Frederic Stelly, Jr. v. Terry Joseph Blanchard

Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 19, 2016·No. CA-0016-0250·Unknown

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA

COURT OF APPEAL, THIRD CIRCUIT

CA 16-250

FREDERIC STELLY, JR., ET AL. VERSUS TERRY JOSEPH BLANCHARD, ET AL.

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APPEAL FROM THE

SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF ST. MARTIN, NO. 80,672 HONORABLE EDWARD LEONARD, JR., DISTRICT JUDGE

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D. KENT SAVOIE

JUDGE

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Court composed of Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, Chief Judge, Shannon J. Gremillion, and D. Kent Savoie, Judges.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

Samuel E. Masur Paul B. Simon Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC 400 East Kaliste Saloom Rd., Ste. 4200 P. O. Box 81829 Lafayette, LA 70598-1829 (337) 237-0132 COUNSEL FOR APPELLANTS:

Frederic Stelly, Jr.

Elizabeth Stelly COUNSEL FOR INTERVENOR:

Ashley S. Green

Keith E. Thibodeaux Attorney at Law 422 South Main Street St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-3034 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLEES:

Terry Joseph Blanchard Donna Broussard Blanchard Steven Daniel Blanchard Amanda Domingue Blanchard Brandy Blanchard Sickey Lyndon Sickey

Remy Jardell Attorney at Law 625 St. John Street Lafayette, LA 70501 (337) 267-0985 COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS:

Frederic Stelly, Jr.

Elizabeth Stelly

SAVOIE, Judge.

Plaintiffs appeal the trial court’s judgment granting Defendants’ exception of prescription as to Plaintiffs’ claim seeking to annul a tax sale. For the reasons that follow, we reverse the ruling of the trial court and remand the matter for further proceedings.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND In their petition, Plaintiffs, Frederick and Elizabeth Stelly, state that they “recently acquired” all of Doris Bijeaux’s interest in “a certain 40 acre tract of land situated in the North Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 1, Township 9 South, Range 6 East,” in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. This property is referred to by the parties as “the Troisimond Bijeaux Tract.” Plaintiffs allege that Doris, who was Trosimond’s granddaughter, was Trosimond’s heir, and “possessed not less than a 1/7 undivided interest” in this property. It is unclear from the record how or when Doris or the Plaintiffs acquired this property.

Plaintiffs suggest in their petition that a June 8, 2007 tax sale transferring property to Marlin d’Augereau involves the same property they acquired from Doris Bijeaux. They assert that the tax deed is absolutely null due to the tax collector’s failure to provide the constitutionally required notice of seizure and sale. They also assert that subsequent transfers of the property from Marlin d’Augereau to Defendants herein are also null.

On June 8, 2007, a tax deed transferring property to Marlin d’Augereau was filed into the St. Martin Parish conveyance records. The tax deed includes the following language:

Be it known that I, Ronald J. Theriot, Sherriff and Ex-Officio Tax Collector of the Parish of St. Martin, State of Louisiana . . .

BIJEAUX, TROSIMOND CYRIL EST. having been assessed with

the property hereinafter described for the year 2006, the taxes thereon having become delinquent . . . I made out and mailed to SAID BIJEAUX, TROSIMOND CYRIL EST. by registered letter, a notice in conformity with said laws and the said BIJEAUX, TROSIMOND CYRIL EST. failing to pay the amount of taxes, interest, costs, etc., due by him as shown by the said assessment rolls of 2006; I caused to be seized and advertised for sale in the TECHE NEWS in the manner prescribed by law, a weekly newspaper published in the City of St. Martinville, Louisiana, it being the Official Journal of the Parish of St. Martinville. Said advertisement appearing in its issues from the 2 day of May, 2007, to the 30 day of May, 2007, of the following described property, viz:

------------- Parcel – 0610000967 -------------

Value 360 Homestead:

40 AC: BIJEAUX, BIJEAUX, BIJEAUX COB: 198-502

All of said property being situated in Ward No. 4E in the Parish of St. Martin. The amount of taxes, interest, and costs due on said property by said Tax Debtor is [$117.38.]

