Bienvenu v. Factors' & Traders' Insurance

33 La. Ann. 209
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 15, 1881
DocketNo. 6662
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 33 La. Ann. 209 (Bienvenu v. Factors' & Traders' Insurance) 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
Bienvenu v. Factors' & Traders' Insurance, 33 La. Ann. 209 (La. 1881).

Opinions

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Marr, J.

Appellee moves to dismiss on three grounds:

1st. That the transcript is incomplete.

2d. That a previous appeal taken by the attorney and curator ad hoo representing defendant, appellant, has been dismissed because of the failure to file the transcript in time. See the case reported, 28 An. 901.

3d. That this previous appeal has been adopted by defendant, and [210]*210made the basis of an injunction sued out by him to arrest the execution of a judgment in suit No. 27,061, of the Superior District Court.

First. A motion to dismiss for incompleteness of the transcript, or any mere informality, must be made within three judicial days after the filing. Murray vs. Bacon, 7 N. S. 271; Temple vs. Marshall, 11 An. 613.

Second. It has been uniformly decided, since the adoption of the Code of Practice, that when an appeal is dismissed for failure of the appellant to file the transcript in time, “it shall be considered as abandoned, and he shall not be aftewards allowed to renew it.” R. C. P. Art. 592; Rost vs. St. Frances Church, 5 N. S. 594; Champomier vs. Washington, 2 An. 723; Ducourneau vs. Levistones, 4 An. 30; Dwight vs. McMillen, 4 An. 350; Tarleton vs. Wofford, 15 An. 592; Succession of Andrews, 16 An. 340; Redmond vs. Mann, 24 An. 149.

These authorities also show that the failure to' file the transcript in time is .not a mere informality; and that the objection may be made at any time.

The counsel for appellant maintains that he was appointed attorney ad hoe, not curator ad hoc, as the law requires; that he appeared for and represented the defendant, and took the first appeal, under the impression that he had been regularly appointed curator ad hoc; and that appellant who has taken this appeal, propria persona, is not bound or precluded by anything that was done with respect to the first appeal.

In the original petition appellant is described as “ domiciled ” in the State of New York, and as being absent; and there is a prayer for the appointment of a curator ad hoc to represent him. A citation was issued to be served on him; and the return was that he could not be found, after diligent search and inquiry, and that the sheriff was credibly informed that he had no domicile in the State, “and now resides in the State of New York.”

There is an extract from the minutes of 6th November, purporting to be “ motion and order to appoint curator .ad hoc to represent Morris.” In drawing up the motion, which follows this caption, and which was made the order of the Court, the terms used are: “ It is ordered that B.. R. Forman, Esq., attorney and counselor at law, be appointed attorney ad hoc, to represent the absent defendant,” etc.

It also appears that there was charged on the Fee Docket “ notice to B. R. Forman, curator ad hoc,” and that this paper has been lost from the record, and cannot be found. The citation was addressed to “ Mr. B. R. Forman, curator ad hoc;” and, together with a copy of the petition, was served on “ B. R. Forman, curator ad hoc, in person,” on the 9th November, 1875. On this service, default was taken against the defendant, which recites that he, through his curator ad hoc, had failed to appear, although duly cited. Three days after, on the 26th November, Mr. [211]*211Forman appeared, and had the default set aside, on suggesting that defendant“who is a citizen of New York,” will be present in the city ■about the 1st December, “ and that his presence is material and necessary for this mover to properly appear and answer, and represent the rights of the said Morris.”

On the 8th December, a default was again taken against defendant; and on the 10th December, “ on motion of B. R. Forman, appointed by the Court curator ad hoc,” etc., this default was set aside, and he was allowed to answer; and on that day he filed an answer which begins; ■"Now comes B. R. Forman, appointed by the Court curator ad hoc,” etc. 'This answer, which occupies nearly six pages of the transcript, gives the ■details of the claim set up by Morris to the property in question, calls ■•in a new party, and pleads a reconventional demand; and it is signed •“ B. R. Forman, curator ad hoc.”

Mr. Forman appeared as curator ad hoc, and represented defendant ■on the trial; and an extract from the minutes shows that, on the 20th December, when the case was taken under advisement, leave was •granted to “B. R. Forman, attorney and curator ad hoc of John A. Morris, to file a brief.” Judgment was rendered on the 28th January, and on 2d February, Mr. Forman, curator ad hoc, etc., moved for a new trial; and as curator ad hoc he moved for and obtained an order of appeal. In the body of the appeal bond he is described as “Benjamin R. For-man, attorney and curator ad hoc representing John A. Morris;” and the bond purports to be signed by “Benjamin R. 'Forman, attorney and •curator ad hoc representing John A. Morris.”

"We entertain no doubt of the legality and propriety of the appointment of Mr. Forman as curator ad hoc. The prayer of the petition is •that a curator ad hoc be appointed; and if the words “ attorney ad hoc” were a misdescription, it would have been effectually cured by the prayer of the petition, and by the citation addressed to and served on Mr. Forman as curator ad hoc. When he appeared and had the first default set aside, he thereby accepted the appointment as curator ad hoc, he accepted it again when he had the second default set aside; and through all the stages of this proceeding, he appeared and represented defendant.

TheR. C. C. Art. 56 requires the judge to appoint a curator ad hoc to defend the absentee against whom suit is brought, if he is not otherwise represented; and the R. O. P. Art. 116, requires the plaintiff, who intends to institute suit against a person who is absent and not represented, to demand that a curator ad hoc be named to defend the suit. Article 255, of the R. C. P., styles the person appointed to defend the absent defendant in an attachment, “ advócate;” and article 294 calls the person appointed to defend the absent owner of property against [212]*212which proceeding in rem is taken to enforce a privilege, “ advocate.” Article 737, calls the person appointed to represent the absent mortgageor in a proceeding via executiva, “ attorney;” and the Act of 1857, p. 84, which authorizes clerks of courts to appoint “ curators ad hoc ” and “attorneys ad hoc,” to represent absent defendants, calls them, in thesuceeeding section, without distinction, “ attorneys.”

The words “ advocate ” and “ attorney,” as used in these several articles of the C. P. and the Act of 1857, are translations of the word “avocat,” which was used in the original French text of the C. P.. Laudais defines avocat, “ celui qui fait profession de dófendre des. causes en justice;” and Webster defines advocate, “ one who pleads the cause of another before any tribunal or judicial court.”

In Louisiana, and in most of the States, except where some special quality or function is to be designated, the same person is called, indifferently, attorney, counselor, advocate; and the words “ attorney ad' hoc,” “ curator ad hoc,”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Gazzo v. Bisso Ferry Co.
174 So. 132 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1937)
In Re Gem Co.
139 So. 11 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1932)
Saenger Amusement Co. v. Masur
104 So. 701 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1925)
Abbott v. Fontenot
77 So. 490 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1918)
Smith v. Sanders-Lenahan Lumber Co.
72 So. 445 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1916)
Jacobs v. Kansas City, S. & G. Ry. Co.
64 So. 150 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1913)
Lehman Dry Goods Co. v. Lemoine
56 So. 324 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1911)
Brooks v. Smith
45 So. 388 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1908)
Saxon v. Southwestern Brick & Tile Mfg. Co.
37 So. 540 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1904)
State v. Moore
52 La. Ann. 603 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1900)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 La. Ann. 209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bienvenu-v-factors-traders-insurance-la-1881.