James v. Buchert

144 So. 2d 435
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 4, 1962
Docket481
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 144 So. 2d 435 (James v. Buchert) 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
James v. Buchert, 144 So. 2d 435 (La. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

144 So.2d 435 (1962)

Mrs. Mary Magdalen MICHEL, Wife of/and William Edward JAMES
v.
Mrs. Gladys JAMES, Wife of/and Edward J. BUCHERT, Sr.

No. 481.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

September 4, 1962.

*436 Beard, Blue, Schmitt & Treen, A. J. Schmitt, Jr., New Orleans, for plaintiffs-appellees, Mrs. Mary Magdalen Michel, wife of/and William Edward James.

Joseph W. Joachim, Jr., New Orleans, for defendants-appellants, Mrs. Gladys James, wife of/and Edward J. Buchert, Sr.

Robert E. Leake, Jr., New Orleans, for defendants in warranty-appellees, the Hoelzel Heirs.

Before MILLER, VIDRINE and CUTRER, JJ.

CECIL C. CUTRER, Judge pro tem.

This is a proceeding for the enforcement of rights arising out of an alleged servitude in favor of plaintiffs, which servitude affects the adjoining property of their neighbors (defendants). Plaintiffs seek to enjoin the defendants from interfering with their free use of the servitude and to compel the defendants to remove certain improvements which interfere with that use.

Defendants entered a general denial of plaintiffs' allegations and as plaintiffs in reconvention contend that certain gas, water and sewer lines of the plaintiffs pass through defendants' property thus constituted a trespass, entitling plaintiffs in reconvention to a judgment against defendants in reconvention. Defendants also called in warranty, Mrs. Pearl James, widow of Edward J. Hoelzel, ancestor in title of both plaintiffs and defendants. After trial was had on the merits, judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiffs on all counts, with the exception that the trial court refused to order defendants to remove a fence which the plaintiffs alleged interfered with their servitude. The trial court also ruled against the defendants in their call in warranty and their reconventional demand against the plaintiffs, dismissing both actions.

From this judgment, defendants have effectuated this appeal. Plaintiffs answered this appeal and pray that the judgment of the lower court be amended so as to compel defendants to remove the fence partially obstructing their servitude, otherwise the judgment of the lower court to be affirmed in all other respects.

The evidence preponderates that in 1949 the husband of Mrs. Pearl J. Hoelzel purchased a lot fronting on Hullen Street in the Parish of Jefferson. The lot was 50 feet fronting on Hullen Street and 163 feet in depth. Subsequently, plaintiff, William Edward James (brother of Mrs. Hoelzel), *437 agreed to purchase from the Hoelzels, the rear 63 feet of this property for his use as a home. The Hoelzels were to grant him a 12 foot wide servitude, along the 100 feet of the lot which the Hoelzels retained, in order that James would have a means of ingress and egress from Hullen Street to his property. Hullen Street was the only improved street in the neighborhood at the time.

Accordingly, on February 9, 1950, the Hoelzels conveyed to James the rear 63 feet of the property, (Hereinafter referred to as lot "Y"). In the act of sale, a servitude was created on the front 100 feet of the lot retained by the Hoelzels (Hereinafter referred to as lot "X"), the servitude being described and granted in the following specific language:

"The vendor and the Purchaser do hereby reserve and forever dedicate as a common alley way or driveway with a perpetual servitude of access and egress, a certain strip of ground twelve feet (12') in width being the North twelve feet (N 12') of lot `X', owned by the vendor herein, and according to the measurements contained on the hereinabove referred to survey of Mr. Guy J. Seghers, said common driveway begins at a distance of eight hundred thirteen feet (813') from the corner of Cypress and Hullen Streets, insuring twelve feet (12') front on Hullen, by a depth between equal and parallel lines of one hundred feet (100'), running to and adjoining lot `Y', which is being conveyed herein to the Purchaser.
"The consideration herein expressed represents both the sale and conveyance of lot `Y' and the herein referred to dedication of the common driveway."

The same instrument granted plaintiff the additional right to lay sewer, water and gas lines within the servitude.

A survey, prepared by Guy J. Seghers and referred to in the instrument creating the servitude, depicts the driveway or alley way to be 163 feet in length, extending the entire length of the original lot purchased by Hoelzel, rather than only along the 100 feet retained by Hoelzel.

In October of 1951 the Hoelzels sold their 100 feet, or lot "X", to defendant Buchert. The act of sale made no reference to the servitude previously granted, however, it had been recorded in the appropriate conveyance and mortgage records of Jefferson Parish in February of 1950.

There was no obstruction to the plaintiffs' utilization of the entire 12 feet width of the servitude in question until 1956 when the Bucherts constructed a fence across the entire back of their property, including the servitude in question. In the fence, Buchert placed a gate to service a walkway which had been constructed upon the servitude by James. The construction of the fence, with the gate, restricted the use of the servitude to pedestrian use since the gate would not permit vehicular traffic to traverse same. Plaintiff could only get vehicles to his property by using a street which led up to the rear of his property and which street had been improved after the original purchase by plaintiff. Plaintiffs did not complain of this partial interference with their servitude until a few years later when the Bucherts proposed to construct a carport on that portion of their property burdened by the servitude which would render the servitude useless. Shortly thereafter, on April 27, 1960, this suit was filed.

Defendants strongly contend that, if a servitude exists, it extends along the entire length of lots "X" and "Y". This contention is based upon the proposition that the survey is controlling. Defendants' theory appears to be that since the survey depicts the 163 feet servitude as a common driveway, then the servitude created a common driveway for the benefit of both estates, lots "X" and "Y". In support of this theory, the defendants advance the well established principle that where there is a variance between the description in the deed and in the plat, the description in the plat controls. *438 Casso v. Ascension Realty Company et al., 1940, 195 La. 1, 196 So. 1, 130 A.L.R. 636; Lotz v. Hurwitz et al., 1932, 174 La. 638, 141 So. 83; Isacks v. Deutsch, La.App.1959, 114 So.2d 746.

While we do not dispute the defendants' contention that ordinarily the general rule is that where there is a conflict between the deed itself, and the map, survey or plat referred to in the deed, that the latter controls even though the deed itself is unambiguous. However, we do not believe that it applies in a case such as this where it is clear from the evidence adduced below that neither the vendor nor the vendee in the original instrument intended such a result. We believe that this case is controlled by the decision rendered in Burt v. Carrier, La.App., 92 So.2d 86 (1st Cir. 1957). Plaintiff in that case purchased a certain plantation, which surrounded a golf course, from defendants' ancestor in title. As vendor, defendants' ancestor in title, reserved to himself the 55 acres, more or less, upon which the golf course was located.

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144 So. 2d 435, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/james-v-buchert-lactapp-1962.