Breaux v. Laird

88 So. 2d 33, 230 La. 221, 1956 La. LEXIS 1408
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided March 26, 1956·No. 42149·Published·Cited by 67 cases

Opinion

SIMON; Justicé.

Plaintiff instituted this suit against the defendants, Belfair Homes, Inc., 1 Mid-States Construction Company, its partners,'Martin L. Laird, Jr., and Thomas O. Wells, and its insurer, American Motorists Insurance Company, for damages, in solido, on alleged noncompliance with building plans and specifications and resultant defects in the construction of a dwelling purchased by him from Belfair Homes, Inc.

*229 By supplemental and amended petition plaintiff itemized the defects and noncompliance with the plans and specifications alleged. Exceptions of no cause or right of action were filed hy all defendants, which were overruled insofar as Belfair Homes, Inc., and Mid-States Construction Company were concerned, but sustained as to American Motorists Insurance Company. On appeal 2 we reversed the trial court’s ruling and remanded the case to the district court for hearing on its merits as against all defendants. Whereupon, plaintiff having filed a second supplemental petition against Belfair and Mid-States, filed a similar pleading against American Motorists Insurance Company, both pleadings adding two complaints, paragraph 40 (A), subparagraphs (d) and (j), which on objections filed by defendant were stricken from the record.

Upon trial on the merits the district court rendered judgment in favor of plaintiffs and against all defendants, in solido, in the sum 'of $1,485, together with legal interest from date of judicial demand until paid; and in favor of Mid-States Construction Company on its call in warranty against Baton Rouge Tin Shop, an ordinary partnership composed of Albert J. Hebert, Henry V. Viccinelli and Henry C. Viccinelli, in the sum of $230.

Defendants and warrantor have appealed from said judgment; and plaintiff has answered said appeal praying that the lower court’s judgment be amended by increasing the amount awarded to him from $1,485 to $5,931.50, and further that the judgment be reversed insofar as his claims set forth in paragraph 40 (A), subparagraphs (d) and (j) of his second supplemental and amended petition were stricken, and that the cause be remanded for trial of the claims presented therein.

Defendants-appellants have filed a motion to strike said answer, contending that the appeal lodged in this court is only from the final judgment rendered against them and that no appeal has been taken from the judgment of the district court striking the said subparagraphs from plaintiff’s second supplemental and amended petition, and that, therefore, plaintiff’s prayer for a reversal of the judgment striking said subparagraphs should be dismissed, relying on the case of Howard v. Toye Bros. Yellow Cab Co., 226 La. 346, 76 So.2d 391.

In the Howard case the suit against defendant Ernest Guillory, relator therein, was dismissed on an exception of no right or cause of action. After a trial on the merits judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff and against Mrs. Shirley Guillory in the amount sued for, and the other defendants were absolved from liability. Plaintiff and defendant Mrs. Shirley Guillory obtained separate orders of appeal to the Orleans Parish Court of Appeal, which court in due time reversed the judgment of *231 the lower court only insofar as it had dismissed plaintiff’s suit as against exceptor, Ernest Guillory, and condemned him in solido with Mrs. Shirley Guillory. On review before us, we concluded that, no appeal having been taken from that part of the judgment dismissing plaintiff’s suit as against Ernest Guillory on exception of no cause or right of action, the Court of Appeal was in error in reviewing same. We held that an appellate court will not review a judgment sustaining exceptions thereby dismissing part of the demand when the appeal is taken by the defendant merely from the judgment rendered on the merits, citing Stansel v. Roberts, 35 La.Ann. 885.

The principles announced in the Howard and Stansel cases, supra, are sound law. The basis for the principle announced in the Stansel case was that the plaintiff-appellee had simply prayed for the affirmance of the judgment rendered below.

In the case at bar the defendants appealed from the judgment rendered by the trial ■court on the merits, and plaintiff has answered this appeal and seeks more than an affirmance of the judgment appealed from. He prays that the said judgment be amended by increasing the amount awarded to him to the amount originally prayed for; and further, that it be reversed insofar as his ■claims set forth in his second supplemental and amended petition were stricken and that the cause be remanded for hearing on said claims presented therein.

The record discloses that the two items ordered stricken were: (1) plaintiff’s claim for an air conditioning system called for in the plans and specifications; and (2) the complaint of installation of screen doors of an inferior quality to those specified in the plans and specifications. Having stricken said allegations, the trial court refused to permit proof thereof at the trial on the merits.

It is well settled in our jurisprudence that amendments to pleadings should be permitted where they tend to further justice, cause no injury and are without prejudice to the right of the other party. Should the other party plead surprise, he may obtain time to prepare adequate defense. Our modern-day tendency is to relax the technical rules of pleading in order to arrive at the truth, afford a litigant his day in court and avoid a miscarriage of justice. This court has consistently recognized the right of the plaintiff to amend his petition with the leave of court, after issue joined, provided the amendment did not assert a demand different from the relief first sought or change the substance of the demand. Code of Practice Article 419; Coleman v. Continental Bank & Trust Co., 139 La. 1078, 72 So. 742; Ruiz v. American Trading Co. of New Orleans, 167 La. 28, 118 So. 597; Seale v. Stephens, 210 La. 1068, 29 So.2d 65; Messersmith v. Messersmith, La., 86 So.2d 169.

The trial court correctly permitted plaintiff to file the supplemental petition. *233 However, we feel it committed error in striking from the pleadings, upon objection by the defendants, the two items set forth in paragraph 40 (A), subparagraphs (d) and (j) of the supplemental petition.

Defendants contend that the second supplemental and amended petition filed herein changes the issue, injecting new and different matters. We are constrained to hold that the nature of the demand has not been changed from that originally asserted, either in substance or in law. The original demand is for damages, having as its cause of action the noncompliance with building plans and specifications as originally alleged. The defects alleged in the two subparagraphs are merely complaints which are incidents of and not inconsistent with or exclusive of the cause of action originally asserted. Though the ultimate moneyed demand has been increased, the cause of action and the very substance and nature thereof which give rise to this litigation has not been changed.

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Breaux v. Laird, 88 So. 2d 33, 230 La. 221, 1956 La. LEXIS 1408 (La. 1956).

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