Guilbeau v. Guilbeau

71 So. 2d 129, 224 La. 837, 1954 La. LEXIS 1152
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedFebruary 15, 1954
Docket41134
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 71 So. 2d 129 (Guilbeau v. Guilbeau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Guilbeau v. Guilbeau, 71 So. 2d 129, 224 La. 837, 1954 La. LEXIS 1152 (La. 1954).

Opinion

MOISE,- Justice.

Mrs. Marie Comeaux Guilbeau brings this suit against the children and grandchildren of Adraste Guilbeau, her second husband, now deceased, seeking to have 40% arpents of land together with all improvements situated in Acadia Parish, purchased during the time that she was married to. Adraste Guilbeau, declared to be her separate and paraphernal property. She alleged that until the question was judicially determined, there would bé a cloud upon her title. From a judgment in favor of the plaintiff, the defendants have appealed.

Adraste Guilbeau was married twice, the first marriage being to Catherine Laura Robin, from which union eleven children were born. His second marriage was to Mrs. Marie Comeaux on October 16, 1923, and no children were born of this marriage.

Mrs. Marie Comeaux Guilbeau was married three times. Her first husband was Josiah Johnson, who died in 1912, nine children being born of this union. Her-second- marriage was to Adraste Guilbeau, who died on February 4, 1938, and her third husband was. Numa Richard, from whom she is presently living separate and apart. There was no issue of her second and third marriages;-

A curator ad hoc was appointed to represent the minors, and he prayed in their behalf that the plaintiff’s suit be dismissed or the court render a judgment which it deemed proper. The other defendants answered, averring that the property belonged to the community which existed between plaintiff and her second husband, Adraste Guilbeau. They prayed for an accounting and for a partition by licitation. Three of the major defendants, Burton Guilbeau, Mrs. Catherine Laura Guilbeau Thibodeaux and Moise Guilbeau, filed answer claiming that they were conversant with the facts and admitted that they had no interest in the property, submitting the matter to the court for its determination. Judicial admissions are the highest evidence against a litigant, but the record discloses that these three litigants joined in this appeal.

Plaintiff’s father donated to her on February 7, 1888, one hundred arpents of land in St. Landry Parish. Plaintiff has lived on this property continuously.

On July 2, 1930, Mrs. Guilbeau, while married to Adraste Guilbeau, purchased the property herein involved — a certain tract of land described as containing 40% arpents together with all improvements situated in Acadia Parish. The act recites that the vendor delivers the property to:

“Mrs. Marie Comeaux, who declares that she has been twice married, that her last husband, Adraste Guilbeau, is *842 still living and abides with her, residents of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.
“Here present purchasing and accepting for herself, her heirs, and assigns, and acknowledging delivery and possession thereof, the following described property, to-wit:”
Signed: “Mrs. Marie (her x mark) Comeaux.”

The defendants contend that this purchase was made with community funds, and that the property therefore belonged to the community which existed between their father and Mrs. Guilbeau. The latter urges that she used her separate and paraphernal funds for the initial payment, and consequently the property became her separate property.

Article 2402 of the LSA-Civil Code provides that all purchases of real property made during the existence of the community are presumed to be for the community. It is incumbent upon plaintiff to rebut this presumption. She is permitted by law to do this by offering parole evidence. The rule is admirably set forth in the case of Kittredge v. Grau, 158 La. 154, 103 So. 723, 728, to the effect:

“With regard to real estate, it is well settled that, when a married man, under the regime of the community, buys property with his separate funds, and takes the title in his name, unless the deed contains a statement to the effect that the purchase is made with his separate funds, the property will belong to the community, and the community, at its dissolution, will owe his separate estate for the price which he paid. It is not so with regard to a married woman. The law has zealously guarded her interest against that of her husband or his creditors. When she buys property in her own name, it is not necessary to declare in the deed that it is bought with her separate funds. She may assert and prove the fact whenever it is questioned. But, when a married man buys property in his name, without a stipulation in the deed that it is bought with his separate funds, the presumption in favor of the community is juris et de jure.” See, American Surety Co. of New York v. Noble & Salter, 196 La. 312, 199 So. 131; Cameron v. Rowland, 215 La. 177, 40 So.2d 1; Slaton v. King, 214 La. 89, 36 So.2d 648.

The above rule is repeated and ratified in the Succession of Farley, 205 La. 972, 18 So.2d 586, 588, as follows:

“The testimony of Mrs. Elizabeth Koenig Farley was not given for the purpose of establishing or creating a title to real estate. The purpose and effect of the testimony was merely to offset the presumption arising from the. provision in the Civil Code that the tL tie to property bought during the matrimonial community, in the name of ei *844 ther of the spouses, is thereby 'vested in the community. When the title, in such an -instance, is taken in the name of the husband, without a declaration in the deed that it is bought with his separate funds and as his separate property, the presumption that the title is vested in the community is juris et de jure, and thereafter cannot be contradicted by him to the prejudice of his wife or of her heirs. But it is not so with regard to a purchase made in the name of the wife, by a deed in which there is no declaration as to whether the property is bought with her separate funds under her separate control, and as her separate and paraphernal property. In süch a case she may at any time after-wards prove, even by parol evidence, if it be true, that the purchase was made with her separate or paraphernal funds, under her separate control, and as her separate or paraphernal property. Succession of Rouse, 144 La. 143, 80 So. 229; Rodriguez v. Succession of McFettridge, 156 La. 111, 100 So. 68; Succession of Watkins, 156 La. 1000, 101 So. 395; Kittredge v. Grau, 158 La. 154, 103 So. 723; Miller v. Miller, 160 La. 936, 107 So. 702; Tillery v. Fuller, 190 La. 586, 182 So. 683; American Surety Co. [of New York] v. Noble, 196 La. 312, 199 So. 131; Drewett v. Carnahan, La.App., 183 So. 103, in which a petition for review was denied on August 5, 1938; Smith v. Brock, La. App., 200 So. 342.”

In the very recent case of Succession of Schnitter, 220 La. 323, 56 So.2d 563, 564, this Court stated:

“This act of sale did not recite that the purchase price was paid with her separate funds, and the presumption under Article 2402 of our Civil Code is that it belonged to the community. This presumption, however, may be overcome by satisfactory proof by the wife or her heirs that the purchase price was paid with her separate and paraphernal funds, and that these funds were administered by her separate ánd apart from her husband and were an investment by her.” See, Succession of Lejeune, 221 La. 437, 59 So.2d 446.

Mrs. Guilbeau received $900 in insurance proceeds at the time of the death of her first husband.

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Bluebook (online)
71 So. 2d 129, 224 La. 837, 1954 La. LEXIS 1152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guilbeau-v-guilbeau-la-1954.