Bergeron v. Overhultz

194 So. 2d 445, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 4583
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 21, 1966
DocketNo. 6807
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 194 So. 2d 445 (Bergeron v. Overhultz) 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
Bergeron v. Overhultz, 194 So. 2d 445, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 4583 (La. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

LANDRY, Judge

This is a petitory action wherein plaintiff seeks to be declared owner of a triangular shaped parcel of land situated within the municipal limits of the City of Morgan City. After trial on the merits, the court below rejected plaintiff’s demands and rendered judgment recognizing defendants as owners of the property in dispute. Plaintiff has appealed. We conclude that in dismissing plaintiff’s action our colleague below has fallen into error.

It is conceded that plaintiff is the owner of Lot H, Hanson Annex, Morgan City, which said lot has a front of 150 feet on the south side of Belanger Street by a depth between parallel lines of fifty feet. Lot H is bounded north by Belanger Street, east by Lot “G” (which does not feature in this litigation), west by Berwick Bay and on the south by properties of defendants Overhultz and Beadle hereinafter described. The adjoining lot of defendants Mr. and Mrs. Harry P. Overhultz fronts 96 feet on Berwick Bay and runs easterly therefrom to a depth and front of 80 feet, between parallel lines, along an alley which constitutes its southern boundary. The adjacent property of defendants Mr. and Mrs. Palmer A. Beadle bounds that of the Over-hultzes on the east. It measures 58 feet front on the alley forming the southern boundaries of the Overhultz and Beadle properties by a depth of 96 feet to Lot H of plaintiff on the north. It thus appears the southern boundary of plaintiff’s property constitutes the northern boundary of the lots owned by defendants.

At issue herein- is a triangular shaped parcel of land commencing at the northeast corner of the Beadle lot and running southwesterly therefrom on such course as to intersect the west boundary of the Over-hultz property at a point approximately 18 feet south of its northwest corner (the southwest corner of plaintiff’s lot).

In essence appellant claims that despite the ideal south boundary recited in his deed of acquisition, a fence has long stood along the hereinabove described line extending from the northeast corner of the Beadle property to the west line of the Overhultz lot. He further maintains this fence has continuously been recognized by all parties as marking the common boundary between their properties. Finally, appellant alleges he and his ancestors in title have continuously, for more than thirty years, possessed as owners all lands lying to the north of the alleged boundary fence. On this premise appellant claims title to the disputed strip by [447]*447virtue of the prescription of 30 years provided in LSA-C.C. Article 852.

Defendants, however, successfully argued before the trial court that the fence in question was never regarded, recognized or deemed a boundary fence by the adjoining owners. Appellees further contended (and the trial court so held) that by tacit agreement and understanding of all concerned, the alleged boundary fence was erected, repaired, moved and rebuilt from time to time to suit the personal needs of the respective parties each of whom continuously possessed to the limits of his individual deed of purchase.

It is settled jurisprudence that in a petitory action one may rely upon the 30 year prescriptive period provided in LSA-C.C. Article 852 as well as that stipulated in LSA-C.C. Article 3499. Stanford v. Robertson, La.App., 144 So.2d 747.

Equally well established is the rule that one pleading the prescription of 30 years contained in LSA-C.C. Article 852 may tack on the possession of his successive predecessors in title. Opdenwyer v. Brown, 155 La. 617, 99 So. 482.

Pursuant to LSA-C.C. Article 852 one who possesses continuously as owner, for a period of 30 years to a visible boundary, acquires prescriptive title to all lands up to the boundary notwithstanding a portion thereof may lie beyond the bounds described in his own title. Sessum v. Hemperley, 233 La. 444, 96 So.2d 832, see page 843.

During most of the period with which we are concerned herein, and until plaintiff’s purchase of Lot H, the three lots involved in this litigation were owned by a Mr. M. F. Kleinpeter, his relatives and in-laws.

The record discloses that Kleinpeter purchased Lot H (the southern boundary of which forms the subject matter of this lawsuit) in 1905 and resided thereon continuously until 1937 when the property was foreclosed and adjudicated to a bank holding a mortgage thereon. The lot now owned by defendant Beadle was purchased by Kleinpeter in 1911, and by him sold to Beadle in 1913. Beadle is the husband of Kleinpeter’s step-daughter, Rilma Robbins Beadle. The Beadles have lived on their property continuously since their purchase. In 1940 (following Kleinpeter’s death) the bank sold Lot H to plaintiff Bergeron. The lot presently belonging to defendants Overhultz (which forms the southern boundary of the Bergeron lot and the western boundary of the Beadle property) was acquired by defendant Palmer Beadle from his brother Clarence in 1918. This latter lot was sold by Beadle in 1956 to his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Overhultz.

Plaintiff contends that Kleinpeter, his ancestor in title, constructed and maintained a fence along the southern or rear boundary of Lot H separating said lot from defendants’ lots to the south thereof. It appears, however, that the fence did not run parallel to the southern boundary of Lot H but instead commenced 50 feet south of its north boundary at the northeast corner of the Beadle lot and from thence ran southwesterly at an angle across both the Beadle and Overhultz lots intersecting-the latter’s west line 68 feet south of the northwest corner of Lot H.

In substance Bergeron testified that although he did not acquire Lot H until 1940, he nevertheless recalled from personal observation that the fence in question existed as described during the interval 1919 until its removal by defendants-in 1957 — a period of 38 years. According to plaintiff, the Overhultz property was occupied in 1919 by one Eber Beadle-with whom plaintiff was acquainted. In 1923 Bergeron purchased muskrats from. Kleinpeter who then resided on Lot H. [448]*448Bergeron recalled discussing business with Kleinpeter in the kitchen of his home which adjoined a porch which in turn was within two feet of the fence in question. He also stated that he continued doing business with Kleinpeter until he pur■chased Lot H from the bank in 1940, during which entire period the fence remained in the same position. Bergeron further stated that when he occupied the property as owner in 1940 the fence then •appeared to be very old. He described it as being vine covered and characterized 'the adjoining lots as resembling a forest. Bergeron also remembered that Kleinpeter ■operated a grocery store on Lot H and sold ■muskrats, alligators and turtles and constantly used and occupied the property up to the fence during his entire period of -ownership. After purchasing from Klein-peter, plaintiff enlarged and rebuilt the 'kitchen attached to the dwelling and con-structed a workshop within four or five inches of the fence line. In 1950 plaintiff leased the western portion of Lot H describing it as being 50 feet in depth and 'bounded on the south by lands of Palmer Beadle. Notwithstanding the recitations in his act of acquisition and lease, plaintiff ■stated he always assumed the fence to be the boundary line although he conceded he was never expressly advised to that effect.

Stephen O. Stevens, nephew of Mr. Kleinpeter, lived on the property with his uncle from 1916 to 1918. In 1938 he moved from the vicinity but continued to visit the Kleinpeter home as though it were his own from 1918 to 1938.

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Related

Bergeron v. Overhultz
195 So. 2d 144 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
194 So. 2d 445, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 4583, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bergeron-v-overhultz-lactapp-1966.