Barrow v. Barrow

106 So. 705, 160 La. 91, 1925 La. LEXIS 2372
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 30, 1925
DocketNo. 27601.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 106 So. 705 (Barrow v. Barrow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barrow v. Barrow, 106 So. 705, 160 La. 91, 1925 La. LEXIS 2372 (La. 1925).

Opinion

LAND, J.

On September 29, 1925, plaintiff instituted suit against defendant in the Seventeenth judicial district court for the parish of Terrebonne for separation from bed and board and a partition of the community-property. Having been served with a rule to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue against her in said cause, defendant appeared solely for the purpose of declining the jurisdiction of the court, and excepted that said court was without jurisdiction to entertain this cause, and was therefore without jurisdiction to issue an injunction herein for the following reasons:

“First. Your defendant is, and has been for a great many years, domiciled in and a citizen of the city of New Orleans, parish of Orleans, La., and therefore the court has no jurisdiction of the person of your defendant.
“Second. The court has no jurisdiction of the subject-matter herein, for the reason that plaintiff and your defendant 25 years ago established their matrimonial domicile and residence in the city of New Orleans. They moved to the city of New Orleans on October 1, 1900. They lived first at 1410 Yalmont street in said city of New Orleans, and in the year 1909 they built a residence on St. Charles avenue, known as municipal No. 4938, and, when same was completed, moved therein on or about October 1, 1909, and have resided there continuously since that time. They have raised their family of children in their residence in the city of New Orleans, and three of their daughters have been married from their domicile and residence 4938 St. Charles avenue.
“Your defendant further shows that she has paid her poll taxes in said city of New Orleans and has registered as a voter of said city; that she and said plaintiff herein having resided in said domicile as husband and wife for the past 25 years, your honorable court herein has no jurisdiction of the person of your defendant and no jurisdiction of the subject-matter herein.”

After hearing had on the exception to the jurisdiction ratione personae and ratione materia, the exception was. overruled, and relator applied to this court for writs of certiorari and prohibition.

A writ of certiorari was issued with a temporary stay order of all proceedings against relator, until the further orders of this court.

We are of the opinion that the exception to the jurisdiction should have been maintained, as the defendant has proved with reasonable certainty that the matrimonial domicile was established permanently in the city of New Orleans at the date of the institution of this suit, and had been so established for a number of years. It is true that Terrebonne was the parish of the original matrimonial domicile; plaintiff and defendant having married in that parish on June 28, 1880, and having resided there until the year 1900. The testimony in the case shows that plaintiff and defendant have lived together as husband and wife in the city of New Orleans for the last 25 years. They resided 9 years during this period at 1410 Yalmont street, and 16 years at 493S St. Charles avenue.

Plaintiff and defendant have four grown daughters, three of whom have married. These daughters were married at the residence on St. Charles avenue. At the date of this suit, the widowed daughter, Mrs. Robert S. Topping, and the unmarried daughter, Miss Jennie Barrow, were living with their mother at the St. Charles avenue residence. Miss Barrow has resided with her mother since her birth.

About 6 weeks prior to the institution of this suit, plaintiff left the common dwelling on St. Charles avenue, without any invitation to his wife to accompany him, and instituted the present suit against defendant in the parish of Terrebonne.

During all of the years plaintiff resided with his wife in the city of New Orleans, whenever he left the matrimonial domicile, he did so with the intention of returning, *95 and did return, after a brief absence. It is true that plaintiff kept his home in Terrebonne parish,- and stayed there while visiting his plantation in that parish. This home, however, was in the hands of a caretaker and his wife, and was maintained solely for. the comfort -and convenience of plaintiff, and not as the matrimonial domicile.

The plaintiff visited his Terrebonne plantation in recent years but seldom, spending the greater portion of his time in New Orleans. While he resided in the city of New Orleans, plaintiff was engaged also in the canal business, with his office located at Westwego, Jefferson parish. This canal ran through the parishes of Jefferson, Lafourche, and Terrebonne. Plaintiff’s canal office was located on the bank of the river, across from the city of New Orleans. Plaintiff would go to and from his office from his St. Charles avenue residence. He ate his meals and slept at home. Defendant’s post office address is the city of New Orleans, 'and not in the parish of Terrebonne. Defendant is a registered voter of the city of New Orleans, and has paid her poll tax as a bona fide resident of that city.

The facts above recited are fully established by the testimony of defendant and of. her unmarried daughter.

It is true that “a married woman has no other domicile than that of her husband.” R. O. O. art. 39. But when a husband establishes a matrimonial domicile, and habitually resides there, with his wife, the matrimonial domicile becomes his and the wife’s domicile for the purpose of suits for separation from bed and board, although he may have acquired a residence elsewhere, to be used by him or his family during occasional visits, or while looking after his business or planting interests.

“The domicile of each citizen is in the parish wherein he has his principal establishment.”
And “the principal establishment is that in which he makes his habitual residence.” R. 0. O. art. 38.
"A change of domicile from one parish to another is produced by the act of residing in another parish, combined with the intention of making one’s principal establishment there.” R. O. O. art. 41.
“This intention is proved by an express declaration of it before the recorders of the parishes, from which and to which he shall intend to remove.”
“This declaration is made in writing, is’signed by tlie party making it, and registered by the recorder.” R. C. C. art. 42.
“If a defendant resides alternately in different parishes, lie- must be cited in that .in which he appears to have his principal establishment, or his habitual residence. If his residence in each appear to be nearly of the same nature, in such a case he may be cited in either, at the choice of the plaintiff, unless• he has declared, pursuant to the provisions of the law, in which of those parishes he intended to have his domicile.” C. P. art. 166.

The plaintiff has never made and recorded any declaration, as required by the articles of the Civil Code, to preserve his domicile in the parish of Terrebonne. Nor has his residence in the parish of Terrebonne been nearly of the same nature as in the parish of Orleans, as plaintiff for years has resided fully nine-tenths of his time in the latter parish.

In Judson v. Lathrop, 1 La. Ann.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
106 So. 705, 160 La. 91, 1925 La. LEXIS 2372, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barrow-v-barrow-la-1925.