Succession of Wesley

64 So. 2d 470, 1953 La. App. LEXIS 596
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 19, 1953
DocketNo. 7935
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 64 So. 2d 470 (Succession of Wesley) 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 Wesley, 64 So. 2d 470, 1953 La. App. LEXIS 596 (La. Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

McINNIS, Judge.

Prior to November 27, 1886 Gus Wesley was born to Mariah Dixy, who was not married to anyone, and the record contains no evidence as to his father, so his father is unknown. On December 3, 1886 Mariah Dixy married Silas Rose, and to this union two children were born, Esther and Lu-venia. Esther died without issue. September 13, 1925 Gus Wesley married Della Cotton. Gus Wesley died February 7, 1950, leaving a small community estate consisting of personal property and Lot 20 of Wood-lawn Subdivision of Shreveport, and improvements, his separate property. He is survived by his widow, Della, and Luvenia Jackson, a blood half sister.

The succession was opened June 1, 1950 by the filing of an application by Della Wesley, the widow, to be appointed admin-istratrix of the succession, and Mr. Paul Mayer was appointed attorney to represent the absent heirs.

Luvenia Jackson employed another attorney, Air. Robert G. Chandler to represent her, and on June 28, 1950 filed opposition to the appointment of Della Wesley, and alleging that she is the sister and sole heir of Gus Wesley, asks that she be appointed administratrix. July 19, 1950 Luvenia Jackson filed a petition alleging that no administration of the succession is necessary and that she is the sole heir of Gus Wesley and entitled to be sent into possession of the property left by decedent. In the alternative, if the court should decide that an administration is necessary that she be appointed. A rule to show cause was issued to Della Wesley, J. H. Flournoy, Sheriff, and Mr. Paul Mayer, attorney for absent heirs. The rule was fixed for trial July 26, 1950 but was continued to August 1, 1950, and on that date Della Wesley filed a-plea of vagueness, an exception of no cause and no right of action and an answer.

After trial of the rule the lower court rendered judgment in favor of Della Wesley and ordered her appointed administra-trix. Motion for rehearing was filed and overruled and the decree signed August 15, 1950 became final in the district court August 31, 1950. On August 16, 1950 Della Wesley filed a petition alleging that she is the sole heir of her deceased husband, Gus Wesley, and that she accepts the succession purely, simply and unconditionally, and prays that she be placed in possession of all the property, and judgment as prayed for was signed August 16, 1950.

From the two judgments Luvenia Jackson took a devolutive appeal to the Plonorable Supreme Court, which Court, for lack of appellate jurisdiction, transferred the appeal to this court. 222 La. 411, 62 So.2d 625.

[471]*471The sole question presented is whether or not the half sister of deceased, Luvenia Jackson, inherits the separate estate, or whether the widow inherits it.

The record discloses that Mariah Dixy Rose acknowledged Gus Wesley as her child and reared him in the home with her other children, born of her marriage to Silas Rose.

Articles of the LSA-Civil Code that appear applicable to the question presented are: 202, 206, 212, 238, 917, 923 and 924, reading as follows:

Art. 202. “Illegitimate children who have been acknowledged by their father, are called natural children; those who have not been acknowledged by their father, or whose father and mother were incapable of contracting marriage at the time of conception, or whose father is unknown, are contra-distinguished by the appellation of bastards.” (Emphasis ours.)
Art. 206. “Illegitimate children though duly acknowledged, can not claim the rights of legitimate children. The rights of natural children are regulated under the title: Of Successions.”
Art. 212. “Illegitimate children of every description may make proof of their maternal descent, provided the mother be not a married woman. But the child who will make such proof shall be bound to show that he is iden- • tically the same person as the child whom the mother brought forth.”
Art. 238. “Illegitimate children generally speaking, 'belong to no family, and have no relations; accordingly they are not submitted to the paternal authority, even when they have been legally acknowledged.”
Art. 917. “When the deceased has left neither lawful descendants, nor lawful ascendants, nor collateral relations, the law calls to his inheritance either the surviving husband or wife, or his or her natural children, or the State, in the manner and order hereafter directed.” ■
Art. 923. “If the father and mother of the natural child died before him, the estate of such natural child shall pass to his natural brothers and sisters, or to their descendants.”
Art. 924. “If a married man has left no lawful descendants nor ascendants, nor any collateral relations, but a surviving wife not separated from bed and board from him, the wife shall inherit from him to the exclusion of any natural child or children duly acknowledged.
“If, on the contrary, it is the wife who died without leaving any lawful descendants, ascendants, or collateral relations, her surviving husband not separated from bed and board from her, shall not inherit from her, except in case she should leave no natural child or children by her duly acknowledged.”

These articles of the LSA-Civil Code have been interpreted by our appellate courts, and these interpretations are adverse to the claim of Luvenia Jackson to the separate property left iby Gus Wesley at his death, Victor v. Tagiasco, 6 La. 642; Succession of Ducloslange, 2 La.Ann. 98; Succession of Fletcher, 11 La.Ann. 59; In re Nereaux’s Estate, 112 La. 572, 36 So. 594; Delpit v. Canal Bank & Trust Co., 143 La. 298, 78 So. 565; Rowe v. Succession of Blackburn, 152 La. 704, 94, So. 325; Montegut v. Bacus, 42 La.Ann. 158, 7 So. 449; Succession of Young, 166 La. 285, 117 So. 150; Felix v. Bruce, 14 Orleans App. 64; Succession of Falls, 4 La.App. 10; Wilson v. Rogers, La.App., 14 So.2d 650.

In the case of Nereaux’s Succession, supra, the facts were identical with the facts in the instant case. There it was a legitimate half brother claiming the estate of his illegitimate half brother in opposition to the wife. Here it is a legitimate half sister claiming the estate of her illegitimate half brother.

This case has been cited with approval in Delpit v. Canal Bank & Trust Co., supra, Rowe v. Succession of Blackburn, supra, Succession of Young, supra, and Felix v. Bruce, supra.

The opponent, Luvenia Jackson, relies largely on Article 238 of the LSA-Civil Code, especially because it says “Illegiti[472]*472mate children generally speaking, belong to no family, and have no relations; * * (Emphasis ours.)

It is argued that “generally speaking” has some significance that has not heretofore been given any consideration by the courts, and that an exception should be made in this case, because Luvenia Jackson is a legitimate child. Complaint is also' made, because the code and cases hold that the mother alone may acknowledge an illegiH-mate child, and it is admitted that Gus Wesley was informally acknowledged by his mother. There is nothing in this record to show who was the father of Gus Wesley, and counsel for Luvenia Jackson says in brief that his father is unknown. Art. 202 LSA-C.C. denominates such children as bastards.

In a discussion of Art. 238 LSA-C.C. in the case of Thompson v.

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Related

Succession of Wesley
69 So. 2d 8 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1953)

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Bluebook (online)
64 So. 2d 470, 1953 La. App. LEXIS 596, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/succession-of-wesley-lactapp-1953.