State ex rel. Gausson v. Judge of the Second District Court of New Orleans

21 La. Ann. 43
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJanuary 15, 1869
DocketNo. 1816
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 21 La. Ann. 43 (State ex rel. Gausson v. Judge of the Second District Court 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
State ex rel. Gausson v. Judge of the Second District Court of New Orleans, 21 La. Ann. 43 (La. 1869).

Opinions

Ilsley, J.

This is an application for a writ of prohibition to the Judge of the Second District Court of New Orleans, and others.

The facts necessary to a proper understanding of the case are the following The plaintiff in the suit in the said court, pending on the first of May, 1868, entitled Marie P. L. Ledoux, wife of John K. Elgee, deceased, v. Bessie Elgee Scott, heir and testamentory executor of J. K. Elgee, No. 2990, obtained a final judgment against the succession of John K. Elgee for—

First — The sum of one hundred and twenty-two thousand nine hundred and one dollars and ninety-six cents ($122,901 96), with five per cent, interest on $95,969 66 thereof from various persons.

Second — For the delivery as her property of 579 3-5 shares of gas light stock with $17,938 80 dividends accrued thereon, and now in the Gas Company’s office, requiring the defendant to transfer the same stock and money, the said $17,938 80 forming a part of the above $122,90-126, and the balance, say $104,963 16, in due course of administration.

From this judgment the defendant in the above suit, and also an intervenor, who claimed to he a creditor of the succession of J. K. Elgee' for a large amount, obtained, in the legal delay from the court below, suspensive appeals to this court, on their giving each a distinct hond for five hundred dollars, the amount fixed by the judge. Afterward, on [44]*44tlie application of tlie plaintiff, tlie inferior court set aside tlie suspensive appeals and declared executory the judgment rendered by it on the first of May, 1868.

The defendant and intervenor ask this court to issue a prohibition to the judge of the inferior court and to the plaintiff, inhibiting all proceedings whatever in execution of the said judgment during the pending of the, suspensive appeal taken therefrom.,

It is not denied that within the legal delay of ten days next succeeding the date of the order granting the suspensive appeal, appeal bonds, conditioned as the law requires, for the amount ‘specified thereon, with good legal sureties, were duly filed by the appellants in court,

From this statement two questions arise—

First — Was the amount of each of the said bonds, as fixed by the lower court sufficient to operate a supersedeas ?

Second — Had not the jurisdiction of the appellate court attached as soon as the appeal bonds were filed and the citation issued, which is unnecessary on appeals allowed in open court ?

I. It was the opinion of the judge of the court below, and it is strenu - ously contended in this court, that article 575 of the Code of Practice must be applied as cogently to judgments rendered against executors and administrators^ approving judicially claims against succession,'as to any other class or kind of judgments.

This court thinks otherwise.

That article, properly read, refers evidently to ordinary judgments between individuals; whenever the amounts are so specified that if execution is not stayed, writs of fieri facias mayissue at once to recover such specific sums as are thereby adjudged. It has no application to such judgments which are necessarily held in abeyance and which can not bo mado executory until it be ascertained contradictorily with other parties in interest, on a tableau of distribution, whether the whole or any portion of such claims, although judicially recognized, can be made available.

A judgment recognizing a claim against a succession has generally no greater force in law than an acknowledgment of the claims by an executor or administrator. See articles 985 and 986 of the Code of Practice.

In either case the creditor can only obtain the payment of it concurrently with the other creditors. C. P. Arts. 986, 1054.

Whether a claim against a succession is recognized judicially in a direct action, or by opposition to a tableau of distribution, 10 An.'224, in cither event, whatever may be the amount of a creditor’s judgment, he can only recover on it such amount as may be awarded to him in such tableau when duly homologated.'

An executor or administrator is an officer of the court, and any funds or property in his hands belonging to the estate he administers, are amply seemed, as the law dobs and the creditors may require bonds to [45]*45secure them and to ensure tlie faithful administration, and the creditor incurs no 'risk by the delay which an appeal, that every executor or administrator has the legal right to take (art. 572 C. P.), may occasion.

Be this as it m'ay, it suffices that article 575 of the Code of Practice has not in letter or spirit any applicability to such a case as this, which is governed 'by the doctrine taught in Blanchin v. The Steamer Fashion, 10 An. 345. State ex rel. Hickey v. The Judge of the Fourth District Court of New Orleans, 20 An. 108, and other kindred cases, a doctrine which the intervenor, who is not condemned to pay anything, may •invoke in exercising his right of appeal. C. P. 571.

And the doctrine is one sanctioned by reason and common sense, when applied to executors and administrators, otherwise their right to appeal would in most cases, for any practicable purpose, be wholly nugatory; as it would require them to furnish security for the payment of debt, only recognized judicially for a solitary purpose, and which might turn out eventually to be utterly valueless by reason of the insolvency of the succession against which they have claims.

As to the -stock and dividends held by the G-as Company, and which ■the judgment of the lower court orders the executor and defend■ant to transfer to the plaintiff, that is certainly not covered by article 575 C. P., which'refers to the specific sum which a party is condemned to pay, nor does it fall under article 576 C. P., which refers to tangible movable property óf a perishable nature, and not to mere incorporeal rights. No transfer of that stock and dividends could be made to the prejudice of the plaintiff, and a bond for costs for that would certainly suffice to prevent its becoming executory. The decree itself, if not reversed, would, if the execution did not, according to the terms, transfer the’ stock and dividends, confer a title upon the defendant therefor.

II. It lias been repeatedly held by this court that the moment a 1 sufficient appeal bond is signed and citation issues, the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court attaches. See numerous cases collected in 1 Hen. page'74, section 3; and in the case of the State ex rel. v. The Judge of the Fifth District Court, it was held after the order was made and signed, granting a suspensive appeal, and approving the bond furnished by the appellant. We'think-the jurisdiction of the District Court was ■incompetent to- disturb'the order. If a bond is insufficient in amount to authorize a suspensive appeal, but is good fot a devolutive appeal, the appeal will not be dismissed, but execution may issue (5 An. 366,12 An. 175), but may be enjoined.

Tt was within the province of "the lower court to say if the appeal was suspensive or devolutive, and to inquire into the question whether the appellants presented such sureties as the law required* It declared the-appeal suspensive; and.the security furnished for the amount is not questioned. We have examined the numerous authorities cited by the plaintiff, but' they do not militate against the doctrine now announced. [46]

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Bluebook (online)
21 La. Ann. 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-gausson-v-judge-of-the-second-district-court-of-new-orleans-la-1869.