Caruthers v. Caruthers

484 So. 2d 750, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6181
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 25, 1986
DocketNos. 84 CA 1220, 84 CA 1221
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 484 So. 2d 750 (Caruthers v. Caruthers) 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
Caruthers v. Caruthers, 484 So. 2d 750, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6181 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

SAVOIE, Judge.

Shirley Ann Roach Caruthers, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff, appeals the trial court’s dismissal of her possessory action involving a piece of property known as Sam’s Place, located in St. Tammany Parish. The issues raised in this appeal have been the subject of numerous suits and extensive litigation between these parties dating back to early 1978. In order to fully understand and appreciate the issues involved, a complete review of the prior history of those cases is essential.

On July 28, 1969, Samuel Glynn Caruth-ers, hereinafter referred to as defendant, purchased a tract of land and improvements thereon known as Sam’s Place from his father, Samuel L. Caruthers. This sale was duly recorded in the conveyance records for the parish of St. Tammany. Shortly thereafter, the premises were completely destroyed on August 17, 1969, by [751]*751Hurricane Camille. The premises were subsequently rebuilt after defendant and his wife, Victoria MacLeod Caruthers, secured a loan of $27,500.00 from the Small Business Administration on February 28, 1970.1 The new improvements consisted of a bar, living quarters, wharves, docks, a boat launch, and open sheds.

Some time following this construction, defendant and Victoria Caruthers were divorced. In April of 1972, defendant and plaintiff were married and lived on the subject property. The parties operated the business from this time until sometime around April of 1978, when defendant moved out. Following defendant’s departure from the premises, several suits were instituted.

On June 6, 1978, defendant filed a petition for separation (#52,363), followed by plaintiffs petition for divorce (#53,664) on October 19, 1978. Pursuant to her petition for divorce, plaintiff prayed for alimony and child support as well as a partition of the community property. The rule on these matters was set for trial on November 22, 1978. At this proceeding, the rule was continued indefinitely under the stipulation that plaintiff have the use, occupancy and right to work the premises, and the revenues derived therefrom in lieu of alimony and support.

On August 9, 1979, plaintiff filed a petition for separation, (#56,760) along with a Joint Motion on Rule. In that motion, plaintiff requested that defendant pay to her, alimony and child support and defendant requested that the premises be turned back over to him. The rule was continued, however, pending settlement of the community.

On January 15, 1980, defendant filed a petition for settlement of the community in which he claimed Sam’s Place as his separate property. On this same day a motion to consolidate was filed consolidating all the previous matters with proceeding (# 53,664). This matter finally came to trial on January 21, 1980, with judgment being rendered on March 2, 1981. Pursuant to that judgment it was ordered and decreed that Sam’s Place was the property of defendant and his former wife, Victoria MacLeod. The trial court dismissed plaintiff’s claims to any ownership interest in the premises and ordered that she had no right to the ownership or occupancy of the premises.

Following this judgment, plaintiff continued to occupy the premises although she was repeatedly requested to leave by defendant. On August 7, 1981, defendant was issued a Writ of Possession under which he had plaintiff physically evicted on August 19, 1981. Plaintiff then filed a possessory action (# 66,254), on August 21, 1981, claiming that she had possessed the subject property as owner, and that her possession had been continuous and uninterrupted for a period in excess of one year prior to defendant’s disturbance. Plaintiff then filed a Writ of Sequestration on August 25, 1981, under which she had herself appointed as guardian of the property. She also filed a rule for child custody and support which was later consolidated with the possessory action.

After a trial on the merits, the trial court rendered judgment on April 4, 1984 dismissing plaintiff’s possessory action and dissolving the sequestration order. The judgment decreed that defendant was granted the right to resume possession of the property in accordance with the original judgment granted on March 2, 1981.

From this judgment plaintiff appeals sus-pensively urging the following assignments of error:

The Trial Court erred in finding that:
1. Defendant never allowed plaintiff to possess the property for herself.
2. Defendant’s consent to plaintiff’s possession interrupts plaintiff’s possession.
3. Defendant took timely action to interrupt plaintiff’s possession.
4. The Judgment of March 2, 1981 declared the property to be defendant’s separate property.
[752]*7525. The Trial Court erred in giving a judgment placing defendant into possession when defendant did not pray for that relief.
6. The Trial Court erred by not recognizing plaintiffs possession and maintaining plaintiff in her possession.
7. The Trial Court erred by not ordering defendant to file a Petitory Action within a time set by the Court to assert his alleged ownership of the property.

In assignment of error Number 4, plaintiff seeks to annul the trial court judgment of March 2, 1981. That judgment was never appealed and is now final. Plaintiffs proper remedy to attack that judgment is by an action of nullity under the provisions of LSA-C.C.P. art 2001 et seq. Therefore, this assignment of error is not properly before this court and is not considered. The remaining assignments address the merits of plaintiff's possessory action.

The possessory action is one brought by the possessor of immovable property to be maintained in his possession when he has been disturbed, or to be restored to his possession when he has been evicted. LSA-C.C.P. art. 3655. A plaintiff in a pos-sessory action shall be one who possesses for himself. To maintain the possessory action the possessor must allege and prove that he had possession as owner at the time of the disturbance; that he possessed quietly and uninterruptedly for more than one year immediately prior to the disturbance; that there has been a disturbance in law or in fact; and that the action was brought within one year of the disturbance. LSA-C.C.P. arts. 3656, 3658.

Plaintiff contends that her initial possession began in April of 1972 when she and defendant moved onto the property following their marriage. The parties continued to possess the property together until April of 1978 when defendant allegedly abandoned the property. At this point plaintiff claims that she informed defendant of her intent to possess the property for herself, and that he had actual notice of her adverse possession. Plaintiff contends that she continued to possess as owner, quietly and without interruption until August 19, 1981, when defendant had her evicted. Plaintiff filed a possessory action on August 21, 1981, which is within one year of the disturbance.

Plaintiff argues that the trial court should have maintained her possessory action and ordered defendant to file a pet-itory action to assert his alleged ownership. The fallacy in plaintiffs argument is that she fails to prove the most essential element of her claim, that she possessed or had a right to possess the property for herself.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
484 So. 2d 750, 1986 La. App. LEXIS 6181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caruthers-v-caruthers-lactapp-1986.