C. T. Patterson Co. v. Port Barre Lumber Co.

66 So. 418, 136 La. 60
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 4, 1914
DocketNo. 20826
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 66 So. 418 (C. T. Patterson Co. v. Port Barre Lumber Co.) 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
C. T. Patterson Co. v. Port Barre Lumber Co., 66 So. 418, 136 La. 60 (La. 1914).

Opinion

LAND, J.

There are two appeals in the above-entitled proceeding from the judgment homologating the account of the receiver.

We will first consider the appeal of Joseph Dubourdieu, lessor of the premises occupied by the defendant company, who filed an opposition to the receiver’s account, which sets forth, in substance, facts as follows:

In December, 1908, Dubourdieu leased to the O. D. Craighead Company a certain tract of land in the parish of St. Landry, containing 200 acres, with the buildings and improvements thereon, consisting of a residence and eight tenant houses.

The lease was for the period of 20 years beginning on December 7, 1908, for the price of $1,000 per year payable in advance.

On February 27, 1909, the Craighead Company sold to the Fort Barre Lumber Company all of its property situated in the [63]*63parish of St. Landry, and particularly its property located on the leased premises as shown by exhibit annexed to the opposition.

By the terms of the act of sale 'the Port Barre Lumber Company obligated itself to pay all the debts and obligations of the Craighead Company, and more especially the amounts due the opponent under the terms of the lease.

That since said sale the Port Barre Lumber Company has been placed in the hands of the Interstate Bank & Trust Company, as receiver, which has paid to opponent the rental due him up to December, 1913, leaving a balance of $16,000 to become due under the terms of the said lease.

The opponent alleged that he had a privilege and pledge on all the property on the leased premises to secure the payment of said sum of $16,000; that said receiver had ap-' plied for and obtained an order for the sale of all the property belonging to said company, and the sheriff had advertised the same for sale in bulk at public auction; that the opponent had the legal right to have the property on which he claims a lessor’s privilege and pledge appraised and sold separately.

Opponent prayed for judgment against said company for said sum of $16,000, with recognition of his privilege and pledge, and ordering a separate appraisement and sale, and that the receiver pay his said claim by preference out of the proceeds of said sale.

The court ordered a separate appraisement and sale as prayed for by the opponent.

The property was separately appraised and sold to J. A. Folse for a large price, far in excess of the claim of the opponent.

The judgment below maintained the opposition of Joseph Dubourdieu to the extent of $1,000, with privilege, and dismissed the same as to the remainder of the sum claimed, with reservation of all his rights.

Opponent has appealed from said judgment. The theory of the judgment seems to be that, quoad the unmatured installments of rent, the remedy of the opponent, in case of nonpayment, was by suit against the purchaser, or other occupant of the leased imemises.

[1] A conclusive answer to this theory is that, under codal law, all debts due by the insolvent are deemed to be due, although contracted for a term not yet arrived; but in such a case a discount must be made of the interest at the highest commercial rate, if none has been agreed on by the contract. C. C. art. 2054; Millaudon v. Foucher, 8 La. 586; Funes y Carillo v. Bank, 10 Rob. 533. As tersely expressed in McBride v. Crocheron, 5 Mart. (O. S.) 144, “the debt becomes payable by the insolvency of the debtor.”

Hence the claim of the opponent, less a discount at 8 per cent, per annum, became payable when the receiver was appointed. From a calculation in opponent’s brief it appears that opponent’s claim, less discount, amounts to $11,213.71; and his opposition must be decided on the assumption that said amount is due and payable.

[2] Opponent’s lessor’s privilege and pledge covers the movables and constructions on the leased premises. C. C. art. 2705 et seq.; Brunner Co. v. Rodgin, 130 La. 358, 57 South. 1004.

A legal sale in insolvent proceedings discharges all liens in favor of creditors, parties to the concurso. See Williamson v. Creditors, 5 Mart. (O. S.) 620. Such liens attach to the proceeds of sale, and the purchaser of the property takes it free of such incumbrance.

In Trager v. Cavaroc Co., 123 La. 319, 48 South. 949, the lessor’s privilege for rent due and to become-due was recognized and enforced on the proceeds of a receiver’s sale of the movables on the leased premises, even against the lessee’s trustee in bankruptcy. The lessor has a right of pledge “for the payment of his rent, and other obligations of the [65]*65lease.” C. C. art. 2705. The lessor suing for rent, whether the same be due or not due, may obtain the provisional seizure of such furniture or property as may be found in the house or attached to the land leased by him. C. P. art. 287.

In this court, J. A. Folse, a creditor of the defendant company, and the purchaser of the unexpired lease, opposes the lessor’s claim of Joseph Dubourdieu. The order of sale was granted on the motion of said Folse, and included, among other property, “the hereinafter described buildings and improvements on the mill site of said Port Barre Lumber Company, erected by it on the land held under lease by said company from Joseph Dubourdieu, date December 18, 1908, for twenty years,” etc. The order of sale also included “the right of the said Port Barre Lumber Company to the said lease for the remainder of the unexpired term thereof.”

The property on the leased premises, and the unexpired lease were adjudicated to J. A. Folse, who complied with the terms fixed by the order of sale.

After having caused the unexpired lease to be sold as the property of the Port Barre Lumber Company, Folse, the purchaser, argues in this court that said company never acquired said lease from the Craighead Company, the original lessee, but merely assumed the payment of the rent.

The record shows that the Port Barre Lumber Company was formed by the merger and consolidation of the Craighead Company and the Labarre Riggs Company, and that the Craighead Company transferred, in general terms, to the Port Barre Lumber Company all of its property, real and personal, rights, claims, credits, and assets of whatsoever nature and character, and the Port Barre Lumber Company on its part assumed all the debts and liabilities of the Craighead Company.

Under this transfer, the Port Barre Lumber Company took possession of the leased , premises and erected many and valuable improvements thereon,' and paid the rent as it matured. Hence as a matter of fact the Port Barre Lumber Company acquired the unexpired lease of the Craighead Company. on February 27, 1909.

It is unnecessary to consider the legal right of Folse to attack his vendor’s title on the face of a record which raises no such issue.

Folse, as purchaser, is not concerned with the distribution of the proceeds of sale.

Folse, as creditor, may contest the claim of the lessor both as to amount and privilege. The amounts due and to become due are $1,-000 per annum, for the years commencing December 7, 1913, and ending December 7, 1928. The privilege and pledge of the lessor on the proceeds of the sale of the property on the leased premises to secure the payment of said amounts cannot be disputed. We think that the declared insolvency of the lessee caused said amounts, less the discount fixed by law, to mature.

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Bluebook (online)
66 So. 418, 136 La. 60, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/c-t-patterson-co-v-port-barre-lumber-co-la-1914.