Landreneaux v. Dergin

134 So. 283, 19 La. App. 542, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 390
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 5, 1931
DocketNos. 783-890
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 134 So. 283 (Landreneaux v. Dergin) 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
Landreneaux v. Dergin, 134 So. 283, 19 La. App. 542, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 390 (La. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinions

ELLIOTT, J.

Adraste Landreneaux alleges that during the year 1930 he advanced Austin Dergin to the amount of $200 cash to enable him to make a crop for said year on a farm belonging to Mrs. Euclide Landreneaux.

That said Dergin and his wife, Cora Fontenot Dergin, secured him for the amount by pledging and hypothecating to him his crop of corn, cotton, rice and potatoes to be made on said farm for said year.

That said pledge was evidenced by an authentic act, executed in conformity with the law (Act No. 66 of 1874 and amendments thereto), duly recorded in the crop pledge book of the parish of Evangeline. That he has a privilege on said crop resulting from said pledge. Alleging fear that said Dergin would conceal, part with, or dispose of the crop, he prayed that the crop be sequestered in order to protect his rights, and the crop was seized as-prayed for.

Euclide Landreneaux intervened in the suit, opposed the privilege claimed by the plaintiff and prayed that the seizure be set aside. He alleges that he is the owner in possession of an undivided one-third of the crop, and in possession of the other two-thirds as pledgee, with privileges thereon.

That the crop was grown on a plantation belonging to his wife. That he was the administrator, in full charge of that plantation as head and master of the legal community of acquets and gains which existed between his wife and himself. That he hired Dergin to raise the crop, the consideration being that Dergin was to have two-thirds of the net profits of the corn and cotton, less two-thirds of the cost of the fertilizer and less the cost of the necessary family supplies and feed for his teams, furnished him, used in cultivating and making said crop.

That pursuant to his contract with Dergin he advanced him fertilizer to the amount of $27, corn to the amount of $33, rice to the amount of $32.50, and $20 worth qf meat used for the purpose stated. That Adraste Landreneaux, threatening to [544]*544use his rights under said crop pledge to seize the crop and waste it in court cost, he exercised his right of legal subrogation and tendered Adraste the amount he had advanced on the crop. That Adraste, claiming more than he had in fact advanced for said purpose, refused tq accept same and subsequently caused said crop to •be seized. ' That out of the $200 which Adraste Landreneaux claims to have advanced to said Dergin for the purpose of enabling him to make said crop, Adraste paid $54 to Dorselin Sonnier on an account due him by said Dergin for the year 1929, and $20 in the same way to Edovic Rogeau for a debt due him by said Dergin for the year 1929. That these amounts were not secured by the crop pledge obtained from said Dergin.

Intervener and third opponent makes further averments and filed an amended and supplemental petition opposing the interest and attorney’s fees claimed by the plaintiff, on the ground that same was not covered. by his crop pledge. But a further statement does not appear to be necessary to the understanding of the issues.

Euclide Landreneaux prayed for judgment against Charles H. Pucheu, sheriff, Austin Dergin and Adraste Landreneaux, recognizing him as the owner of an undivided one-third of the crop raised on said farm and in possession thereof, with privilege on the other two-thirds.

He prayed for judgment against said Dergin for $113.10, the amount of his advance on said crop. That his tender to said Adraste Landreneaux be recognized as having been made to him before the filing of his suit herein, and that his legal subrogation to the rights of Adraste be recognized. That the sequestration caused by Adraste to be made herein be decreed null and void, and judgment for $50 against Adraste on account of attorney’s fees, etc.

Dergin, defendant, and Euclide Landreneaux, intervener and third opponent, filed motions to dissolve the sequestration, while Adraste Landreneaux on his part moved to strike intervener’s motion to dissolve out of the record on the ground that he had no standing to urge same.

The motion tq dissolve the sequestration was by the court, over the objections of defendant and intervener, referred to the merits.

The plaintiff answering the petition of intervention, alleges that he obtained the sequestration in good faith, denies having been tendered the amount due him and .reasserts his alleged privilege on the crop.

In answer to article I of the petition of intervention he practically admits that Eu-elide is owner of one-third of the crop seized, as lessor, and. does not deny intervener’s claim in that respect. In his answer to article 2 of the intervention he also practically admits that Dergin entered into an agreement with Euclide, becoming his tenant on the terms stated in said petition of intervention, but prays that his pledge be recognized against the intervener and third opponent.

Dergin answering the petition of Adraste Landreneaux denies all the averments in the petition.

After trial there was judgment in favor of the plaintiff as prayed for.

Euclide Landreneaux and Austin Dergin have appealed. No brief has been filed in this court by Adraste- Landreneaux nor Austin Dergin. None of the motions filed in the lower court are urged on appeal.

[545]*545The motions filed in this court by defendant and intervener and third opponent praying that the judgment appealed from be annulled and avoided and plaintiff’s suit dismissed on grounds appertaining to the merits of the case, will be considered in dealing with the merits.

The evidence shows that Austin Dergin and his wife executed a note for $200 on February 6, 1930, payable to the order of Adraste Landreneaux on September 1, 1930, drawing 8 per cent per annum interest from date and 10 per cent attorney’s fees if sued on or placed in the hands of an attorney for collection. This note was secured by a crop pledge executed by said Dergin and his wife in favor of Adraste Landreneaux on the same day that the note was signed, under the provisions of Act No. 66 of 1874, as amended by Act .No. 93 of 1922 and Act No. 44 of 1882.

This crop pledge is in authentic form, was duly recorded, and the said Dergin and his wife therein pledged to Adraste Landreneaux the crop that they would make and cultivate for that year on the farm which belonged to Mrs. Euclide Landreneaux.

A question under the petition of intervention and third opposition is whether Euclide Landreneaux is to be regarded as the landlord, and as such the lessor of Austin Dergin as to said crop, or as having hired said Dergin to make the crop. His allegations are, in effect, that Dergin was both his lessee and hired man.

Adraste Landreneaux, in his answer to Euclide Landreneaux’s averments on this subject, practically admits that the relations between Euclide and Dergin were as alleged by Euclide Landreneaux. The testimony of Euclide on the subject is rather indefinite, but throughout his testimony he speaks of the crop as belonging one-third to himself and two-thirds to Dergin, subject to the charges mentioned in article 2 of his intervention. He recognized the crop pledge executed by Dergin in favor of Adraste Landreneaux, to the extent of two-thirds of the crop.

Adraste recognized Dergin as the owner of the crop by taking from him a pledge on it. Dergin testified on the subject. Questioned as to the bargain or agreement entered into between him and Euclide Landreneaux, he says (without objection):

“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
134 So. 283, 19 La. App. 542, 1931 La. App. LEXIS 390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/landreneaux-v-dergin-lactapp-1931.