Case Name: Mrs. Corinne KELLER, wife of/and Calvin C. McMILLAN v. Pauline CHAUVIN
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1973-07-25
Citations: 281 So. 2d 181
Docket Number: No. 5852
Parties: Mrs. Corinne KELLER, wife of/and Calvin C. McMILLAN v. Pauline CHAUVIN.
Judges: Before BOUTALL, REDMANN and SCHOTT, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 281
Pages: 181–183

Head Matter:
Mrs. Corinne KELLER, wife of/and Calvin C. McMILLAN v. Pauline CHAUVIN.
No. 5852.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
July 25, 1973.
Rehearing Denied Aug. 21, 1973.
Writ Refused Oct. 19, 1973.
Jack A. Tittle, Jr., Norco, for plaintiffs-appellees.
William D. O’Regan, Reserve, for defendant-appellant.
Before BOUTALL, REDMANN and SCHOTT, JJ.

Opinion:
ON MOTION TO DISMISS
BOUTALL, Judge.
This is an appeal from a rule nisi to evict a lessee from the premises for failure to pay rent under the terms of a written lease. From a judgment ordering her eviction, the lessee has taken a suspensive appeal. Appellee moves to dismiss the sus-pensive appeal because defendant appellant did not file an answer pleading an affirmative defense verified by oath of defendant.
The record shows that the rule nisi was tried March 1, 1973, and at that time no answer had been filed by defendant, but defendant did testify under oath as a witness. On March 5, 1973, judgment of eviction was rendered and signed. Also on that day the defendant filed an answer to the merits of the petition and reconven-tional demand verified by defendant's attorney, presumably prior to judgment because of its physical position in the record.
LSA-C.C.P. Art. 4735 states in part:
"Art. 4735. Appeal; bond
An appeal does not suspend execution of a judgment of eviction unless the defendant has answered the rule under oath, pleading an affirmative defense entitling him to retain possession of the premises, . . . "
Our jurisprudence has held that the provisions of Article 4735 are clear and unambiguous and provide a mandatory condition for the maintenance of a suspensive appeal from a judgment of eviction that the tenant must have filed an answer setting forth an affirmative defense verified personally by the tenant's affidavit. Neither the sworn testimony of the tenant on trial, nor the filing of an answer under oath of the attorney after trial but before judgment, fulfills the requirements. Papa v. Sullivan, 268 So.2d 326 (La.App.2nd Cir. 1972); Eznack v. George, 250 So.2d 834 (La.App. 3rd Cir. 1971); Sarpy v. de la Houssaye, 217 So.2d 783 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1969); Brewer v. Shiflett, 198 So.2d 704 (La.App. 1st Cir. 1966).
For the above reasons, the suspensive appeal is dismissed at appellant's cost. A devolutive appeal was neither requested nor ordered and the motion to dismiss is specifically limited to the suspensive appeal.
Suspensive appeal dismissed.
REDMANN, J., dissents with written reasons.