Succession of Cummings

128 So. 201, 13 La. App. 566, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 188
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 6, 1930
DocketNo. 597
StatusPublished

This text of 128 So. 201 (Succession of Cummings) 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
Succession of Cummings, 128 So. 201, 13 La. App. 566, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 188 (La. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

ELLIOTT, J.

On motion to dismiss appeal.

Matilda Henderson Cummings, wife of Octave Cummings, departed this life May 12, 1925, intestate, leaving no ascendants nor descendants; but left her husband, Octave Cummings, and a number of people who claimed to be her collateral relatives, such as first and second cousins.

She left property consisting of land and interests in lands. The parties who claim to be her relatives claim that she left debts, and it is admitted that she was indebted to Mrs. O. R. Brugier, also known as Mrs. Josephine E. Brugier.

Rosella Cousin, who claims to have been a cousin, claimed the administration of her estate, received the appointment, and provoked the sale of all of the real estate and interest in real estate which had been left by the decedent.

She alleged in her petition for the sale that the sale was necessary for the purpose of paying debts. An order for the sale was obtained; it was made by the sheriff, and Mrs. O. R. Brugier and L. V. Menard became the purchasers thereat of all the property, a total of $1,385 resulting therefrom.

On April 26, 1927, Octave Cummings, husband of the decedent at the time of her death, alleging that the property had been sold, brought suit against Menard, Mrs. Brugier, and Rosella Cousin, praying that the sale be annulled, avoided and set aside on the ground that it had been made for the purpose of defrauding him out of his property. He alleges that his wife left no debts, except one due to Mrs. O. R. Brugier. That the said Rosella Cummings, Sam Crawford, Severine Smallwood, George Green, Lena Cummings, Charles Henderson, and Carrie Henderson, alleged by Rosella Cousin in her petition to be appointed administratrix. to have been the cousins of the decedent, were not her cousins nor her heirs at law. That his wife left no relatives; that as surviving husband he was her sole heir.

Mrs. O. R. Brugier, usually referred to and appearing by the name of Josephine E. Brugier, and Rosella Cummings appeared and urged against his suit an exception of non-joinder of parties defendant, upon which Sam Crawford, Severine Smallwood, George Green, Lena Cummings, Charles Henderson, and Carrie Henderson were made parties defendant. It was contended that there were still other relatives, upon which Rosa Lawrence, Charlie Benjamin and Gustave Benjamin were also made defendants. And Sam Crawford having died, his heirs, Eugene, Samson, Leslie, Augusta, and James Crawford, were made parties defendant in his place. And Severine Smallwood having also died, Sophie Magee, her heir, was made a party defendant in her place.

On May 14, 1928, Lena Cummings, George Green, Sam Crawford, Rosa Lawrence filed an answer. They alleged in their answer that Matilda Henderson Cummings owed debts other than the one due Mrs. Brugier; [568]*568denied plaintiff’s charges of fraud alleged against the sale; alleged that they, together with Rosella Cousin, Charles Benjamin, Carrie Benjamin, and Carrie Smallwood were cousins of the decedent, and were, as such, her heirs at law. They deny that the plaintiff had any interest in the property left by his wife. They allege that Charles Henderson, father of Matilda Cummings, had three sisters, to-wit, Rebecca, Matilda, and Elizabeth. That Elizabeth married Gistent Crawford, father of Sam Crawford, defendant, one of the heirs. That Gistent Crawford died and Elizabeth then married Paul Smallwood, father of Severine Small-wood, defendant and heir. That Rebecca married George Green, father of George Green and Lena Cummings, defendants, heirs. That Matilda was the mother of Rosella Lawrence, defendant.

On June 13, 1927, L. V. Menard appeared and excepted to plaintiff’s demand on the ground that his petition disclosed no right or cause of action. This exception by Menard was sustained by judgment rendered June 15, 1927. The judgment sustaining this exception states that evidence was heard on the subject, and that the law and the evidence was in favor of the defendant Menard, and dismissed him from the suit. Supposing the proceedings to have been regular, the only evidence that could have been heard must have been for the purpose of showing that the property in suit had been inherited by Matilda Cummings, and was therefore her separate and paraphernal estate, and that she left collateral relatives, defendants, in which event the plaintiff would have had no right of action to attack the sale. Code of Practice, art. 15. No appeal was taken from this judgment, and it is therefore final.

On July 11th Mrs. Brugier excepted to plaintiff’s demand, urging that his petition disclosed no right or cause of action against her, but this exception was, by order of the court, referred to the merits. Mrs. Brugier then filed an answer in which her demands, averments, and allegations are, in all material respects, similar to those urged in the answer of Lena Cummings, George Green, Sam Crawford, and Rosa Lawrence.

On May 16, 1929, the case was taken up for trial on the answer of Lena Cummings, George Green, Sam Crawford, and Rosa Lawrence, and that of Mrs. Brugier. A statement made at the top of the note of testimony is to the effect that the case was taken up on regular assignment, the counsel for plaintiff not being present, but had been notified of the. assignment. The evidence presented by the defendants was heard and judgment rendered in favor of defendants the same day. The judgment states that the case came on to be heard on the exception of no right or cause of action previously filed, and referred to the merits. That the law and the evidence being in favor of defendants Josephine E. Brugier, Edgla Crawford et al., and against the plaintiff, Octave Cummings, the said exception was sustained and the suit dismissed.

On June 5, 1929, the clerk of court, acting on the suggestion of Octave Cummings, plaintiff, signed an order directing that Rosella Cousin, administratrix, show cause why she should not file an acfcount and produce her bank book. A provisional account was filed on July 8, 1929, but it seems that the bank book was not produced, because July 19, 1929, the chief deputy clerk of court, acting on the suggestion of Octave Cummings, plaintiff, signed a further order directing Rosella Cousin, administratrix, to show cause why she should not be adjudged guilty of contempt for not having produced her bank book. [569]*569On July 15, 1929, Rosella Cousin, administratrix, excepted to the rule, and she at the same time excepted to an opposition which the said Cummings had filed to her provisional account, on the ground that the said Cummings had “no right or interest in this succession, and no right or cause of action to oppose the said account.” She urged in her exception that it had been decided in the judgment of May 16, 1929, that said Cummings had no right or interest in the succession, and that his suit had been dismissed. That said judgment was res judicata as to the matters decided. She urged the judgment as a bar against his said proceedings against her and also as a bar against his opposition to her account. The court on the same day, to-wit, July 15, 1929, acted on the exception of the administratrix and sustained same, holding that said Cummings had no right nor interest in the succession of the decedent. The effect of this judgment was to not only exclude the opposition which Octave Cummings had filed to the provisional account, but it also set aside the other proceedings which he had instituted against the administratrix.

In his petition for appeal he complains of the judgment of May 16, 1929, in favor of the defendants, Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
128 So. 201, 13 La. App. 566, 1930 La. App. LEXIS 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/succession-of-cummings-lactapp-1930.