Ledoux v. Burton

30 La. Ann. 576
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 15, 1878
DocketNo. 7031
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 30 La. Ann. 576 (Ledoux v. Burton) 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
Ledoux v. Burton, 30 La. Ann. 576 (La. 1878).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Spencer, J.

Lovel Ledoux and his wife, Anasie Plantevignes, were in community, owning a plantation. The wife died in spring of 1866, leaving seven children, three of whom were minors and four majors.

On January 25,1867, after the death of his wife, Lovel Ledoux gave his note to Amaron Ledoux for §1100, being for a community debt, and executed a special mortgage on the plantation to secure it.

In April, 1868, Lovel Ledoux made and recorded an acknowledgment of indebtedness to each of his children for §642 85, and to secure those of age gaye a mortgage on same plantation. •

On twenty-fourth December, 1868, he caused the said plantation to be surveyed and divided into seven lots, numbered, respectively, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; marking lots 1, 2, 3 with his own name, and the other lots with the name of the major children. Thereupon he conveyed the lots 4, 5, 6, and 7 to the major children. Subsequently to these conveyances to the children, Amaron Ledoux, by public act, of date twenty-ninth March, 1869, released said four lots, 4, 5, 6, and 7, from his said mortgage, “ which four lots of ground the said Lovel Ledoux has sold and conveyed to Horace Ledoux, Athenaise Ledoux, etc,” but he specially reserves his mortgage on the lots 1, 2, and 3, “ marked on the plat ” of said survey “ as Lovel Ledoux’s share,” etc.

In 1870 Lovel Ledoux applied for and obtained the administration of the community, and the whole plantation was inventoried as belonging thereto. Subsequently, Amaron Ledoux’s executrix, he having died, took judgment by confession against Lovel Ledoux, personally, on this [577]*577note, reciting in the petition this waiver and release, and asking and obtaining recognition of the mortgage on the lots 1, 2, and 3.

Early in 1874 she, Amaron Ledoux’s executrix (the intervenor in the present suit), issued execution on said judgment, and the sheriff seized the entire plantation thereunder, ail the seven lots.

Four injunction suits were brought against this execution: first, by Lovel Ledoux, administrator, claiming lots 1, 2, and 3 as succession property, and not liable to seizure by plaintiff; second, three other injunctions by the major heirs, claiming ownership of lots 4, 5, 6, and 7, reciting the sales to them by Lovel Ledoux, and the release of mortgage by Amaron Ledoux, averring that the said lots were not liable for said debt, that the seizure is illegal, etc., prays for injunction and for a decree ■declaring said land not subject to seizure for said debt, for damages, and for general relief.

The answer of Mrs. Anna Ledoux, .executrix, is as follows, in each of the three injunction cases of the children, substituting for “ lot 7 ” the lot involved in each particular case:

“Now comes Mrs. Anna Ledoux, executrix of the estate of Amaron Ledoux, deceased, and one of the defendants in this suit, and for answer to plaintiffs’ petition says, she denies generally all the allegations therein contained; alleges that if any property belonging to plaintiffs has been , seized by the sheriff under the writ of fieri facias issued against Lovel Ledoux in the suit No. 1589 of the docket of this court, the same was done entirely without the knowledge, authority, or consent of this respondent, who was plaintiff in said suit, or of her attorney therein. And she has given the sheriff orders to release from seizure all property not belonging to Lovel Ledoux, the defendant in said suit, and particularly the lot No. 7, described in plaintiffs’ petition. Wherefore, she prays, etc. Signed by her attorney.”

The evidence introduced was, by plaintiffs in injunction, their deeds, the release, and proof of damages. By defendant, that she had ordered the sheriff to release these lots, and that neither she nor her attorney had directed, or been cognizant of, said seizure.

The judgments were as follows: “ That the injunctions issued in this cause be made perpetual, and that the property described in plaintiffs petition as lots Nos. 4 and 5, be recognized as the property of Augustine Lacour, wife of J. D. Lacour, and not subject to seizure for debts due by Lovel Ledoux, Senior, to Mrs. Anna Ledoux, widow and testamentary executrix of Amaron Ledoux, deceased; * * * that she pay costs, and that plaintiff’s demand for damages be dismissed as in a case of nonsuit.” Signed December 21,1874.

These judgments were never appealed from. They are pleaded in this cause -as res adjudicóla.

[578]*578The injunction taken by Lovel Ledoux against the sale of lots 1, 2, and 3 was finally decided by this court (27 An. 100) holding the said' lots to be succession property and not liable to seizure.

In the midst of these litigations, to wit, in June, 1873, J. C. Burton, defendant herein, made an agreement with the Ledouxs to buy the whole place at 558000, to be paid when title was perfected. The claim made for him, that he is an innocent purchaser, is utterly untenable. He agreed to buy with full knowledge, and if he has paid out his money before he acquired a perfect title, he has no one to blame but himself, as he was under no obligation to do so. He has no other or greater rights than his vendors, and must stand or fall with them.

On third May, 1875, Lovel Ledoux filed a final account of administration, wliich was opposed by Mrs. Amaron Ledoux, executrix, for various reasons. J. C. Burton, who had bought a claim from OJympe Boisse against the community, also opposed it because Mrs. Amaron Ledoux’s claim was placed on it.

The history of this branch of the case will be found reported in 28 An. 562. That proceeding related to matters not involved in this suit, which is confined to the issue of ownership of lots 4, 5, 6, and 7. This , suit arose as follows: After the decision in 28 An. 562, Lovel Ledoux was dismissed from the administration, and Joseph Y. Ledoux, the plaintiff herein, was appointed in his stead as administrator. This new administrator refused to inventory lots 4, 5, 6, and 7 as part of the succession, or to give bond for their value. Mrs. Ledoux, executrix, took a rule to compel him to do these things, which ultimated in a decree of the parish court directing him to institute suit to test the title and to recover possession of said lots.

This suit is brought by him for that purpose, against J. O. Burton, who is in possession, and who has called in his warrantors to defend it, i. e., the major children.

' Mrs. Ledoux, executrix, intervenes and joins in his demand, alleging simulation and collusion between the former administrator, the present one, Burton, and his vendors. The court rendered judgment decreeing said lots to belong to said community estate and directing plaintiff as administrator to take possession thereof. Defendant and warrantors appeal.

So far as we can discover there seem to be but two debts against the community, to wit, the one held by Mrs. Ledoux, executrix, and the one due Olympe Boisse, held by defendant Burton.

The questions presented and necessary for us to decide are—

First — Are the judgments in the three injunction cases, hereinbefore described, res adjudioata against Mrs. Ledoux, executrix; and do they bar her from claiming the subjection of lots 4, 5, 6, and 7 to her debt? [579]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 La. Ann. 576, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ledoux-v-burton-la-1878.