State v. Henderson

138 So. 2d 597
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 8, 1962
Docket500
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 138 So. 2d 597 (State v. Henderson) 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
State v. Henderson, 138 So. 2d 597 (La. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

138 So.2d 597 (1962)

STATE of Louisiana, through the DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS, Plaintiff and Appellant,
v.
Aubrey O. HENDERSON, Defendant and Appellee.

No. 500.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

March 8, 1962.

*598 D. Ross Banister, Glenn S. Darsey, Brunswig Sholars, and Chester E. Martin, by Chester E. Martin, Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellant.

Bean & Rush, by James W. Bean and Warren D. Rush, Lafayette, for appellee.

Before CULPEPPER, SAVOY and HOOD, JJ.

CULPEPPER, Judge.

This suit was filed under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 48:441-48:460 providing for expropriation by a declaration of taking. Portions of defendant's land and improvements near Lafayette, Louisiana were taken for the construction of a highway. With its declaration of taking the plaintiff deposited in the Registry of the Court the sum of $126,116. Defendant's answer demanded compensation and damages totaling $285,670. After trial on the issue of quantum, the lower court awarded defendant judgment for the sum of $60,249.05 over and above the amount already deposited. From this judgment plaintiff has appealed asking that the total amount of compensation be reduced to $101,942 and that under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 48:456 judgment be awarded in favor of plaintiff and against defendant for the excess amount which plaintiff has deposited. Defendant answered the appeal asking an increase in the total compensation to $285,670, subject to a credit of $190,461.99 already received by defendant.

The record shows that two tracts of land were expropriated. The first parcel, designated as #10-9, contains 9.235 acres fronting 1,750.43 feet by a depth of approximately 230 feet on an existing state highway. This parcel of land was used by the defendant as part of a nursery. The improvements thereon consisted of a residence and a variety of greenhouses, sheds and other buildings used in connection with the nursery. On this tract there was also located a portion of defendant's nursery fields in which were planted large numbers of camellias, azaleas, magnolia, magnolia grande flora and other nursery stock.

The second parcel of land consisted of a triangular shaped tract containing 1.012 acres located just north of the first parcel, but not contiguous to it, and a short distance from the existing state highway. This tract had no improvements.

Defendant has accepted the valuations placed by the State on most of the improvements. The issues remaining on appeal are as follows: (1) Is the nursery stock movable or immovable and, if immovable, and therefore expropriated, what compensation is due defendant by reason of the expropriation of these plants. (2) The market value of the land in both tracts 10-9 and 11-3. (3) The value of the residence, barbecue shed and bird house designated as O, P & Q. (4) Is the State entitled to a refund of $24,174 of the item of $30,804 which it deposited for the expropriation of three greenhouses and a boiler room designated as buildings K, L, M and N because only a portion of these buildings was *599 actually on the right of way and the remainder was off the right of way. (5) Is defendant entitled to an additional award of $7,400 for weather damages to movable potted plants which were located in greenhouses expropriated and for which defendant did not have storage room in other greenhouses.

Our learned brother below decided the issue of the nursery stock in his well considered written opinion, the following portion of which we adopt as our own:

"At the trial of this rule, it was admitted by the attorneys representing the department of highways that the nursery stock was not included in fixing the value of the land and improvements. In addition, defendant Henderson established by his own testimony that the plants growing on the property consist of large shrubs and trees, and other plants, vines, and flowers generally used in large landscaping jobs, and that they could not be moved to another location until this fall because they would die if transplanted at this season of the year. He further testified that it would cost $25,000 to $30,000 to effect this transplanting operation in the fall, using a crew of men and winch and trailer trucks and other heavy equipment for this purpose.
"Henderson also called Mr. Earl Vallot, a nurseryman of considerable experience in Lafayette Parish, who testified that he had been requested by Mr. Dan A. Ritchey, Jr., to estimate the value of the nursery stock in the right of way; that he had done so, and had reported to Mr. Ritchey that his appraisal ran to $45,249.05. He was paid for these services by the Department of Highways. A list of the plants and their value as made and determined by Mr. Vallot, is in evidence marked D-1 for identification. A copy of his inventory was furnished to the State at the time he made it.
"No evidence was introduced by the State in rebuttal, counsel taking the position that these plants growing in the soil were not part of the land but were movable property, and hence could not be included in the estimate of the value of the land and its improvements for expropriation purposes, because under LSA-R.S. 19:1, expropriation extends only to `immovable property.' In support of this proposition, they cite and rely upon R.C.C. Art. 468, and the cases of Folse v. Triche, et al., 113 La. 915, 37 So. 875, and Rosata v. Cali, La.App., 4 So.2d 54. Also cited are excerpts from 42 Am.Jur. 200, 201, and 73 C.J.S. Property §§ 8-9, pp. 174-175.
"It is the opinion of this Court that the position taken by the State is untenable. The case of Folse v. Triche, supra, is clearly inapplicable here. In that case certain machinery placed upon a plantation for use in a sugar refinery and hence becoming immovable by destination, was declared to have been converted to movable property again as a result of a fire which destroyed the refinery. Even so, the Court on rehearing held that such part of the machinery as would be used in reconstructing the refinery would not be considered as having lost its character as immovable by destination, and only that portion of the machinery or equipment which could not be so used would be considered as having reverted to its status of movable.
"In Rosata v. Cali, supra, the community of acquets and gains had been dissolved by the death of the wife. Included in the community was a strawberry crop planted by the husband on the wife's separate property, and the court of appeal held that under R.C.C. Art. 2407, such was a movable and under an agreement between the legatees after the wife's death, passed to the husband who acquired all of the community *600 movables other than a packing shed and sewing machine. Again, we find no possible theory upon which this holding can be extended to the case at bar.
"On the contrary, it seems clear that such nursery stock as is located on Mr. Henderson's property is not immovable by destination, but actually forms part of the realty and is immovable by nature. R.C.C. Art. 465, dealing with such matters, reads as follows:
"`Standing crops and the fruits of trees not gathered, and trees before they are cut down, are likewise immovable, and are considered as part of the land to which they are attached.
"`As soon as the crop is cut, and the fruits gathered, or the trees cut down, although not yet carried off, they are movables.
"`If a part only of the crop be cut down, that part only is movable.'

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Bluebook (online)
138 So. 2d 597, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-henderson-lactapp-1962.