Casey v. H. Abraham & Son

37 So. 484, 113 La. 581, 1904 La. LEXIS 678
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 29, 1904
DocketNo. 14,953
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 37 So. 484 (Casey v. H. Abraham & Son) 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
Casey v. H. Abraham & Son, 37 So. 484, 113 La. 581, 1904 La. LEXIS 678 (La. 1904).

Opinion

Statement of the Case.

NICHOLLS, J.

Plaintiff sues as the administratrix of the succession of Laurent Lacassagne.

In her petition (filed on May 7, 1901) she averred: That on the 22d of October, 1885, the deceased was full owner of certain property, which she described. That on the 2d day of February, 1886, while the deceased was in the peaceable possession of said property and its appurtenances, with movables thereon, valued in a sum exceeding $5,000, he was ejected therefrom unlawfully under and by virtue of process of court in a cause in which said decedent was not a party, and possession given under said process to one Jeanne Caroline Cavailhez, widow of Jean Baptiste Cavailhez, and the said decedent and his estate were deprived of the possession of said property. That after a litigation from that time until the date hereinafter stated he prosecuted his rights, and thereafter same were prosecuted by administratrix to the end of righting the wrong so done, until possession was forced by legal process. That said proceedings culminated in a final decree of the Supreme Court of the United States, under which a final mandate was legally remitted to the court of first instance, the district court for the parish of Vermilion, and same was executed by delivery to administratrix of the said real estate on 29th January, 1901.

That petitioner found the said real estate to have been denuded of everything pertaining to the improvements thereon, with no horses, mules, cows, implements of agriculture, seed cane, cotton seed, or other articles requisite and necessary to make a crop thereon, the same having been thereon, and amounting in value to the sum as above stated as of date of such illegal dispossession of said decedent and the unlawful entry thereon of said Madam Cavailhez.

That said property was thereafter sold in due course of administration, and the proceeds under such sale duly accounted for ac[583]*583cording to law. That she had in vain demanded of and from the defendants hereinafter named reparation for the injury and damages sustained by decedent and by his estate. That the said Madam Cavailhez departed this life on the '6th day of March, 1886, and that Francois Chappuis was named as residuary legatee of her estate, including the property aforesaid, under and by virtue of her last will and testament, duly probated in this court, under the number 17,091 of the docket, and thát as such he assumed possession thereof, and that he departed this life on the 16th day of June, 1893. That during his lifetime he acted as the agent of the said Madam Cavailhez' aforesaid, and that after her death, and under the will and decree as aforesaid as sole owner of the said property, he incurred debts and obligations to, amongst others, the firm of J. H. Abraham & Son, of the city of New Orleans, composed of Henry and Jacob H. Abraham, to whom he gave illegal mortgages, privileges, and pledges as against the property aforesaid.

That said firm of J. H. Abraham & Son, so acting under and by virtue of said illegal acts of the said Francois Chappuis, did thereafter illegally possess themselves of said property, its crops, of its rents and revenues, its proceeds, and convert the same to their own use in the entirety thereof from and after the 5th day of May, 1893, having under such alleged rights caused to be made to themselves, under illegal process, title to including all the movables thereon and appurtenant thereto, and the crops thereon raised, and retained such possession till said 29th day of January, 1901 — say for eight years.

Petitioner further represented that the revenues of said property from and after the date of acquisition of title by petitioner de-' cedent, as aforesaid, were of the full value of $1,000 per annum, and that no part or portion thereof or of the interest thereon had been accounted for to petitioner in the premises, and that the same were due and owing by and from the defendants hereinabove named from the date of their.illegal possession, which was continuous in its nature, and: entitled petitioner to damages as against each and every one of said defendants in solido of and for the injury, loss, and damage that had accrued in the premises for the full amount thereof. That the said Francois Chappuis departed this life on the 16th day of June, and his estate was by order of the court on'the 6th of July, 1893, placed in possession of J. B. Vinet, as public administrator, acting as dative testamentary executor thereof. That thereafter letters of administration were issued in said succession to-Frank Zengel, of the city of New Orleans, as public administrator, on the 3d of August, 1896, but no asset appeared in said estate-other than an illegal claim to petitioner’s, property as aforesaid, but assets from its-rents and revenues came into his possession, which were without deduction the property of petitioner. That in the cause aforesaid to-obtain restitution of said property, its rent and revenues, there had been incurred by decedent and his administratrix the sum of $500 as costs, for which, under said final, decree of the court of last resort, the defendants herein were liable and responsible to petitioner in the premises, for which claim was presently made.

In view of the premises petitioner prayed that Frank Zengel, public administrator, administering the estate of Francois Chappuis, the firm of J. H. Abraham & Son, and the individual members thereof, be cited to appear and answer herein, and that after due proceedings had there be judgment herein in-favor of petitioner and against the said defendants in solido for the sum of $5,000,. value of the movables on said property illegally removed therefrom and disposed of by said defendants, in the sum of $8,000 for the rents and revenues thereof, with legal interest on each $1,000 thereof annually from [585]*585January 1, 1893, till paid, in the costs and expenses accrued under and by virtue of the litigation aforesaid in the sum of $5,000, all with legal interest from judicial demand herein; with costs and all general and equitable relief.

The firm of J. H. Abraham & Son and the individual members excepted to the further prosecution of the suit on the grounds; That the petition of plaintiff disclosed no cause of action. (2) That the plaintiff’s claims, if any, were barred by the prescription of one year.

(3) Should the above exceptions be overruled, then the respondents say that the allegations of the petition were too vague, indefinite, and uncertain to enable respondents to make proper answer thereto.

In view of the premises they prayed that these exceptions might be maintained, and plaintiff’s suit dismissed, with costs.

Zengel, public administrator also excepted -on the ground of nonjoinder of parties; (2) that the petition disclosed no cause of action; (3) that the allegations of the petition were too vague and indefinite to enable defendant to file an answer thereto.

In view of the premises he prayed that these exceptions be maintained, and this suit be dismissed, at plaintiff’s cost.

The court ordered the exceptions to be referred to the merits. Under reservation of the exceptions the public administrator answered, first pleading the general issue. He then averred that, as appeared by the record of the succession of Mrs. Widow J. B.

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Bluebook (online)
37 So. 484, 113 La. 581, 1904 La. LEXIS 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/casey-v-h-abraham-son-la-1904.