Fogleman v. Roy O. Martin Industries, Inc.

440 So. 2d 954, 1983 La. App. LEXIS 9537
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 9, 1983·No. No. 83-149·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

DOMENGEAUX, Judge.

Mrs. Thelma E. Fogleman and Perry H. Fogleman sued Roy 0. Martin Industries, Inc., and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation to rescind a timber sale alleging lesion beyond moiety. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of plaintiffs, which entitled them to the difference between the amount originally paid (the lesionary price) and the fair market value at the time of the contract. The defendant lumber companies have appealed.

FACTS

In addition to other property, Perry H. Fogleman and his mother, Thelma E. Fogle-man, each owned an undivided one-half interest in a 580-acre tract of land located in St. Landry Parish.1 Perry Fogleman’s interest in indivisión was subject to a surviving spouse usufruct in favor of his mother. In February, 1977, Mrs. Thelma E. Fogle-man, as tutrix of her minor son, Perry, applied to the district court for approval of the sale of standing timber, i.e., alienation of the minor’s interest in the immovable property. Under that tutorship, Mrs. Fo-gleman represented to the court that the price of $17,000.00, which was offered for both her interest and that of the minor’s in the timber, was fair and reasonable. The court authorized the sale by Mrs. Fogleman to Roy O. Martin Industries, Inc.2 A timber deed was executed on February 9, 1977, under which terms the lumber company was permitted to cut and remove all trees 14-inches and larger in diameter, and 14-inches above the ground.

On March 29, 1979, Perry Fogleman attained majority; on August 29, 1979, petition and judgment were filed discharging Mrs. Fogleman as tutrix. Mrs. Fogleman then entered into an extension of the timber contract on her behalf and on behalf of Perry Fogleman, to which the latter consented. The original timber deed was due to expire on December 31,1980. The extension agreement proscribed that the cutting period would continue through December 31, 1981. Mrs. Fogleman and her son received an additional $2,000.00 for the extension agreement. The lumber company began logging operations in December, 1980.

On January 12, 1981, Mrs. Fogleman and Perry Fogleman filed the present suit against Roy O. Martin Industries and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation for rescission of the timber sale on the ground of lesion beyond moiety. Alternatively, plaintiffs sought a supplement in the purchase price. The district court issued a temporary restraining order which enjoined the timber cutting for four days, January 13-16, 1981. On January 19, 1981, the plaintiffs withdrew their request for injunctive relief. The district court dissolved the injunction; the motion to dissolve (previously filed by defendants) was declared moot in the order signed by the trial judge. Defendants reserved their claim for damages and wrong[956]*956ful issuance of the temporary restraining order.

The trial judge found that the timber sale was lesionary. In his written reasons for judgment he fixed the fair market value of the timber at $37,705.00. The trial judge credited $17,000.00 paid to the Foglemans from the original sale, but not the additional $2,000.00 paid for the timber deed extension. The plaintiffs were awarded $20,-705.00 plus costs,3 less attorney’s fees assessed against them attributable to wrongful issuance of the temporary restraining order.

Defendants have appealed suspensively, submitting that the trial judge erred in finding: (a) that plaintiffs sustained the burden of proof of lesion beyond moiety, the timber sale was lesionary, and plaintiffs were entitled to a supplement in the purchase price; (b) that the experts’ evaluation of the amount of timber was accurate; (c) that lesion invalidated the sale of the minor’s interest in the property; (d) that es-toppel, ratification,4 and the exception of no right of action did not apply to plaintiffs’ claim for relief; (e) that monies paid for the timber deed extension did not constitute partial consideration for additional tree growth specified in the original timber deed and the $2,000.00 did not form part of the original purchase price; and that (f) the trial judge refused to grant defendants’ motion for directed verdict.

Plaintiffs answered the appeal seeking an increase in the award for the price supplement and expert witness fees. Plaintiffs also urged that defendants be denied any award for wrongful issuance of the temporary restraining order.

RESCISSION FOR LESION BEYOND MOIETY

Lesion is the injury suffered by one who does not receive a full equivalent for what he gives in a commutative contract. La. C.C. Art. 1860. The right to rescind the contract or to demand full value on this basis is the remedy granted to the aggrieved party. La.C.C. Arts. 1861 and 1877. In the case of persons of full age, the remedy for lesion is limited to partitions (with a difference in value greater than one-fourth) and sale (with a difference in value greater than one-half) or exchange of immovable property. See La.C.C. Arts. 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1865-1866.

As will be shown hereafter, we conclude that plaintiff Mrs. Fogleman is entitled to lesionary relief, but that plaintiff Perry Fo-gleman is not.

According to the trial judge’s calculations, the sale was lesionary because the price given was less than one-half of the value of the timber at the time of the contract. See La.C.C. Art. 1861(2). We find no error in the trial court’s holding as to the value of the timber tract.

“When there are great variances among appraisals, it is the court’s function to examine each appraisal to determine which is more reasonable. The court is not bound to accept to [sic] reject one expert’s testimony in its entirety to the preference or rejection of another’s. Parts of each expert’s testimony may be accepted when the testimony so accepted is based on proper facts and sound reasoning. Dixie Electric Membership Corp. v. Guitreau, 302 So.2d 324 (La.App. 1st Cir.1974); State Department of Highways v. Salassi, 244 So.2d 871 (La.App. [957]*9571st Cir.1971). We think the trial court properly weighed the witnesses’ testimony.”

Bisco v. Middleton, 383 So.2d 1047, 1049 (La.App. 1st Cir.1980).

Since the purchase price was less than one-half of the value placed on the property by the trial court, plaintiff co-owner Mrs. Fogleman is entitled to relief for lesion beyond moiety.

Mrs. Fogleman’s actions of: (a) stating that the price of $17,000.00 was fair and reasonable in her capacity as tutrix; (b) executing the timber deed on her behalf; and (c) later accepting $2,000.00 for the timber deed extension do not preclude her from questioning the validity of the sale involved herein. La.C.C. Art. 2589 provides for the right to demand rescission of the sale of an immovable for lesion beyond moiety although the vendor expressly waived or abandoned such right.5 Therefore, Mrs. Fogleman’s execution of the extension agreement and acceptance of $2,000.00 from defendants do not constitute a ratification of the original contract which would effectively estop her from challenging the sale. The trial court was correct in its refusal to apply the doctrine of estoppel.

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Fogleman v. Roy O. Martin Industries, Inc., 440 So. 2d 954, 1983 La. App. LEXIS 9537 (La. Ct. App. 1983).

440 So. 2d 954 (Fogleman v. Roy O. Martin Industries, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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