A plaintiff seeking discovery and investigation must file a verified petition that states the required facts, and the defendant has a 10-day window to except on the single ground that the petition does not conform to the cited provisions.
§4864. Petition; exception A. The plaintiff's petition must set out: (1) The name and the domicile of the defendant. (2) That the plaintiff probably has a right of action against the defendant or the defendants jointly in solido for an amount in excess of five hundred dollars, exclusive of interest and costs, or for the recovery of real property or personal property, or rights or other relief, having a value in excess of five hundred dollars. It shall not be necessary to state the amount of the value more definitely or to describe particularly the property, right or relief. The probable right or action may be stated in the alternative. (3) A description of the contract upon the performance or non-performance of which or upon things done in connection with which the right of action is probably founded. It shall be sufficient to describe the contract with such certainty as to identify it, and to state that the right of action probably arises out of the performance or the non-performance thereof, in whole or in part, or things done in connection therewith by the defendant, whether a party to it or not, alone or with others, who need not be named. The grounds may be stated without specification or detail, and cumulatively or alternatively. Or, a description of the transaction or acts of the defendant, alone or with others, who need not be named, out of which the right of action probably arises. It shall be sufficient to describe the transaction or acts with such certainty as to identify them. (4) That the plaintiff has not sufficient information to enable it to determine with certainty whether or not it has a right of action against the defendant for the recovery or the relief to which it is probably entitled; that the defendant has such information; and that the plaintiff can obtain it only by examination of the defendant and other persons under oath and from inspection of documents, including books, records, accounts and papers relating to the subject matter in the possession or control of the defendant or other persons. The other persons, in either case, need not be named. (5) That the plaintiff has made written demand on the defendant for a full disclosure of the information which he has with respect to the contract, transaction or acts, and for the privilege of inspecting, copying and photographing said documents in so far as they relate thereto, and that the demand has been refused or has not been complied with within a reasonable time or has been complied with only in part or so evasively that the plaintiff is still not sufficiently informed. B. The plaintiff shall pray that it be authorized to proceed in the action for discovery and investigation of all matters and things relating to the contract, transaction or acts described in the petition, and that the defendant be served with notice and a certified copy of the petition and the order thereon. C. The petition shall be verified by affidavit, made on information and belief, and may be verified by the affidavit of an attorney who signs the petition. D. If the petition conforms substantially to the provisions of R.S. 13:4861 through 13:4875 the judge shall grant an order authorizing the plaintiff to proceed as prayed for. E. The clerk of the court shall issue a notice to the defendant that in the action the court has authorized the plaintiff to proceed for discovery and investigation, and shall make certified copies of this notice and the petition and order. The sheriff shall serve this notice and copy of the petition and order on the defendant in the same manner as in other actions, and shall make his return on the copy of the notice. F. Within ten days after service of said notice and copy of the petition and order on him, the defendant may except to the petition on the sole ground that, for the reasons stated in the exception, it does not conform to the provisions of R.S. 13:4861 through 13:4875; and if such exception is not filed within said ten days the regularity of the proceedings shall be conclusively presumed. If the exception is maintained, the action shall not be dismissed, but the court shall grant the plaintiff a delay of not less than five days or more than ten days in which to file a supplemental petition, which shall be verified also and a copy of which shall be served on the defendant excepting, all in the same manner as the original petition. G. The plaintiff may at any time make additional parties defendant in the action by supplemental petition and by having notice of the original petition and order and all supplemental petitions served on them.