Dickson v. Sandefur

181 So. 2d 75, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4072
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 15, 1965
DocketNo. 10478
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 181 So. 2d 75 (Dickson v. Sandefur) 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
Dickson v. Sandefur, 181 So. 2d 75, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4072 (La. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

GLADNEY, Judge.

C. Bickham Dickson, Jr., for himself and as tutor for his minor children, C. Bickham [76]*76Dickson III and Michael Augustus Dickson, instituted this, a possessory action, against twenty-three named defendants. Five of these were dismissed from the suit by voluntary action, thus leaving eighteen defendants.1 A number of the defendants filed dilatory exceptions which included misjoinder of parties defendant and improper cumulation of actions. After a hearing by the district court, plaintiffs’ suit was dismissed as to all defendants, from which ruling this appeal has been perfected.

The petition alleges that prior to changes brought about by the Red River in March and April of 1945, the properties of petitioners and the defendants lay on opposite sides of the channel of the river, petitioners’ property, Sunflower Point Plantation, fronting on the east or left descending bank, and that of defendants fronting on the west side or right descending bank. . The separate properties of defendants are contiguous and consist of lots in the Dixie Gardens Subdivision, or adjoining acreage.

By caving and erosion the river had gradually encroached upon the lands of each of the defendants, thereby extending the width of its channel. On or about April 1, 1945, during an extremely high water period, Red River cut a new channel across petitioners’ property, and in so changing its course and effecting a new channel its former channel touching defendants’ properties was abandoned and became disconnected from the main stream of Red River. After the flood waters had receded from its former channel its bed was exposed as high land, whereupon plaintiffs’ ancestor in title took possession of this newly formed land and thereafter petitioners allegedly have exercised actual and physical possession thereof.2 Disturbance of possession is charged in that defendants are now slandering petitioners’ title to said property by holding themselves out as owners thereof on the assessment rolls of Caddo Parish.3

With changes as enumerated by Henry G. McMahon in his commentary entitled Summary of Procedural Changes, Chapter 2 of Book 1, page 299, the Code of Civil Procedure has codified our jurisprudential law on joinder of plural parties and plural actions. The trend of the practice had been and is now to liberalize the right of joinder in order to avoid a multiplicity of suits. In determining the course of the action involving joinder, a large amount of discretion is left with the trial court. Keel v. Rodessa Oil & Land Co. Inc., 189 La. 732, 180 So. 502 (1938). This supervision is carried forward in C.C.P. Art. 465 in which separate trials of cumulat-ed actions are provided for in order to permit a more orderly disposal of the case, and separate trials of cumulated actions may be required even if cumulation would be proper. The Code has regulated permissive [77]*77joinder of parties through, the specific rules relating to cumulation of actions as set forth in Arts. 461-465. Cumulation of actions is defined as the joinder of separate actions in the same judicial demand whether by single or plural plaintiffs or against one or more defendants. It is expressly provided two or more parties may be joined in the same suit either as plaintiffs or as defendants: if there is a community of interest between the parties joined;4 each of the actions cumulated is within the jurisdiction of the court and is brought in the proper venue; and all of the actions cu-mulated are mutually consistent and employ the same form of procedure. C.C.P. Art. 463.

The exceptions as sustained by the trial court are predicated on the contention there is no community of interest between all of the defendants. Exceptors do not complain that the trial court lacked jurisdiction or venue, or that the cumulated actions are not consistent

As disclosed in the prayer of plaintiffs’ petition, the relief sought is peculiarly that of a possessory action.5

Stated in general terms plaintiffs’ action is brought for the purpose of restoring or preventing disturbance of their possession of land created by dereliction and affects the property of each defendant. The question of title to said property, at this stage of the proceedings, is not at issue (C.C.P. Art. 3661) and should any of the defendants raise the issue of title the possession to said property by plaintiffs must be considered as confessed. C.C.P. Art. 3657.

As support for their contention there is no community of interest between all of the defendants, exceptors also assert there is no privity of contract between the defendants and there is no joint liability between the defendants and plaintiffs. It is our understanding of the effect of C.C. P. Art. 463, however, that in determining the question of community of interest these charges, if pertinent, may receive due consideration. Counsel for appellees have cited a number of authorities as supporting their position. Where there is joinder of plural parties and plural actions [78]*78in one suit, each case must be decided according to its own peculiar facts and remedies. We are of the opinion the Gill case is apposite to and should control the instant case. We, therefore, find it unnec-sary to discuss the cases cited.

In countering the argument of exceptors that there is no community of interest between the parties defendant, plaintiffs argue that as to each defendant the legal procedure and the facts surrounding it are the same; and that the defenses which may be urged will be the same and the evidence against each defendant will be the same. Thus, it is contended, each of the defendants is alike regardless of minor differences with respect to the extent of the property of each in dispute.

One of the most thoroughly considered cases in our jurisprudence is Gill v. City of Lake Charles, 119 La. 17, 43 So. 897 (1907). Among the official comments found in the Code of Civil Procedure is the preliminary statement to chapter 2 of book 1, entitled Cumulation of Actions, LSA Vol. 2 page 298, which observes as to the Gill case:

“ * * * Actually, the result in the Gill case was entirely sound, as the court merely applied the test of community of interest of the earlier Louisiana cases, and considered no common law cases at all, but only equity precedents on the kindred subject of multifariousness. Later Louisiana decisions, however, misinterpreted the Gill case, and applied common law rules on the subject. The latter were based on concepts of joint, several, and joint and several obligations which are completely foreign to oUr substantive law. The result was that these later Loui-sana cases adopted rules which are completely unworkable, and which in some instances lead us into vicious circles.
“This Chapter restores the simple rules of cumulation, with specific rules covering all aspects of the subject. “For a detailed discussion of the subject, and the problems presented, see 19 La.L.Rev. 1 (1958).” [2 LSA-C. C.P. p. 298]

In Gill, joinder of tax payers in one suit was sanctioned for the purpose of contesting the right of a municipality to grant to a railroad company a right-of-way along a so-called street traversing their several properties which, they claimed, was not in fact a street, but private property belonging to them. The court said:

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Bluebook (online)
181 So. 2d 75, 1965 La. App. LEXIS 4072, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dickson-v-sandefur-lactapp-1965.