Evans v. Saul & Wife
Evans v. Saul & Wife
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court. This action was brought against the
The affidavit, annexed to the petition, declares, that the defendant conceals himself to avoid being cited.
A writ of citation and attachment was issued as prayed for: the attachment was regularly served. On the citation there is two returns. The first is "served by leaving the same at the last place of residence of Thomas S. Saul, in this parish, with H. Deman, personally known to me to be a free person above the age of fourteen years, residing therein." This return is dated the 1st January, 1829. The other is as follows: "Received, Friday, January 16th, 1829, at 4 o'clock P. M." "This 17th January, 1829, delivered a true copy of this citation, with a certified copy of the petition thereto annexed.
The husband filed several exceptions:
1. That the court had no jurisdiction, because he was a resident of the parish of St. Martin, at the time the action was instituted.
2. That he was not legally cited.
3. That the court had no power to send writ to another parish.
4. That the sheriff could not appoint a deputy in the manner he did.
5. That the citation was not legally served in the parish of St. Martin.
6. That the attachment was improperly issued, the fact of his concealment to avoid process, being untrue.
7. That no inventory was made by the sheriff of the property seized under the writ attachment.
The 4th, 5th and 7th, have been abandondoned before this court.
We do not think the court was without jurisdiction. The defendant resided in St. Martin. But his residence was casual. Nothing shows he intended to fix his domicil there. It is, on the contrary, proved that he contemplated his stay being temporary. The court there fore of the parish, where his domicil had been, was that which had jurisdiction, for there was no legal change of it Code of Practice, 166, 167, 168. La. Code, 43.
The remaining exceptions will be properly considered together. Saul is stated in the petition to have been a resident of the parish of St. Landry, (where the suit was commenced,) but that he had departed from the state. His wife is averred to have removed to St. Martin. This allegation in the petition authorized an attachment, but did not give jurisdiction to the court to send process into another parish to cite him personally.
The statement in the petition of the wife having removed into another parish, does not
The service made at the last place of residence of the defendant in the parish, has been contended to be bad, because such a citation is not legal, unless the case was a proper one for attachment, and it is urged this was not. We have perused the evidence. It proves clearly, that the defendant absconded to avoid a criminal prosecution, and not to prevent civil suits from being commenced against him. The Code of Practice requires the concealment to have for its object, the desire to avoid being cited. This must be the motive: and, where another cause produces concealment, the authority of the law is wanting to attach the goods of the defendant. Ordinary citation by leaving the petition at his domicil, must be resorted to by those who have demands against him.
We are of opinion, the attachment was not taken out in a case authorised by law. It must therefore be set aside. But the proceedings do not fall to the ground by this
The wife is stated in the petition to have removed to St. Martinsville. She states in her exception, that she is there domiciliated, and should be there sued. A married woman, not separated from her husband, can have no domicil but his. The court of the parish of St. Landry, therefore, had jurisdiction, and service of the citation on the husband was a good service on her. Code of Practice 182. La. Code, art. 48.
We see no error in the judgment of the court rendered on the merits, but it must be
It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the judgment of the district court be annulled, avoided and reversed. And it is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the plaintiff do recover of the defendants the sum of two hundred and ninety-three dollars and sixty-eight cents, to be paid as a privilege debt on the houses mentioned in the petition; and that they be seized and sold to satisfy this judgment, with the costs of suit, excepting those incurred in levying the attachment and serving copies of citation in St. Martins; which, together with the costs of the appeal, are to be paid by the plaintiff and appellee.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EVANS v. SAUL & WIFE
- Status
- Published