Bank of Coushatta v. Williams

121 So. 646, 10 La. App. 571, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 110
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 5, 1929
DocketNo. 2502
StatusPublished

This text of 121 So. 646 (Bank of Coushatta v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of Coushatta v. Williams, 121 So. 646, 10 La. App. 571, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 110 (La. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

Plaintiff, Bank of Coushatta, on September 12, 1924, commenced this action against defendant, R. L. Williams, to recover judgment on a promissory note for $1,000 signed by him, dated October 23, 1922, payable to the order of Terrell & Chandler on October 15, 1923, bearing interest at the rate of eight per [572]*572cent from its maturity until paid, and stipulating payment of ten per cent attorney’s fees, and by the payee indorsed in blank.

And on October 17, 1923, plaintiff, Terrell & Chandler, a partnership composed of G. A. Terrall and H. C. Chandler, commenced this action against defendant, R. L. Williams, to recover judgment on a promissory note for $1,000 signed by him, dated October 15, 1922, payable to the order of Terrell & Chandler on October 15, 1923, bearing interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum from its maturity until paid, and stipulating payment of ten per cent attorney’s fees.

Defendant interposed the defense of failure of consideration to both suits, and, in addition, alleged that the Bank of Coushatta was not a holder in due course.

By agreement of all parties, the cases were consolidated. And one judgment, rejecting the demands of both plaintiffs and dismissing both suits, was rendered.

Both plaintiffs appealed and joined in one appeal bond. Wé also shall dispose of both cases in one opinion and judgment.

OPINION.

By written contract, dated October 30, 1922, T. A. Wilkinson leased to Terrell & Chandler a certain farm for the years 1923, 1924, and 1925; the price being $1,500, represented by three promissory notes signed by the lessee, each for $500, all bearing the same dates as the contract, payable, respectively, October 15, 1923, October 15, 1924, and October 15, 1925, and all bearing interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum from maturity until paid and stipulating payment of ten per cent attorney’s fees.

This lease was filed for record at 4 o’clock p. m. on November 8, 1922, and recorded on July 15, 1925.

And by written contract, dated November 8, 1922, Terrell & Chandler leased the same farm to R. L. Williams for the same years; the price being $3,000, represented by three promissory notes of the lessee for $1,000 each, all bearing date October 23, 1922, and payable, respectively, October 15, 1923, October 15, 1924, and October 15, 1925, and all bearing interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum from maturity until paid, and stipulating payment of ten per cent attorney’s fees.

This lease apparently was never filed for record.

On November 3, 1922, Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, instituted suit against T. A. Wilkinson in the district court of Red River parish, in which parish the land lay, to obtain judgment against him for $2,358.73, and interest, and, in aid thereof, upon making affidavit and giving bond according to law, procured the issuance of writs of attachment against the property of T. A. Wilkinson, and, on November 4, 1922, the sheriff, acting under the writs of attachment, seized and took into his possession the leased premises; and such proceedings were had in that action that, on January 13, 1923, judgment was rendered in favor of Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, and against T. A. Wilkinson for the debt sued for and sustaining the writs of attachment, and decreeing Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, to have a privilege on the seized property dating from the levy of the writs, for the satisfaction of the judgment, and ordering the property sold for that purpose.

Notice of the pendency of file action, pursuant to Act No. 22 of 1904, had been filed on November 3, 1922.

A writ of fieri facias was issued on the [573]*573judgment and the property advertised for sale and sold on March 10, 1923, to Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, and on the same day a deed from the sheriff to them conveying the property sold was executed, and on March 31, 1923, it was filed for record.

The record is voluminous, but the only question presented for our determination is whether defendant, the lessee, can attack the title of Terrell & Chandler, plaintiff, to avoid payment of the rent?

Appellants say, in brief:

“Since the record shows that Mr. Williams, the defendant, went into possession of the ‘Wilkinson’ ¡place as the lessee of Chandler & Terrell, the plaintiff, and remained in the actual possession of the premises during the years 1923 and 1924 —the years for which rent is claimed—and as the answer and defence of the defendant is solely based upon the fact that defendant concludes that Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, a Shreveport corporation that is not a party to the suit, is the owner of the premises, and, by virtue of such ownership, entitled to the rents and revenues derived therefrom, the only question at issue, therefore is:
“Can defendant, the lessee, attack the title of Terrell & Chandler, plaintiff, to avoid the payment of rent?”

And they cite many authorities in support of the proposition that a tenant is estopped to deny his landlord’s title.

The authorities cited have no application to the facts of this case.

As we appreciate the issue presented by the pleadings and evidence, defendant denies that Terrell & Chandler put him in possession of the leased premises, and contends that, if they did so, then they failed to maintain him in possession, and that, by reason of the proceedings had in the suit of Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, against T. A. Wilkinson, both his own tenancy and right of occupancy and the tenancy and right of occupancy of Terrell & Chandler were terminated, and both the title to and right of occupancy of the premises passed, to Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, and that, in order to avoid election by Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, he was compelled to attorn, and did attorn, to them. 1

The suit of Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited, against T. A. Wilkinson, was instituted on November 3, 1922, and the premises seized under the writs of attachment in that action on November 4, 1922.

At that time neither the lease from T. A. Wilkinson to Terrell & Chandler nor the lease from the latter to R. L. Williams was jliled for record. Therefore both contracts were null and void quoad Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Limited.

“All sales, contracts and' judgments affecting immovable property, which shall not be so recorded, shall be utterly null and void, except between the parties thereto. The recording may be made at any time, but shall only affect third persons from the time of the recording.
“The recording shall have effect from the time when the act is deposited in the proper office, and endorsed by the proper officer.” Civil Code, art. 2286.
“It shall be the duty of the recorder to endorse on the back of each act deposited with him the time it was received by him, and to record the same without delay in the order in which they were received; and such acts shall have effect against third persons only from the date of their being deposited in the office of the parish recorders.” Civil Code, art. 2254. Schneidau vs. New Orleans Land Co., 132 La. 264, 61 So. 225.

. With regard to putting Williams in possession of the premises under the lease, Chandler testified:

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Bluebook (online)
121 So. 646, 10 La. App. 571, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-coushatta-v-williams-lactapp-1929.