Day v. Goff

2 La. App. 75, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 358
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 11, 1925
DocketNo. 1951
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2 La. App. 75 (Day v. Goff) 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
Day v. Goff, 2 La. App. 75, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 358 (La. Ct. App. 1925).

Opinion

CARVER, J.

Defendant Goff sued out executory process to enforce a chattel mortgage given March 10, 1922, by Bryce-land Mercantile Company, Inc., on property described in the mortgage as follows:

“The stock of merchandise and all fixtures in the store of Bryceland Mercantile Company and all notes and open accounts and other movable property of said corporation.”

Thereupon the plaintiff herein brought this injunction suit to restrain the' sheriff from selling under said process the following items of property seized thereunder, to wit:

Six showcases.

One Woodstock typewriter.

One iron safe.

One adding machine.

One gun case.

[76]*76One settee.

One heater.

Two pairs of scales.

He alleges that he has a prior mortgage on the lot and building in which those items had been placed for service and improvements thereby becoming immovable by destination; that Goff’s proposed sale thereof separately from the building would cause him injury; and that Goff’s mortgage is void as to said items because of insufficiency of description.

He prayed that Goff’s mortgage be decreed void as to those items and that the sheriff be enjoined from selling them.

By supplemental petition he alleged that Goff’s mortgage was a fraudulent simulation.

Goff filed an exception of no cause of action, specifying:

1. That plaintiff did not allege himself to be a creditor of Bryceland Mercantile Company, Inc.

2. That he does not allege insolvency of that company or make it a party to the suit.

3. That he did not allege that the items were attached to the building in such manner as to make them a part thereof or that they were a part by nature.

4. That he did not allege ownership of the items themselves.

5. That he did not allege that he had any lien or privilege on the items entitling him to the proceeds by reference.

This exception was referred to the merits.

Goff then filed an answer denying the allegations of plaintiff’s petition generally and specially alleging that plaintiff’s mortgage, as to the items mentioned, was void as to him on various grounds, namely:

As a real mortgage, because the items are not immovables by destination, and as a chattel mortgage, because not recorded in the chattel mortgage book; and because the resolution of the board of directors of the Bryceland Mercantile Company, Inc., though authorizing the mortgage of the house and lot did not authorize the mortgage of the items in contest.

He prayed that his own mortgage be decreed valid and plaintiff’s mortgage invalid as to the property in contest, for dissolution of the injunction, and for damages.

The District Judge rendered judgment rejecting plaintiff’s demands and dissolving the writ of injunction, and reserved to defendant the right to sue for damages for illegal issuance of the injunction.

This judgment was rendered and signed December 8, 1922.

On the same day plaintiff’s counsel, in open court, moved for orders of suspensive and devolutive appeal, both of which were granted, returnable to this court on January 2, 1923.

No bonds were given under these orders nor was the record filed on or before the return day.

On March 31, 1923, the following action . was taken, as shown by the court minutes:

“Orders of appeal, devolutive prayed for by plaintiff in open court. Same granted and made returnable on second Monday in May, 1923, to Circuit Court of Appeals at Shreveport, La. The devolutive appeal bond fixed in the sum of $100.00. Formal notice of the above appeal is waived by counsel for defendant.”

The bond was duly given under this order and the record filed in this court April 27, 1923.

Defendant’s counsel move to dismiss the appeal on two grounds.

1. That plaintiff’s failure to give bond and file the record in this court under the first order of appeal was an abandonment of the appeal.

[77]*77Citing:

Brickwell vs. Conner, 10 La. Ann. 235.

Roberts vs. Benton, 1 Rob. 100.

Jenkins vs. Bonds, 3 La. Ann. 339.

Levee Board vs. Land Co., 132 La. 911, 61 South. 868.

Girod vs. Brick Co., 127 La. 328, 53 South. 582.

2. That the order of appeal obtained March 31, 1923, (that being a different term of court) was by motion in open court and therefore illegal, because Code of Practice, 573, required it to be taken by petition.

ON MOTION TO DISMISS

I.

The jurisprudence is conflicting on the question whether the failure to file the record on or before the return day, where no appeal bond has been given, is an abandonment of the appeal. Some of the earlier authorities hold that it is. But we think the case of Gresham vs. Collier, 128 La. 145, 54 South. 590, must be regarded • as settling the question the other way.

The court in that case says:

“The well supported rule of law is that an order of appeal, suspensive and devolutive, not perfected by furnishing bond, does not bar the appellant the right within the year to another order for a devolutive appeal.”

Citing Durand vs. Landry, 118 La. 711, 43 South. 307.

The Durand case affirmed the decision of Bowie vs. Davis, 33 La. Ann. 345.

In the Bowie case, the question was vigorously contested, the appellee’s counsel urgently arguing that the case of Mortee vs. Edwards, 20 La. Ann. 236, had overruled the jurisprudence of forty years without even referring to if, and appealed .to the court to overrule the Mortee case. This, though, the court refused to do, holding as follows:

"The inability or the omission of the plaintiff to furnish a bond and fulfill the condition precedent on which the suspensive appeal was granted did not preclude the party from applying within the year for a devolutive apeal. The jurisdiction of this court attaches only when the bond is filed.”

Citing the Mortee case; also Gibson vs. Selby, 2 La. Ann. 630, and Tarlton vs. Wofford, 15 La. Ann. 592.

The court said, further, “the appellant gave no bond under the order for a suspensive appeal but gave bond after getting an order for a devolutive appeal. This was not an abandonment of the appeal. There is no appeal until the bond is given”. Citing Bank of America vs. Fortier, 27 La. Ann. 244.

The decision in the case of Levee Board vs. Land Company, 132 La. 911, 61 South. 868, does not', in our opinion, overrule the Gresham case and the authorities on which it is based. That case holds that inasmuch as the Levee Board is not required -to 'give bond, the mere taking an order of appeal perfects the appeal and if, therefore, the record is not filed within the legal delays the appeal must be regarded as abandoned. Where, however, a bond is required, we think, as was said by the court in the Bowie case, that there is no appeal until the bond is given and therefore there is ho abandonment.

The previous appeal in the Girod case which the court in 127 La. 328, 53 South.

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2 La. App. 75, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/day-v-goff-lactapp-1925.