Succession of Davis

142 So. 2d 481, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2043
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 14, 1962
Docket9730
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 142 So. 2d 481 (Succession of Davis) 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 Davis, 142 So. 2d 481, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2043 (La. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

142 So.2d 481 (1962)

Succession of Jerry W. DAVIS.

No. 9730.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

June 14, 1962.
Rehearing Denied July 5, 1962.

Louis Lyons, Bossier City, for plaintiff-appellant.

Steven N. Cowel, Shreveport, for defendant-appellant.

Before HARDY, GLADNEY, and AYRES, JJ.

GLADNEY, Judge.

Jerry W. Davis died intestate March 17, 1960, without issue and without father or *482 mother surviving him. Eliza Stephens Player, an aunt of decedent, filed an application to be appointed administratrix of the succession, the inventory of which showed an estate in the sum of $11,078.31. The application of Eliza Stephens Player was opposed by Jewel Lean Davis, who alleged that she was the surviving spouse of the decedent and entitled to the appointment as administratrix, but this appointment was opposed on the ground that the marriage was null and void forasmuch as Jewel Lean Davis had been married twice before the marriage to Jerry W. Davis, and had not been divorced; and further, that Jewel Lean Davis killed Jerry W. Davis. Following a trial of the oppositions, Eliza Stephens Player was appointed administratrix. The collateral relations of the deceased then petitioned the court to be recognized as the heirs of Jerry W. Davis, and to order Jewel Lean Davis to assert whatever rights she had in and to the succession. The latter thereupon responded to the rule by asserting that she was the lawful wife of the deceased, that all of the property of the estate was community property, and that as the lawful wife of the decedent she was entitled to be recognized as the owner thereof. Alternatively, she alleged that if it be determined that she was not the legal wife of the deceased, that in such event, it should be decreed that she was a putative wife, having married Jerry W. Davis in good faith, and thereby entitled to all the property. Again alternatively, she asserted that she was a partner of Jerry W. Davis and thereby entitled to one-half of any and all property left by the decedent, and further pleading in the alternative, she claims as a creditor of the succession.

The issues so presented were resolved by the trial court which held that Jewel Lean Davis was entitled to be recognized as an owner of a one-half interest in certain real estate and as a creditor of the estate of Jerry W. Davis in the sum of $70.00. Otherwise, the demands of Jewel Lean Davis were rejected. The judgment further recognized certain named collateral heirs as the sole and only heirs of Jerry W. Davis, deceased, and as such they were sent into possession of his property in the proportions shown. Following rendition of this judgment, applications were presented on both sides for rehearing and a re-opening of the case. The collateral heirs asserted the court erred in holding Jewel Lean Davis to be owner of an undivided one-half interest in certain real estate and Jewel Lean Davis, on the other hand, complained of the court's decision in rejecting her claim as the legal wife of the decedent, and alternatively as a putative wife and creditor of the succession. Upon denial of the application for rehearing or new trial, both parties appealed.

We turn our attention first to a consideration of the errors assigned by the collateral heirs. The judge a quo, generally speaking, rejected the claims of Jewel Lean Davis as a creditor of the estate as not being supported by any substantial proof. The trial court, however, did give consideration to the claim of Jewel Lean Davis to be recognized as a creditor in the amount of $105.00, and held that $70.00 of this was proven. Jewel Lean Davis contended the remainder of $35.00 was paid by her on notes due on the purchase price of certain property which consisted of a duplex residence, one side of which was occupied by her and the other side rented for $32.50 per month. The court held that her use of one of the apartments was worth as much or more than her claim for $2.50 per month, and, therefore, her demands for the excess were refused. We find this ruling free from error.

In charging error to the court's ruling that Jewel Lean Davis should be recognized as owner of an undivided one-half interest in the real estate, counsel for the heirs of Jerry W. Davis rely on the authority of Jackson et al. v. Hampton, La.App., 134 So.2d 114 (2d Cir. 1961). In the instant case the real estate in question consists of Lots 17 and 18 of Block "H" of the Mandel Addition of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, with improvements thereon and was purchased *483 in the name of Jerry W. Davis and Jewel Lean Davis. In Jackson v. Hampton this court considered the case on an exception of no right or cause of action, the resolution of which required that the allegations of plaintiffs' petition be accepted as true. The petition alleged, inter alia:

"Petitioners show that Lot `A', above described, was acquired by John Wright, Sr., * * * and that the purported vendees named in said deed were John Wright, Sr., and Louella Wright, husband and wife."

The petition also alleged that the property there involved was acquired by the deceased while living in open concubinage with the defendant who was named in deeds as wife of the deceased, and that the defendant paid no part of the consideration for the property. It was held that the petition stated a cause of action. In the instant case evidence was presented to show that Jewel Lean Davis did pay her share of the consideration, and, therefore, even though her marriage be null, she must be recognized as a purchaser to the extent of an undivided one-half interest in said property. The foregoing reasons appear to fully dispose of the contentions of the opponents to the claims of Jewel Lean Davis, and it is our holding that this issue was resolved correctly by the trial judge.

We turn now to a consideration of the demands of Jewel Lean Davis as asserted on this appeal, that she should be held to be the legal or putative wife of the deceased. It is disclosed by the record that Jewel Lean Davis was married on three occasions. Her first marriage was to Willie Arnold on October 18, 1942, and next she was married to Thomas White on April 9, 1947, and finally to Jerry W. Davis on May 29, 1949. All three of these marriages occurred in either Bossier or Caddo Parish. The record does not contain any evidence of termination of appellant's first two marriages, either by death or divorce. Jewel Lean Davis and Willie Arnold were married in Bossier Parish and after living together four or five months, they were separated and she returned to her mother's home. According to her testimony she considered her first marriage had been dissolved because of advices received from her first husband. Concerning her second marriage, she testified that her husband was married at the time he married her, and she gained this information from her husband's mother. In neither case did she receive any documentary proof of the dissolution of either marriage. Concerning these two marriages, she gave the following testimony:

"Q. How long did you live with Willie?
"A. I say about two or three months.
"Q. Two or three months?
"A. Yes, sir.
"Q. What happened to Willie?
"A. I don't know, sir.
"Q. You say after you lived with him three months what happened?
"A. I left and then went back to my mother's, and the last I heard he was leaving town going some place. I don't know where.
* * * * * *
"Q. When did you marry Thomas White?

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Bluebook (online)
142 So. 2d 481, 1962 La. App. LEXIS 2043, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/succession-of-davis-lactapp-1962.