Kelly v. Pippitone

126 So. 79, 12 La. App. 635, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 75
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 27, 1930
DocketNo. 11,682
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 126 So. 79 (Kelly v. Pippitone) 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
Kelly v. Pippitone, 126 So. 79, 12 La. App. 635, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 75 (La. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

JANVIER, J.

Plaintiff, Kelly, and defendant, Mrs. Pippitone, own adjoining houses in this city.

During the year 1921 both the properties in question were owned by Mrs. Annie Kelly, and, as the improvement on each plot occupied too much thereof to permit of an automobile driveway entirely within the limits of either, Mrs. Kelly, in July of that year constructed an automobile driveway consisting of two concrete runways. This driveway, located between the two houses, one concrete strip being on each lot of ground, served two separate garages, one in the rear of each house. On January 9, 1924, Kelly purchased from his mother, Mrs. Annie Kelly, one of the properties, to-wit: No. 3918 Banks street. On December 14, 1922, one E.- Leo Faciane bought the other property, to-wit: No. 3916 Banks street, from Mrs. Kelly, and on March 12, 1926, Faciane transferred it to the present defendant, Mrs. Pippitone.

While the properties were owned by John Kelly and Faciane, respectively, they, by agreement, repaved the driveway so that, instead of its consisting of two concrete strips, it now consists of one solid strip wide enough for an automobile to pass.

On December 19, 1922, the said Faciane and the said Kelly signed a joint statement with reference to the driveway, which statement reads as follows:

“I, E. Leo Faciane, do hereby state that under date of December 14, 1922, I purchased the single cottage, known as 3916 Banks Street, from Mrs. Annie Kelly " (the said Mrs. Kelly being owner of the adjacent property 3918 Banks Street), and that at the time of my purchase, community driveway between the two said properties was in use.

“By mutual consent, it was agreed that this said community ‘driveway would remain in effect for the benefit of myself and Mrs. Kelly’s son, J. W. Kelly, also owner of an automobile. This said community driveway and garage was installed prior to the purchase of the cottage, known as 3916 Banks Street, by the writer.

“In support of the above statement, I hereby affix my signature, and request that the said party, J. W. Kelly, joint-user of this community driveway also affix his.

“(Signed) E. Leo Faciane.

“(Signed) J. W. Kelly.”

[637]*637On January 18, 1924, the said Kelly and the said Faciane entered into another agreement which reads as follows:

"I, J. W. Kelly, with this statement do certify that under date of January 9, 1924, I purchased from my' mother, Mrs. Annie Kelly, the residence at 3918 Banks Street, this said residence being next to a similar residence owned by E. Leo Faciane, and both parties enjoying the benefit of a community driveway, and being aware of previous agreement existing between Mrs. Kelly and Mr. Faciane, we, the present owners, E.' Leo Faciane of 3916 Banks Street and J. W. Kelly of 3918 Banks Street, do mutually agree to continue the agreement regarding the community driveway, and it is further mutually understood that in the event that either property is disposed of, the present owners agree to inform the future purchaser of this joint agreement.”

Later, Mrs. Pippitone, for reasons of her own, erected a fence on the line dividing her property from that of her neighbor, and, as that made it impossible for an automobile to use the driveway, this suit resulted.

Plaintiff claims that a servitude of passage has been established and that he is entitled to an injunction restraining defendant from interfering with the exercise of the rights resulting from that servitude.

. This claim is based on. articles 767 et seq. of the Civil Code. Article 767 reads as follows:

“The destination made by the owner is equivalent to title with respect to continuous apparent servitudes.....

“By destination is meant the relation established between two immovables by the owner of both, which would constitute a servitude if the two immovables belonged to 'two different owners.”

The servitude claimed results under certain circumstances, from what is termed the “destination du pere de famille.” It is at once apparent that, in order to establish such a right, three essential facts must be shown:

First, the right must have been created by the common owner, the “pere de famille” ;

Second, the right or servitude must be apparent; and

Third, the right or servitude must be continuous.

It is conceded that the servitude claimed was not established by title. Therefore, unless the three essential requirements to which we have referred can be shown to exist, the inescapable result is that article 767 of the Code is not applicable, and if that article does not apply, then the situation is governed by article 766, which, in part, reads as follows:

“Continuous non-apparent servitudes, and discontinuous servitudes, whether apparent or not, can be established only by a title.”

The. servitude claimed is a right of passage, and under Civil Code, article 727, the right of passage is a discontinuous servitude. That the construction of a road or a tramway does not convert a discontinuous servitude to a‘Continuous one is well established in our jurisprudence.

In Ogborn vs. Lower Terrebonne Refining & Mfg. Co., 129 La. 379, 56 So. 323, the Supreme Court said:

“The writer of this opinion thinks that a servitude, the exercise of which necessitates the permanent maintenance of a railroad, consisting of- roadbed, cross-ties, rails, bridges, etc., of which the - dominant estate has the exclusive use, and of which the servient estate has only the burden, is a continuous apparent servitude. It is admittedly so at common' law, and, in the writer’s opinion, must be so under the civil law also, because the basic principles of [638]*638prescription are the same in the two systems of law. The majority of the court think differently, however.”

In the same case the court, commenting with approval on certain commentators, said:

“Aubry & Rau, commenting on the articles of the Code Napoleon corresponding with the foregoing articles, has the following :

“ ‘Discontinuous servitudes are those which need the act of man to he exercised. What characterizes them is that their exercise does not survive the act of man; it ceases the moment this act ceases. Such is the servitude of way; it is exercised each time the owner of the dominant estate passes over the servient estate, and only during the time occupied in his passing. The law cites as additional examples servitudes of drawing water, of pasturing cattle.

“ ‘These servitudes continue to be discontinuous, notwithstanding that in order that they should be exercised certain apparent works have had to be established. The reading together of articles 688 and .689 shows that the Code has employed two distinct divisions, which must not be confounded, "appearance” .and “continuity.” A servitude of passage which manifests itself by a door or gate, of which the key has been delivered to the owner of the dominant estate, or for which visible works have been constructed — for example, a road across the neighboring estate, a bridge —is none the less discontinuous, according to the classification made by the Code.’ Volume 8, p. 118, No. 248, Servitudes.

“From the standard work, Carpentier et Du Saint (volume, Passage, Nos. 56 and 57), we take the following:

“ ‘The servitude of way may be apparent.

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Bluebook (online)
126 So. 79, 12 La. App. 635, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelly-v-pippitone-lactapp-1930.