Succession of Fontenot v. Demaret

185 So. 2d 861, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5074
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 27, 1966
DocketNo. 1695
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 185 So. 2d 861 (Succession of Fontenot v. Demaret) 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 Fontenot v. Demaret, 185 So. 2d 861, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5074 (La. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

HOOD, Judge.

This is an action for the partition by licitation of a tract of land in Evangeline Parish. The suit was instituted by the Administrator of the Succession of Antoine J. Fontenot, deceased, against Oline Demaret. Plaintiff alleges that the succession and the defendant are owners in indivisión of the property sought to be partitioned, that a •dispute exists as to their respective interests in such property, and that the succession “wishes to partition the property which is not divisible in kind.”

Defendant filed exceptions of vagueness, ■of prematurity, and of no right or cause of action, all of which exceptions were overruled by the trial court. An answer also was filed by the defendant, and after trial judgment was rendered by the trial court in favor of plaintiff, ordering that the property be partitioned by licitation. Defendant has appealed.

Defendant contends, first, that the trial judge erred in overruling the exceptions. The exception of vagueness is based on allegations that “plaintiff’s petition is too vague, general and indefinite to be properly answered.” Our review of the petition convinces us that it has been drafted in compliance with the requirements of LSA-C.C.P. Articles 854 and 855, and that the allegations contained in it were adequate to apprise the defendant of the facts which were to be proved and to enable her to prepare her defense. In our opinion, the trial judge correctly overruled the exception of vagueness. See City of Gretna v. Gulf Distilling Corporation, 207 La. 719, 21 So.2d 884; and Merrimack Mutual Insurance Company v. Sears, Roebuck and Company, La.App. 2 Cir., 128 So.2d 239.

The exception of prematurity is based on the contention that plaintiff is not entitled to maintain an action for partition until “it is determined with certainty the extent of the interests of the parties.” Defendant argues that if plaintiff “wishes to contest defendant’s interest” he should get a “court determination” before instituting the partition suit.

Plaintiff alleges that the succession and the defendant “are owners in indivisión” of the property, and he sets out in the petition the transaction by which each acquired an interest in that tract. He does not allege the exact interest which the succession owns in such property. He avers that “a dispute exists about the extent of the parties’ interests in the said property, and petitioner suggests that this dispute can best be resolved by referring the controversy to the proceeds of the sale.”

The defendant filed an answer admitting that she and the succession are owners in indivisión of the property, and affirmatively alleging that she owns an undivided one-half interest in that tract. Also, counsel for both parties stipulated “that for the [863]*863purposes of the instant matter, the Succession of Antoine J. Fontenot is the owner of one-half of said property and Oline De-maret is the owner of the other half, but that each party reserves the right to contest these interests at a future time.”

The pleadings and the record indicate, therefore, that the plaintiff succession is the owner of an undivided interest in the property. Although the defendant alleges that she owns an undivided one-half of such property, she does not dispute the succession’s claim of ownership of the other undivided one-half interest in it. The defendant argues that since plaintiff has alleged that a dispute exists as to the interest which each party has in and to the property, he should be required to have the exact ownership of each party determined by a judgment of court before being permitted to maintain this partition suit. We cannot agree with that argument.

In Washington v. Palmer, La.App. 2 Cir., 28 So.2d 509, (reversed on other grounds, 213 La. 79, 34 So.2d 382), our brothers of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal appropriately stated:

“It appears to us to be settled beyond any further question that a party alleging the ownership of an undivided interest in lands is entitled to proceed by an action of partition as a matter of right. A defense of lack of interest on the part of a plaintiff may, of course, always be set up by a defendant, but such a defense should not in itself relegate a plaintiff to the petitory action when the same purpose can as well and as expeditiously be accomplished through a proceeding for partition. Certainly, there is nothing in a demand for a partition which is inconsistent with the claim of title. On the contrary, the allegation of ownership of an interest is fundamental and essential to an action of partition. It has been often held that the question of title may be put at issue in a suit for partition. * ?|c :J< H

And, in Norah v. Crawford, 218 La. 433, 49 So.2d 751, our Supreme Court said:

“The allegation of ownership of an interest is fundamental and essential to an action of partition. It often has been held that the question of title may be put at issue in a suit for partition. * * * ”

We think it is essential to an action for partition that the plaintiff allege that he is the owner of an undivided interest in the property, but we do not think it is necessary that he allege the exact interest which he owns. In such an action, where plaintiff alleges and the defendant admits that plaintiff owns some undivided interest in the property and it is conceded that the partition must be by licitation, we believe it is not necessary or required that a judicial determination of the exact interest which each party owns in the property be made before an action for partition may be maintained by one of those parties.

In the instant suit, plaintiff has adequately alleged that the succession owns an undivided interest in the subject property. The defendant does not deny that the succession owns some interest in such property. On the contrary, she has stipulated for the purposes of the suit that it owns a substantial interest in that tract. We are unable to agree with defendant’s argument that the stipulation of counsel should not be considered because it was entered into after the trial judge had overruled the exception of prematurity.

We conclude that since the pleadings and the stipulation of counsel indicate that the succession owns an undivided interest in the property and that the partition must be by licitation, plaintiff is entitled to maintain this action for partition, even though he does not allege the exact interest which the succession owns in the property. We find no error in the judgment of the trial court overruling the exception of prematurity.

Defendant bases its exceptions of no right or cause of action partially on the [864]*864ground that the petition contains no allegation to the effect that the succession does not wish to remain as owner in indivisión with the defendant, and that plaintiff has failed to allege a reason for desiring a partition by licitation.

We have been referred to no authority which requires that the plaintiff in a partition suit allege specifically that he does not wish to remain as an owner in in-división with the other undivided owners, or that he allege a reason why he desires ■a partition. The right of a co-owner to demand a partition of the property which he holds in common with another is absolute. R.C.C. Article 1289; Dipuma v. Anselmo, La.App. 1 Cir., 137 So.2d 76; Kelly v. Kelleher, 186 La. 51, 171 So. 569. Every pleading is to be so construed as to do substantial justice, and the courts of this state do not favor technical objections and harsh rules •of pleadings.

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185 So. 2d 861, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/succession-of-fontenot-v-demaret-lactapp-1966.