Malmore v. Martinez
Malmore v. Martinez
Opinion of the Court
Defendant, having leased a residence to one Desvignes, who failed to pay rent, caused a writ of provisional seizure to issue and seized all the contents of the house. Plaintiff, a subtenant under Desvignes, to whom she had paid her rent, claiming to be the owner of furniture and sewing machines included in the seizure and worth some $230 according to her testimony, made demand, accompanied with a sworn statement as required by Act No. 37 of 1882, upon the constable for the release of her'property from .seizure; but defendant refused to comply with her request and furnished an indemnity bond in favor of the constable. Unable to furnish bond in order to enjoin the sale, plaintiff was compelled to let her property be sold by the constable, and she instituted the present suit to recover compensatory damages in the sum of $2,600.
The judgment of the district court was rendered in favor of plaintiff for $250. Defendant appealed, and plaintiff answered by praying for an increase of the judgment as originally prayed for in her petition.
Plaintiff is a sister of Desvignes and lived in the. house with him. This may have led defendant to believe that she was conspiring with Desvignes to defraud him of his rent. The record, however, fails entirely to establish the existence of any fraud or deceit on the part of plaintiff or to verify defendant’s suspicions. Plaintiff is therefore clearly entitled to compensation for the injury which she has sustained. We believe that an award of $500 would be just and fair.
For these reasons, it is ordered that the judgment. appealed from be increased from $250 to $500, and as thus amended that it be_ affirmed at the cost of defendant and appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MALMORE v. MARTINEZ
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- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- (Syllabus by Editorial Staff.) 1. Husband and Wife &wkey;>238(6) — Action by Husband and Wife — Effect of Judgment. In a married woman’s suit to recover damages for the seizure and sale of her property and by her husband to aid and assist her, any judgment rendered therein would be binding upon husband as well as upon wife. 2. Landlord and Tenant c&wkey;274(3) — Wrongful Distress — Liability. Where a landlord, on a tenant’s failure to pay rent, seized all the contents of the premises, and against objection of a subtenant held her sewing machine and furniture on unfounded ground that she was in league with tenant, her brother, the subtenant was clearly entitled to compensation for the injury sustained.