Chauvin v. Kirchhoff

194 So. 2d 805
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 30, 1967
Docket6772
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 194 So. 2d 805 (Chauvin v. Kirchhoff) 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
Chauvin v. Kirchhoff, 194 So. 2d 805 (La. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

194 So.2d 805 (1967)

Mrs. Guy R. CHAUVIN and Heirs of Guy R. Chauvin, Deceased, Plaintiff-Appellants,
v.
Mrs. Blanche LeCompte KIRCHHOFF, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 6772.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

January 30, 1967.

*807 Edmund J. Connely, Houma, for appellants.

Baron B. Bourg, Houma, for appellee.

Before LOTTINGER, REID and SARTAIN, JJ.

SARTAIN, Judge.

Plaintiffs herein appeal from an adverse judgment in the District Court, denying them relief sought in a possessory action. In their petition, they allege that they "at all times mentioned herein have been in possession, quietly and without interruption, as owners of the following described property, to-wit:"

"A certain tract or parcel of ground situated in the Parish of Terrebonne, State of Louisiana, on the right descending bank of the Bayou Little Caillou at a distance of about Thirty (30) miles below the City of Houma, Louisiana, and being comprised in Section 85, T-21-S, R-18-E; said tract measuring a front of One Hundred (100') feet on the right descending bank of the Bayou Little Caillou by a depth of Five Hundred (500') feet; said parcel of ground being bounded as follows: On the North by property belonging to Mrs. Blanche LeCompte Kirchhoff, on the South by property of Louisiana Land & Exploration Company, on the East by Bayou Little Caillou and on the West by property belonging to Mrs. Blanche LeCompte Kirchhoff, together with all the buildings and improvements thereon as well as all rights, ways, privileges and servitudes thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining." (Emphasis ours)

They complain of being disturbed in their possession by the execution, recordation, and continuing existence of record of a certain conventional lease granted by defendant in favor of Gus Marie. The lease was dated February 27, 1963 and recorded the same date. This suit was filed on April 18, 1963.

Defendant contends that plaintiffs do not have standing to maintain this possessory action on grounds that plaintiffs have not enjoyed quiet and uninterrupted possession of the subject property for the year preceding the alleged disturbance, within the meaning of LSA-C.C.P. Art. 3658(2). In support thereof defendant introduced *808 evidence that a mineral lease granted by defendant on December 17, 1959, for a primary term of three years operated as a continuing disturbance until December 17, 1962. In connection with this lease defendant also executed a rental division order which was filed for record on January 20, 1960. Secondly, defendant had executed a right-of-way deed across Section 85 in favor of the State of Louisiana and the Department of Highways, which deed was dated March 17, 1960 and recorded on March 22, 1960, and continues to exist. Lastly, defendant filed copies of the assessment records of Terrebonne Parish, showing that Section 85, T-21-S, R-18-E, was assessed to her for the years 1961-1964, inclusive. Defendant rested her entire case on documentary evidence filed in the record in support of the aforementioned disturbances. She did not testify or call other witnesses. Thus, her defense consists exclusively of disturbances in law.

The trial judge held that there was some question as to the sufficiency of plaintiffs' proof relative to the exact location of whatever possession was actually exercised by them but that such question was moot in view of his conclusion that plaintiffs had failed to possess the property quietly and without interruption for more than a year immediately prior to the complained of disturbance. He held that the aforementioned mineral lease "is in fact a disturbance of any possession exercised by any one other than the lessor in that lease, and that it is a continuing disturbance." He further concluded that the "documentary evidence placed in the record by the defendant evidencing the granting and recordation of a right-of-way across Section 85, as well as the assessment of the property in the name of the defendant for the years 1961-1964 likewise tend to negate the fact that plaintiffs had the requisite quiet, undisturbed possession for one year immediately preceding the disturbance complained of." Accordingly, he found for the defendant and dismissed plaintiffs' action.

We believe that the District Judge erred in holding that the mineral lease and right-of-way deed, under the particular facts of this case, interrupted plaintiffs' quiet and peaceful possession to the extent that it barred their right to this possessory action.

Plaintiffs are the widow and surviving heirs of Guy R. Chauvin. They offered parol testimony to the effect that on November 15, 1945, Guy R. Chauvin purchased from the Terrebonne Parish School Board the property first hereinabove described, except that it was then and later thought to be in Section 86. Their father assumed immediate possession thereof and soon thereafter sold a school building which was located on the property to Essie Domangue. Domangue demolished the building and moved it to Bayou Little Caillou. Guy R. Chauvin died on October 5, 1946. Thereafter, Mrs. Guy R. Chauvin leased to Gus Marie a part of this "school property" to "put his buildings to be used as soft drink and grocery." This lease was undated but was to begin on April 1, 1951 and expire on March 31, 1952. Gus Marie executed another lease with Mrs. Guy R. Chauvin on April 1, 1962, which lease was for a period of one year beginning April 1, 1962 and ending March 31, 1963, covering the following described property:

"That portion of a lot measuring One Hundred (100') Feet front by One Hundred Fifty (150') Feet depth, on which said Gus Marie has his own buildings, this property being located on the right descending bank of Bayou Litte (sic) Caillou at Cocodrie, Louisiana, bounded above and in the rear by property of Robert B. Butler, in the front by the Bayou Little Caillou and below by property now or formerly belonging to Eugene L. LeCompte."

The above description does not recite the section, township or range numbers. Plaintiffs further urge in support of their possession, a lease executed in favor of Louisiana Packing Company, Inc., for a period *809 of three years, beginning April 1, 1960 and ending March 31, 1963, property therein described as follows:

"A certain lot or parcel of ground, situated in the Parish of Terrebonne, State of Louisiana, measuring a front of one hundred feet (100') on the right descending bank of Bayou Little Caillou, by depth of one hundred fifty feet (150') between parallel lines; bounded above and in the rear by property of Robert B. Butler, now or formerly, in front of the Bayou Little Caillou, and below by property now or formerly belonging to Eugene LeCompte; said lot is comprised in and is located at the Southeast corner of Section 86, Township 21 South, Range 18 East; together with all the rights, ways, privileges, and servitudes thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining." (Emphasis ours)

It is noted that the above description places the property in the Southeast corner of Section 86, Township 21 South, Range 18 East. Louisiana Packing Company, Inc., also operated under the name of Chauvin Brothers. The testimony does not disclose the actual date Louisiana Packing Company, Inc., and/or Chauvin Brothers actually occupied this land and erected the buildings and wharf thereon. However, for the purpose of this opinion we shall conclude that the same occurred on or about the date that is set forth in their lease, which is April 1, 1960.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 So. 2d 805, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chauvin-v-kirchhoff-lactapp-1967.