Middleton v. McKay

95 So. 2d 366, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 815
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 26, 1957
DocketNo. 8661
StatusPublished

This text of 95 So. 2d 366 (Middleton v. McKay) 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
Middleton v. McKay, 95 So. 2d 366, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 815 (La. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

HARDY, Judge.

This is a petitory action in which plaintiff claims to be the owner of certain described property located in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Defendant filed a plea of prescription of two, five, ten and thirty years under Articles 3543, 3542, 3478 and 3499, respectively, of the LSA-Civil Code; an exception of no right of action, coupled with a plea of estoppel and laches, and then answered the merits of plaintiff’s suit. The various pleas and exceptions interposed by defendant, as above noted, were referred to the merits, and after trial on the merits there was judgment in favor of defendant sustaining the pleas of prescription of ten and thirty years, the exception of no right of action, the plea of estoppel and laches, and rejecting plaintiff’s demands. From this judgment plaintiff has appealed.

Most of the facts involved have been established without dispute, many of them by stipulation of counsel, and we recite those which are pertinent to a determination of the appeal.

In her petition plaintiff alleged herself to be the owner of certain property in Rich-land Parish, described as follows:

EVi of SEj4, Section 29; and Eastern Three-quarters of the N14 of SWJ4 of the SE14, Section 29, Township 16 North, Range 7 East, containing 95 acres, more or less.

During trial plaintiff dismissed her claims to the NE}4 of SEJ4 of Section 29, Township 16 North, Range 7 East, and this appeal therefore concerns only the remaining fifty-five acres out of the property above described.

This property was included in the sale of a larger tract, comprising some 200 acres, more or less, which was made by William T. Ivy to W. H. L. Lagrone by credit deed dated December 20, 1900. At the time of the acquisition of this property the vendee, W. H. L. Lagrone, was married to Ida Marie Freeman and there was one child of this union, plaintiff in this suit, Grace Lagrone, who was born in the year 1895. Plaintiff’s father, W.- H. L. Lagrone, died on July 25, 1901.

By sheriff’s deed dated February 11, 1911, under foreclosure proceedings, the same tract of land was conveyed to D. A. Lagrone, grandfather of this plaintiff, who subsequently sold the property, which plaintiff claims in this suit, under deed dated October 13, 1924, to Jesse M. and D. B. McKay in the proportion of an undivided one-half interest each. Jesse M. McKay, the defendant in this suit, later acquired the outstanding one-half interest and became the owner of the whole.

On August 13, 1923, plaintiff, Grace L. Middleton, authorized by her husband, J. H. Middleton, entered into an act of compromise with her grandfather, D. A! La-grone, under the terms of which the said parties recognized each other as the owners of an undivided one-half interest each in the property described therein, which was the identical property acquired by W. H. L. Lagrone from William T. Ivy and then by D. A. Lagrone, under the sheriff’s deed as above noted. Because we deem the recitals of the act of compromise to be of primary importance in the resolution of the issue tendered, we quote the agreement, in which D. A. Lagrone was desig[368]*368nated as grantor and Mrs. Grace Middleton as grantee, as follows:

“That whereas each claim to own that certain plantation situated in the Parish of Richland, La. described as; S1/2 of SEl/4 an(i NW}4 of SE14 and NE14 of SW14 and W2 of SW14 of SEj4 and of SE14 of SWJ4 of Sec 29 T 16 N R 7 E, containing 200 acres more or less and commonly-known as the Lagronne place, and comprising the same property acquired by W. H. L. Lagronne from W. T. Ivy, and subsequently acquired at Sheriff’s sale by the grantor, all under deeds of record in the Conveyance Records of said Parish and state, and which deeds by reference is adopted and made part of this act for greater certainty of description;
“And whereas after a full, fair and free discussion of the subject matter, each acting on the advice of counsel, they have concluded that their best interest will be subserved by compromising their respective claims to said plantation and the rents and revenues arising therefrom for the purpose of preventing litigation, and which each one of them prefers to hope of gaining balanced by the chance of losing.
“Now wherefore in consideration of the premises the grantor and grantee have agreed and do by this act agree to compromise and settle all of their differences in regard to the ownership of said plantation, and in regard to all rents and revenues arising therefrom as well as all expenses incurred in improving and clearing the lands, as follows:
“The grantor.and grantee each recognize the other as the legal and bona fide owner of an undivided 1/2 interest in said lands, together with all buildings and improvements thereon situated, and all appurtenances thereto belonging, including the revenues of the current year 1923, provided there shall be deducted from said revenues the taxes for the said year, and the costs of such improvements as has been placed on said plantation during said year, and the revenues shall be divided between grantor and grantee equally.
“It is further agreed and understood that this compromise settlement also includes all claims and counter claims which the grantor and grantee may have or claim to have against each other in connection with said plantation and operation of same since the purchase to January 1, 1923.
“The true, intent, and purpose being that this compromise settlement shall be a full and complete compromise settlement not only of the ownership of said plantation but also of all claims and counter claims which the grantor and grantee may have against each other or may think they have against each other, arising from the operation of said plantation and rents and revenues therefrom since it was acquired as aforesaid.”

On March 25, 1924, the same parties, D. A. Lagrone and Mrs. Grace Middleton, executed a formal notarial act of partition, and again we quote the material provisions of said act as follows:

“They declare they are now the joint owners of the Ni/á of SE14 and SEJ4 of SE14 and m/2 of SW1/4 of SE14 and NE14 of SWj4 and of SEJ4 of SW14 of Sec 29 T 16 N R 7 E situated in Richland Parish, La. containing 200 acres more or less, and comprising what is commonly known as the Lagronne Place, except and less that portion of said land embraced in the right-of-way of the Mo. Pac. Railroad and in the public road crossing the western portion of said tract of land and that they have partitioned [369]*369and do by this act partition said tract of land as follows:
“The said D. A. Lagronne shall have and receive as his half of said land the Ei/£ of SE}4 of Sec. 29, and eastern three-quarters of the Ni/á of SWJ4 of the SE14 Sec 29 T 16 N R 7 E, containing 95 acres more or less, together with all buildings and improvements situated thereon, and all appurtenances thereunto belonging, and accordingly the said Mrs. Grace Middleton has relinquished and set apart in partition unto the said D. A. Lagronne all of her right, title and interest in and to said described land.
“The said Mrs. Grace Middleton shall have and receive as her half of the said land the NWJ4 of SEJ4 and NE14 of SW14 of Sec 29 and W/2

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Bluebook (online)
95 So. 2d 366, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 815, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/middleton-v-mckay-lactapp-1957.