Finn v. Murphy

72 So. 2d 358, 1954 La. App. LEXIS 715
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 26, 1954
DocketNo. 20240
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 72 So. 2d 358 (Finn v. Murphy) 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
Finn v. Murphy, 72 So. 2d 358, 1954 La. App. LEXIS 715 (La. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

JANVIER, Judge.

The plaintiff, Philip S. Finn, Jr., and one of the defendants, Mrs. Mildred T. Murphy, own adjoining residential properties in Mirabeau Gardens Subdivision, which is one of the more exclusive and restricted subdivisions in the City of New Orleans. Plaintiff acquired his property on January 8, 1951, and defendant acquired hers on April 18, 1952. In the titles of both parties there are restrictive covenants concerning the type of residence and other structure which may be erected in that area and setting forth the various distances from property lines at which buildings, fences, etc., may be located.

Finn, Jr., by petition for injunction, seeks to prevent defendant, Mrs. Murphy, from continuing with the erection of a fence alongside of her property nearer to the property line than the distances at which, according to plaintiff, a fence under the said restrictive covenants might be erected.

It may be well to mention that before the suit was filed, probably on the same day, the construction of the fence, with the exception of the gate, was completed.

It is alleged that Cyclone Fence Company, the other defendant, is constructing the fence and that company is made a nominal defendant. However, it was not cited and has filed no appearance of any kind.

After the filing of an exception of no cause of action which was overruled, Mrs. Murphy filed answer in which she “specifically” denied that the fence as erected “violates any phase of the restrictive covenants herein sued on.” In the alternative that it shotdd be held that the fence is vio-lative of any of the covenants, defendant averred

“that there have been general, widespread and repeated violations of the [359]*359fence restriction to such an extensive degree that the restrictive covenants in that respect are of no further force or effect.”

In the District Court there was judgment dismissing the suit and plaintiff has appealed suspensively and devolutively.

The record shows that there was held a pre-trial conference at which several agreements were arrived at. These are set forth in a stipiilation which is in the record and we shall refer to such portions of the stipulation as may seem necessary. In the first place, it is stipulated that the parties are the owners of the respective properties; that each purchased on the day alleged in the petition and that in both titles there appeared the respective covenants referred to in the petition.

Mirabeau Gardens Subdivision is divided into four sections, designated by the letters A, B, C and D. Each of these sections is divided into “squares.” We use the word squares not in its geometrical sense of an equilateral right angled figure, but merely as representing a unit of land containing various buildings lots and surrounded on all sides by streets or avenues. The properties of plaintiff and of defendant are in Section C. In this section there are nine squares, three of which are “reserved,” the remaining six being divided into residential lots. These six squares contain 217 lots. The particular square in which the properties of plaintiff and defendant are located is numbered Five. It contains 52 lots. Each of the parties owns two lots as is required by one of the title covenants.

The lots of defendant are numbered 26 and 27; each is 30 feet in width by 150 feet in depth. They both front on Fillmore Avenue, lot 26 forming the corner of Wilton Drive. The lots of plaintiff are numbered 24 and 25. Each is 30 feet in width by 125 feet in depth. They front on Wilton Drive, being immediately in the rear of defendant’s property.

The fence in question is along the Wilton Drive side of lot 26 of defendant’s property and is located parallel to the property line along Wilton Drive and is admittedly about two feet inside the- property line.

The entire controversy results from the location of that fence. Plaintiff contends that as a result of the restrictive covenants to .which we shall hereafter refer such a fence must be located at least 30 feet away from the property line. Defendant maintains that the fence is not in any way controlled by any of the covenants and may be located where it is now under construction, and, as we have said, defendant also contends that if the fence does violate any of the restrictive covenants nevertheless she can complete the erection of it, since the restrictive covenants have been violated in many instances in a similar way in that section of the subdivision.

It is conceded that restrictive covenants such as those found in these and the other titles to property in Mirabeau Gardens Subdivision are enforceable; that they are real rights which run with the land, and that any nearby owner may object to the violation of such covenants.

In Hill v. Wm. P. Ross, Inc., 166 La. 581, 117 So. 725, 726, the Supreme Court said:

- “ * * * that such- restrictions, in contracts between individuals, are not unlawful in this state; that they -are not personal to the vendor but inure to the benefit- of all other grantees under a general plan of development, and are covenants running with the land; , that the remedy of the other grantees is by injunction to prevent a violation of the restrictions by any one of them.” ■

In Edwards v. Wiseman, 198 La. 382, 3 So.2d 661, 663, is found the following:

“The law is clear that building restriction clauses constitute real fights, not personal to the vendor, and inure to the benefit of all' other grantees under a general plan of development, and are real rights running with the land;- [360]*360and that the remedy of the other grantees to prevent a violation of the restrictions by another is by injunction. Queensborough Land Company v. Cazeaux et al., 136 La. 724, 67 So. 641, L.R.A.1916B, 1201, Ann.Cas.1916D, 1248; Hill v. Wm. P. Ross, Inc., 166 La. 581, 117 So. 725, and Ouachita Home Site & Realty Co. v. Collie, et al., 189 La. 521, 179 So. 841.”

See, also, Roche v. St. Romain, La.App., 51 So.2d 666.

However, it is not denied that the right to insist on the enforcement of such restrictions may be lost by waiver or acquiescence as a result of failure to protest or object to continuous violations in the same general area. In Edwards v. Wiseman, supra, the Supreme Court held:

“ * * * that the right to enforce ' a restrictive' covenant or real right running with the land may be lost by waiver or relinquishment through acquiescence, due to the failure. of the landowners in the tract or subdivision to protest and object to general and continuous violations of building restriction clauses and that thereafter they have no right to subsequently enforce the restrictions by injunction process or through the courts. 18 C.J. ‘Deeds,’ §§ 467,-468, 26 C.J.S., Deeds, §§ 169, 170, and Meaney v. Stork et ux., 81 N.J.Eq. 210, 86 A. 398.”

In a discussion of “Work of Louisiana Supreme Court” at page 201 of Volume IV, Louisiana Law Review, appears this statement:

“ * * * if a building restriction is repeatedly disregarded, it may be considered as abandoned by common consent. * * * ”.

In discussing the question of what constitutes a waiver the Supreme Court said:

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72 So. 2d 358, 1954 La. App. LEXIS 715, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/finn-v-murphy-lactapp-1954.