Art. 2124. Security to be furnished for an appeal

A. No security is required for a devolutive appeal.

B. The security to be furnished for a suspensive appeal is determined in accordance with the following rules:

(1) When the judgment is for a sum of money, the amount of the security shall be equal to the amount of the judgment, including the interest allowed by the judgment to the date the security is furnished, exclusive of the costs.

(a) However, in all cases, except litigation related to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, or any litigation where the state is a judgment creditor, where the amount of the judgment exceeds one hundred fifty million dollars, the trial court, upon motion and after a hearing, may, in the exercise of its broad discretion, fix the security in an amount sufficient to protect the rights of the judgment creditor while at the same time preserving the favored status of appeals in Louisiana.

(b) The time for taking the suspensive appeal under Article 2123 shall be interrupted for judgments pursuant to Article 2124(B)(1)(a) until the trial court fixes the amount of the security and commences anew on the date the security is fixed.

(2) When the judgment distributes a fund in custodia legis, only security sufficient to secure the payment of costs is required.

(3) In all other cases, the security shall be fixed by the trial court at an amount sufficient to assure the satisfaction of the judgment, together with damages for the delay resulting from the suspension of the execution.

C. Where the party seeking to appeal from a judgment for a sum of money is aggrieved by the amount of the security fixed by the trial court, the party so aggrieved may seek supervisory writs to review the appropriateness of the determination of the trial court in fixing the security. The application for supervisory writ shall be heard by the court of appeal on a priority basis. The time for taking a suspensive appeal under Article 2123 shall be interrupted until the appellate court acts on the supervisory writs to review the determination of the trial court in fixing the security and commences anew on the date the action is taken.

D. For good cause shown, the trial judge in the case of the appeal of a money judgment to be secured by a surety bond may fix the amount of the security at an amount not to exceed one hundred fifty percent of the amount of the judgment, including the interest allowed by the judgment to the date the security is furnished, exclusive of the costs.

E. A suspensive appeal bond shall provide, in substance, that it is furnished as security that the appellant will prosecute his appeal, that any judgment against him will be paid or satisfied from the proceeds of the sale of his property, or that otherwise the surety is liable for the amount of the judgment.

Amended by Acts 1977, No. 176, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1988, No. 444, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 307, §2; Acts 2001, No. 450, §1, eff. June 19, 2001.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1988, NO. 444, §2.}}