Reid v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans

192 So. 688, 193 La. 1017, 1939 La. LEXIS 1243
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 27, 1939
DocketNo. 35074.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 192 So. 688 (Reid v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans) 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
Reid v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans, 192 So. 688, 193 La. 1017, 1939 La. LEXIS 1243 (La. 1939).

Opinion

ROGERS, Justice.

This is a suit by Miles Reid and others to obtain the annulment of the sale, under executory process, of a certain tract of land situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge. The defendant is the Federal Land Bank of New Orleans, the mortgagee, and also the adjudicatee at the sheriff’s sale. The defendant filed an exception of no cause and no right of action, which was overruled. Defendant then filed its answer asserting the legality of the sheriff’s sale and pleading, in addition, that the plaintiffs are estopped to deny its validity. The trial on the merits resulted in a judgment in favor of plaintiffs, overruling the plea of estoppel and annulling the sale under the foreclosure, but without prejudice to defendant’s mortgage, which was recognized as a valid encumbrance on the property. From this judgment the defendant has appealed.

The record discloses the following facts. On March 14, 1919, Mrs. Della Kitner *1121 Reins executed a mortgage to the Federal Land Bank of New Orleans to secure her note in the sum of $6000. The mortgage covered 160 acres, known as the “Irwin Tract” in the Parish of East Baton Rouge. On February 10, 1920, Miles Reid purchased the property from Mrs. Della Kitner Reins and, as part of the purchase price, assumed the payment of the mortgage note. This purchase was made by Miles Reid for the benefit of himself and his brother Harmel E. Reid, in equal proportions. The wife of Harmel E. Reid died on May 24, 1930, and her community interest in the property was inherited by her four children. Miles Reid, Harmel E. Reid, and his four children, issue of his marriage with his deceased wife, Mrs. Vina Krofft Reid, are the plaintiffs in this suit.

On November 14, 1935, the Federal Land Bank foreclosed its mortgage via executiva against the Succession of .Della Reins. In its petition, the Federal Land Bank alleged that it was the holder and owner, for a valuable consideration before maturity, of a certain mortgage note, made and subscribed by Della Reins, deceased, who formerly resided in Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The petitioner further alleged “that your petitioner is informed and believes and on such information and belief alleges that Della Reins is deceased and that prior to her death she sold and transferred the herein-above described mortgaged property; that the Succession of Della Reins is not under administration and has not been accepted by her heirs, and that the appointment by the Court of an attorney at law to repre- • sent the Succession of the deceased debtor is necessary and essential for the purpose of permitting the petitioner to proceed in rem contradictorily against said attorney.”

The prayer of the petition was as follows: “Wherefore, the premises and the annexed documents considered, petitioner prays for an order of executory process herein; that an attorney at law be appointed to represent the Succession of Della Reins, contradictorily with whom these proceedings shall be carried on, and after due and legal demand of payment that a writ of seizure and sale issue * * »

On this petition and prayer the judge of the district court ordered executory process to issue, and he appointed an attorney at law to represent the Succession of Della Reins. The property was sold on January 4, 1936.

The plaintiffs, in this suit, contend that the sheriff’s sale was illegal and void for the reason, primarily, that Mrs. Della Reins, the mortgagor, was living at the time of the foreclosure proceeding; that the appointment of an attorney at law to represent her Succession was illegal, and that all proceedings conducted contradictorily with the attorney were' null, and, secondarily, that the mortgaged property was not legally seized.

In addition to the question raised by defendant’s exception of no cause or right of action, the case involves three questions arising under the contentions of the parties *1123 on the merits, namely, first, whether the foreclosure proceeding conducted against the Succession of Della Reins, a living person, was legal; secondly, whether a valid- seizure of the mortgaged property was made under the writ of executory process; and thirdly, whether plaintiffs are estopped to contest the validity of the foreclosure proceeding and sale.

Defendant predicates its exception of no cause or right of action on the alleged failure of the plaintiffs to allege any possession either in themselves or in any other person. An examination of its allegations discloses that the petition does not contain any allegation relating to the possession of the property involved in this suit, except the allegation that plaintiffs were in physical possession at all times during the year 1935, and that they were still in possession at the time the property was sold in the foreclosure proceeding. The petition does not contain any allegation as to who, if any one, was in possession at the time this suit was instituted. Therefore, the question presented for decision is whether the. petition fails to disclose a right or cause of action because of plaintiffs’ failure to set forth therein who was in possession of the property at the time they brought their suit.

Conceding that defendant has the right to raise this question, which is not at all clear, we do not think that defendant’s argument in support of its side of the question is sound. Defendant argues that plaintiff’s action is not a petitory action, a possessory action, an action in jactitation, nor an action to try title under Act No.. 38 of 1908, but that it is an action to determine the ownership of the property involved, which can not bé done until plaintiffs affirmatively show who is in possession of the property.

Plaintiff’s petition and prayer clearly show that the action is a direct action to annul a judicial sale. This type of action is recognized under our jurisprudence. Viguerie v. Hall, 107 La. 767, 31 So. 1019; Winsor v. Taylor, 167 La. 169, 118. So. 876; Cross on Pleading, pp. 247-251. Neither our statutory law nor our jurisprudence requires that in a suit to annul a judicial sale the plaintiff must allege that he is in possession, or that a third person is in possession, or that no one is in possession of the property in dispute.

An action to annul a judicial sale may partake of the nature of a petitory action, but it is not a petitory action. It is a separate suit which, however, plaintiff, at his risk, may cumulate with a petitory action. Vinton Oil & Sulphur Co. v. Gray, 135 La. 1049, 66 So. 357; Strong v. Haynes, 152 La. 695, 94 So. 322; Winsor v. Taylor, supra.

In proceedings containing informalities and irregularities which render the title voidable but not absolutely void, the transfer made therein cannot be set aside in a petitory action against a third possessor, who was not a party to .the transaction. The only remedy in such a case is by a direct action of nullity against the parties to the transaction. Richardson v. McDonald, 139 La. 651, 71 So. 934; Gandy v. Caldwell, 169 La. 870, 126 So. *1125 221; Long v. Chailan, 187 La. 507, 175 So. 42.

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Bluebook (online)
192 So. 688, 193 La. 1017, 1939 La. LEXIS 1243, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reid-v-federal-land-bank-of-new-orleans-la-1939.