Clivens v. Abraham

582 So. 2d 1341, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 1495, 1991 WL 92390
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 4, 1991
DocketNo. 90-CA-0552
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 582 So. 2d 1341 (Clivens v. Abraham) 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
Clivens v. Abraham, 582 So. 2d 1341, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 1495, 1991 WL 92390 (La. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

BARRY, Judge.

Jeanne Abraham and Wilson P. Abraham Construction Corp. appeal a judgment which rescinds Ms. Abraham’s sale of a townhouse and an adjoining vacant lot based on redhibition.

FACTS

On March 26, 1982, Mr. and Mrs. James Robinson purchased a townhouse from Ms. Abraham for $64,000, financed by a 100% mortgage. In a separate act of sale on the same day Ms. Abraham sold the Robinsons an adjacent vacant lot for $200 cash and an $11,800 non-interest bearing note.

The townhouse was built in 1981 by Wilson P. Abraham Construction Corp. Ms. Abraham's father, Wilson P. Abraham, is president and owner of Abraham Construction. The Robinsons’ townhouse differed from other townhouses built by Abraham Construction because it had a one story den with a flat roof. Ms. Abraham lived in the townhouse for approximately ten months before she sold it to the Robinsons. Abraham Construction gave the Robinsons a one year builder's warranty which expired March 26, 1983.

During a heavy rainstorm in July, 1982 the Robinsons noticed water leaking through the ceiling where the den joined the main house. They called Mr. Abraham and he sent a roofer who spread hot tar on the roof. The roof continued to leak when it rained.

The Robinsons listed a number of complaints by certified letter to Mr. Abraham. Some problems were rectified but the roof leak continued.

The Robinsons retained an attorney who, on March 25, 1983, filed but did not serve a redhibition suit against Ms. Abraham and Abraham Construction. The Robinsons sought to rescind the purchase of the townhouse, $15,500 in property damages, plus attorney fees. Ms. Abraham and Abraham Construction retained an attorney who contacted the Robinsons’ attorney. Abraham Construction continued their efforts to remedy the problems.

In April, 1983 Abraham Construction performed additional roof work and replaced water-damaged sheetrock. The record suggests that the construction company performed repairs during the summer of 1983, but neither Mr. or Mrs. Robinson signed work orders.

In June, 1983 the Robinsons’ promissory note for the vacant lot became delinquent and Ms. Abraham demanded payment in full. The attorneys corresponded but neither side took legal action.

Correspondence suggests that the parties were trying to resolve the dispute amicably. A July 1,1983 letter from the Abra-hams’ attorney confirms a June 30th telephone conversation in which the attorneys agreed that their clients would refrain from further legal action pending attempts to resolve the dispute. The Abrahams requested an itemized list of defects and stated that the construction company would remedy any defect covered by its warranty. In follow-up letters Abraham Construction [1343]*1343repeatedly asked the Robinsons to specify any problem. On September 21, 1983 the Abrahams made their last request but the Robinsons never responded.

Mr. Robinson testified that after suit was filed (March 25, 1988) he brought a written list of complaints to Mr. Abraham’s office, but he didn’t know the date. The Abrahams said that Mr. Robinson provided the list in February, 1983.

Abraham Construction did not attempt repairs after September 21, 1983 and neither side pursued their legal claims. Ms. Abraham and the construction company were not served with the redhibition suit and the Robinsons made no further note payments. Abraham Construction states that it. assumed the matter was resolved.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson testified that the roof continued to leak and eventually they used containers to catch water. The den furniture was damaged, the ceiling collapsed, and the roof’s beams rotted due to exposure. Part of the den’s roof caved in and separated from the main house which created an opening.

The Robinsons continued to live in the house and made no attempt to have the roof repaired. They testified that they moved out in June, 1988 because the house was unfit for habitation. They did not explain why they lived in the house almost six years without repairing the roof or proceeding with their redhibition suit.

The matter remained in limbo until December, 1987 when the Robinsons had the petition served on Ms. Abraham and Abraham Construction. Ms. Abraham then filed suit on the unpaid note. The suits were consolidated.

The trial court denied Ms. Abraham’s exception of want of amicable demand.

Expert testimony established that the den’s roof was improperly joined to the two story townhouse. The metal flashing where the flat roof met the brick rear wall was not watertight. Water leaking through that seam rotted the roof beams which caused the roof to cave-in. The defense introduced testimony that it would have been relatively easy to remedy the problem before the damage worsened.

The trial court rendered a judgment which rescinded the sale of the house and vacant lot. The Robinsons did not pray for recision of the lot sale, but the court reasoned that the interest free sale of the lot was an incentive to purchase the townhouse. The court held Ms. Abraham and Abraham Construction liable for general damages of $15,200 and attorneys’ fees of $3,500 under C.C. Art. 2545.

Ms. Abraham and Abraham Construction were granted leave to appeal on December 19, 1989. On February 12, 1990 the trial judge granted plaintiffs’ ex parte motion and amended the judgment to include the legal description of the townhouse and vacant lot and awarded legal interest from date of judicial demand until paid.

ATTORNEY/CLIENT PRIVILEGE

The Abrahams assert that the trial court erred by refusing to allow them to question the Robinsons’ attorney concerning the failure to prosecute this lawsuit between 1983 and 1987.

The Robinsons introduced into evidence a letter from Clyde Martin, their former attorney.1 The Abrahams sought to cross-examine Martin as to whether he and Ed[1344]*1344win Schlesinger, the Abrahams’ attorney, had agreed not to proceed with the litigation and why he did not respond to Schlesinger’s inquiries.

The trial court refused to allow the questions based on attorney-client privilege.

Disclosure at trial of only part of a privileged communication is deemed to be a waiver of the privilege with respect to any information on the same subject matter. Accordingly, a privilege holder who testifies or permits his confidant to testify about a privileged communication with his attorney waives his right' to invoke the privilege as to cross-examination or testimony of others with regard to communications on the same subject. The introduction into evidence of a document which discloses a privileged communication also waives the privilege against testimony or production of further documents disclosing communications on the same subject. Smith v. Kavanaugh, Pierson & Talley, 513 So.2d 1138, 1144 (La.1987).

The introduction into evidence of Martin’s letter to the Robinsons constituted a waiver of the attorney/client privilege. The trial court’s denial of cross-examination was clearly wrong.

ESTOPPEL AND LACHES

The Abrahams argue that the Robinsons are estopped from asserting any claim due to the agreement of counsel not to proceed pending an attempt to resolve the dispute.

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Bluebook (online)
582 So. 2d 1341, 1991 La. App. LEXIS 1495, 1991 WL 92390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clivens-v-abraham-lactapp-1991.