Art. 4912.Possession Or Ownership of Movable Property; Eviction Proceedings; Justice of the Peace Courts

Louisiana's civil law calls tangible personal property 'movable property,' the counterpart to 'immovable property,' its term for land and buildings. Article 4912 lets a justice of the peace court decide who owns or possesses a piece of movable property worth no more than five thousand dollars, concurrent with the parish or district court, and extends that value cap to disputes over a manufactured home. A vehicle-ownership judgment from a justice of the peace court carries weight beyond the courtroom: the state Office of Motor Vehicles must recognize it when updating title records.

Eviction jurisdiction works differently. A landowner or lessor suing to evict an occupant or tenant of leased residential premises may bring that suit in justice of the peace court no matter how much monthly or yearly rent is owed, or how much rent remains on the unexpired lease term. The five-thousand-dollar cap that governs ownership and possession disputes over movable property has no bearing on a residential eviction.

Commercial premises and leased farmlands get a middle position: a justice of the peace court has jurisdiction over an eviction suit involving either one only where the monthly rental does not exceed five thousand dollars, even though the total rent due, or the rent remaining on the unexpired term, may run higher. The distinction tracks the practical reality that a small commercial tenancy or farm lease can still carry a large aggregate rent obligation even when the monthly payment itself is modest.