Case Name: W. A. Bryan vs. Victor M. Lange
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1880
Citations: 1 Mann. Unrep. Cas. 341
Docket Number: No. 7440
Parties: W. A. Bryan vs. Victor M. Lange.
Judges: 
Reporter: Unreported cases heard and determined by the Supreme Court of Louisiana, from January 8, 1877, to April, 1880
Volume: 1
Pages: 341–343

Head Matter:
No. 7440.
W. A. Bryan vs. Victor M. Lange.
A bond for a devolutive appeal need not be filed before the return-day, but Is in time if filed before the expiration of the three days allowed for filing the transcript.
Executory proceedings conducted contradictorily with a curator ad hoc appointed to represent an alleged absentee, when in fact the proper defendant was domiciled in the State, are absolutely null.
A seizing creditor cannot, by purchasing at a null sale provoked by himself, acqufi-e a good title. The semblance of title created by such proceedings is insufficient for the purpose of prescription.
But a possessor even in bad faith under .such a title can make to one in good faith a title that will enable this latter to prescribe, and such an one will not be liable for revenues prior to the institution of the suit.
The annulment of a sale entails restitution as a legal sequence. The evicted party, although not the plaintiff in the executory process but his vendee merely, is entitled to the restitution of the price paid by him, and notwithstanding the tender or payment of this price was not pleaded as a condition precedent to recovery of it, the plaintiff must pay it before he can take possession.
Appeal from the District Court for East Baton Rouge, McVea, J.
Barrow & Pope for Plaintiff Appellant. Knickerbocker for Defendant.
Bryan, the plaintiff, bought an improved lot in the town of Baton Rouge in 1860 for $1,500, of which $400 were paid cash and for the residue gave his note secured by vendor’s privilege and special mortgage. In 1864 the vendor foreclosed the mortgage and bought in the property for the unpaid price, but in that proceeding Bryan was alleged to be an absentee and a curator ad hoc represented him under appointment, when the fact was that he was within the State in the Confederate army, and was domiciled in an adjoining parish where Ms family resided. In 1869 the original vendor, purchaser at this mortgage sale, sold the property to Lange, the defendant, for $750. In 1877 Bryan brought this petitory action to recover the property. Lange pleaded the validity of Ms title, averred good faith under a title translative, pleaded prescription, and prayed in the event of the annulment of the sale to him that he have judgment against the plaintiff for the price paid by Mm with privilege. He had judgment below and the plaintiff appealed.
On motion to dismiss,

Opinion:
White, J.
The appeal was devolutive and was returnable on second Monday of February, 1879. The appeal bond was filed below after the return day, but before the end of the three days allowed for filing the transcript, and the transcript, including the appeal bond, was filed here within the three days. The bond was filed in time, and the motion to dismiss is therefore denied.