give their award till that time is expired. [Amended by Acts 1871, No. 87]

Art. 3126. If there are several arbitrators named by the submission, they can not give their award, unless they all see the proceedings and try the cause together; but it is not necessary that the award be signed by them all.

Art. 3127. The arbitrators shall fix by their award the amount of the sum which they sentence one or several of the parties to pay to the other or others, though the omission of this does not annul the award.

Art. 3128. The arbitrators may likewise pronounce by their award on the interest and costs; but their silence on that subject is not a cause of nullity. If legal interest would have been payable by law from date of judicial demand, such legal interest awarded by the arbitrators shall attach from the date the matter was submitted to arbitration. [Acts 1985, No. 571, §1]

Art. 3129. The award in order to be put in execution, ought to be approved by the judge; but this formality is only intended to invest the award with a sufficient authority to ensure its execution and not to submit to the judge the examination of its merits, except in case an appeal is brought before him.

Art. 3130. He who is not satisfied with the award, may appeal from it, though the parties had renounced such appeal by the submission; but the appellant before being heard on his appeal, ought to pay the penalty stipulated in the submission, if any has been stipulated; and this penalty shall ever be due, though the appellant afterwards renounces his appeal; but if he succeeds to have the award reversed, either in whole or in part, the court who shall pronounce on the appeal, shall order the re-payment of the penalty; but if the award is confirmed, the penalty which has been paid, shall operate no diminution on the amount of the award.

Art. 3131. The arbitrators having once given their award, can not retract it nor change any thing in it.

Art. 3132. The submission and power given to the arbitrators are put at an end by one of the following causes: 1. By the expiration of the time limited, either by the submission or by law, though the award should not be yet rendered.

2. By the death of one of the parties or arbitrators.

3. By the final award rendered by the arbitrators.

4. When the parties happen to compromise touching the thing in dispute, or when this thing ceases to exist.




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