Harper v. Willis

383 So. 2d 1299
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 25, 1980
Docket7494
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 383 So. 2d 1299 (Harper v. Willis) 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
Harper v. Willis, 383 So. 2d 1299 (La. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

383 So.2d 1299 (1980)

Leroy HARPER, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Ray Preston WILLIS, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 7494.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 25, 1980.
Rehearing Denied May 29, 1980.

*1300 Gravel, Roy & Burnes, Robert L. Royer, Alexandria, for plaintiff-appellant.

Walter M. Hunter, Jr., Alexandria, for defendant-appellee.

Before CUTRER, STOKER and LABORDE, JJ.

STOKER, Judge.

This is a possessory action. It was dismissed in the trial court on a motion for summary judgment brought by the defendant-appellee, Ray Preston Willis. Plaintiff, Leroy Harper, seeks to be maintained in the possession of immovable property consisting of a rectangular tract of open land measuring 323.6 feet by 435.6 feet.[1] The plaintiff asserts he "possessed" the land by grazing his cattle on it and doing certain other acts upon the land. Plaintiff alleges he has *1301 been disturbed in his possession by the recordation of a document which purports to convey the property to defendant Willis. The motion for summary judgment, and the judgment granting it, are based solely on a deposition given by plaintiff.

In our opinion the sole issue in this matter is whether plaintiff ever had the intent to acquire possession as required by Article 3436 of the Louisiana Civil Code.[2] That article reads:

Art. 3436. Essentials of possession
Art. 3436. To be able to acquire possession of property, two distinct things are requisite:
1. The intention of possessing as owner.
2. The corporeal possession of the thing.

For the purpose of determining whether the trial court was justified in dismissing the possessory action, we may assume that plaintiff could establish the corporeal possession of the land in question—requisite number two of LSA-C.C. art. 3436 quoted above. We may so assume because, even if plaintiff can establish that required element of the article, he gave testimony in his deposition in which he specifically negatived any "intention of possessing as owner". The concept of "possessing as owner" is the crux of this case and will be discussed later in this opinion.

In order to better follow the principles to be discussed it is appropriate here to set forth briefly certain facts related by plaintiff-appellant, Leroy Harper, in his deposition. It appears that the property in question is part of what was created several decades ago as the Old Pecan Orchard Subdivision. Tr. 11 & 12. The whole property consisted of two sections of land one mile by two miles. Tr. 39 & 40. Apparently the subdivision venture encountered difficulty of some nature, and in the early 30's some of the lots began to be sold for taxes. Tr. 13. In the beginning a caretaker, a Mr. Crowe, looked after the property. Tr. 11. By 1946 or 1947 the caretaker gave up this job, and the property was left untended. Tr. 16. None of the lot purchasers ever occupied or used the lots acquired by them, and Mr. Crowe did not look after these lots. Tr. 18. Plaintiff-appellant had begun to run cattle on the whole two-section tract in about 1939 and continued thereafter to do so. Tr. 30. At some time, perhaps about 1947, plaintiff-appellant began to acquire lots through tax redemptions, or he acquired an interest with others. Tr. 21, 22 and 29. At some time before Mr. Crowe abandoned his caretaker responsibilities, he gave plaintiff-appellant permission to run his cattle on the land without payment of rent by Harper if Harper would look after the property, keep the fire out and the brush down. Tr. 25-27. Harper testified he took over the property in 1947. Tr. 19. By 1952, plaintiff-appellant had acquired sufficient interest in lots in the subdivision that whatever he did for the whole property *1302 he considered to be for his own interests. Tr. 27 & 33. From 1952, some clearing took place year by year. Tr. 25. In 1952, this property was overgrown in thickets. Tr. 24. Through purchases at tax sales and from individuals, plaintiff-appellant continued to acquire lots in the subdivision. Tr. 23. At some time not clear, plaintiff-appellant became interested in the property subject of this law suit. He was interested in purchasing it, but it was sold to defendant-appellee, Willis. Tr. 33-39. The property apparently consists of three lots. Tr. 39. Plaintiff-appellant testified there has never been a fence around the three lots in question, but there was a fence around the entire two sections of land. Tr. 39.

The facts set forth above are taken entirely from the deposition given by plaintiff-appellant on which the motion for summary judgment of defendant-appellee is founded. Mr. Harper never testified that he acquired the property subject of this possessory action by any species of title. The action is strictly a possessory action based upon his alleged possession quietly and without interruption for more than a year prior to the recordation of the conveyance to Willis.

The critical testimony given by Leroy Willis himself which establishes the actual subjective intention of plaintiff-appellant regarding the tract purchased by Willis, beginning on transcript page 33, is as follows:

Q. As to those lots that you have not bought from someone—either by tax sale or otherwise—has it ever been your intention of acquiring ownership of these people's lots that you didn't buy?

A. If I can.
Q. How?

A. Buying them. I've never tried to beat anybody out of anything.

Q. Alright. You never tried to just take—take their property did you?

A. No, sir. No.
Q. You never just claimed it as your own without buying it, did you?
A. No.

Q. In fact, you've always, right up to this time, tried to buy people out of any of these lots.

A. If they want to sell it.
* * * * * *

Q. So, the possession that you have had of this property that Mr. Willis has the deed to now, you never have possessed that property as the owner of that property, have you—the lots Mr. Willis has the deed to?

A. No.
Q. Alright. You knew all along you didn't own that lot—
A. Yeah.
* * * * * *

Q. Alright. Well, then, less than a year, but before Mr. Willis bought the property, you did call Mrs. Kuentz and again offer to buy the property from her did you not?

A. Right.
* * * * * *

Q. You do admit, though, that you never have contended that you own this property that we're talking about in this lawsuit.

A. Well, how could I do that?

Q. Well, I want to know what was in your mind. Were you intending to go out and claim this property just by taking it?

A. No, sir. I told you that awhile ago.

Q. Alright, sir. Now, I'd like to show you a copy of a letter, March 7th, 1960, to Mrs. Kuentz which reportedly was written by you and you say you are writing to her in regard to a lot she owned in Elizabeth. If she ever decides to sell her lot, you'd like to buy it. And you go on to say "I will keep the lots in good shape, keep the bushes down, and the fire out so that it will always look good."

* * * * * *
Q. That does appear to be your handwriting and your signature, does it not?
A. Yeah.

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Bluebook (online)
383 So. 2d 1299, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harper-v-willis-lactapp-1980.