And I, the said Ronald J. Theriot, Sherriff and Ex-Officio Tax Collector . . . on the 6 day of June 2007, it being the day for said sale named in said advertisement, and after complying with all formalities, did offer for sale the least quantity of the above-described property that any bidder would buy for taxes, interests and costs. And there being no bidder for less than the whole of said property, and MARLIN d’AUGEREAU . . . bidding the amount of taxes, interest, and costs . . . ($117.38), which amount the said MARLIN d’AUGEREAU paid in cash . . . .

....

Now therefore, I, Ronald J. Theriot, Sherriff and Ex-Officio Tax Collector . . . do hereby grant, bargain, sell, transfer, assign, set over and deliver a full and complete title in the name of the State of Louisiana unto the said Purchaser his heirs and assigns.

The whole of said property which the said BIJEAUX, TROSIMOND CYRIL EST. (Owner) has or had in the same, with the right of the purchaser, MARLIN d’AUGEREAU, to be put in actual possession of said property by order of any court of competent jurisdiction. It, however, being understood and stipulated that . . . the owner of said property may redeem the same at any time within three (3) years from the date of filing this deed [.]

The 2007 tax deed was signed by the “Chief Deputy Tax Collector,” and witnessed by two parties. A copy of a certified mail return receipt also appears with the 2007 tax deed in the conveyance records. The return receipt reflects that the sender of the certified parcel was “St. Martin Sherriff’s Office Tax Dept.,” and that the article was addressed to

00906405 BIJEAUX, TROSIMOND CYRIL EST.

C/O PAULINE BLANCHARD, JR.

4412-D MAIN HWY.

BREAUX BRIDGE, LA 70517

The return receipt was signed by Steven Blanchard on April 9, 2007. Steven testified that Pauline Blanchard is his father, but that Pauline was deceased. According to Steven, his brother, Clarence Blanchard, was handling Pauline’s estate as of this date. The date of Pauline’s death is unknown, and it is unclear whether Pauline’s succession was ever opened. Steven also testified that after he signed for the certified parcel, he gave the envelope to his brother Clarence later in the day. Steven indicated that Clarence is now deceased.

On September 11, 2012, an Act of Cash Sale was recorded into the St.

Martin Parish conveyance records reflecting the sale of property in St. Martin Parish to Terry Blanchard and his wife Donna, which is described as follows (emphasis added):

That certain lot of ground, situated together with all Buildings and improvements thereon situation [sic] in the N1/2 of NE1/4, Sec. 1, T.

9 S, R 6 E, containing 40 acres, more or less, bounded North by Dupuis or assigns, formerly Now a public road, East by Bennet Talley or assigns, South by Alexandre Boyer or assigns and West by Callier or assigns. Being part of the property acquired by Alton Bijeaux via Sale recorded under Entry No. 83360, Book 198, Folio 502.

Being then same property acquired by Marlin D’Augereau via Tax Sale recorded on June 10, 2007 under Entry No. 400804, Book 1472, Folio 297.

Terry Blanchard indicated that he subsequently donated a portion of the property he acquired to Steven and Amanda Blanchard, and Brandon and Lyndon Sickey. Terry and Donna Blanchard, Steven and Amanda Blanchard, and Brandon and Lyndon Sickey are the defendants in Plaintiffs’ action.1 In response to Plaintiffs’ petition, Defendants filed an exception of prescription, noting La.Const. art. 7 § 25(C), which states (emphasis added):

No sale of property for taxes shall be set aside for any cause, except on proof of payment of the taxes prior to the date of the sale, unless the proceeding to annul is instituted within six months after service of notice of sale. . . . It must be served within five years after the date of the recordation of the tax deed if no notice is given.

Plaintiffs’ petition was filed more than five years after the 2007 tax deed was recorded.

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