Case Name: Mrs. Violet M. DERBOFEN, wife of Gail T. Kreher, and Mrs. Florence Juncker, widow of Dr. John C. Derbofen v. T. L. JAMES & COMPANY, INC., Succession of Joe W. Brown, No. 368-953, Civil District Court, Orleans Parish of Louisiana, Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown, Individually and as Testamentary Executrix of the Succession of Joe W. Brown, George Dallas Williams, Sabine Dredging and Construction Company, Inc., and T. M. Dorsett
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1977-10-20
Citations: 355 So. 2d 963
Docket Number: No. 7126
Parties: Mrs. Violet M. DERBOFEN, wife of Gail T. Kreher, and Mrs. Florence Juncker, widow of Dr. John C. Derbofen v. T. L. JAMES & COMPANY, INC., Succession of Joe W. Brown, No. 368-953, Civil District Court, Orleans Parish of Louisiana, Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown, Individually and as Testamentary Executrix of the Succession of Joe W. Brown, George Dallas Williams, Sabine Dredging and Construction Company, Inc., and T. M. Dorsett.
Judges: Before SAMUEL, LEMMON, BOUTALL, SCHOTT and BEER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 355
Pages: 963–974

Head Matter:
Mrs. Violet M. DERBOFEN, wife of Gail T. Kreher, and Mrs. Florence Juncker, widow of Dr. John C. Derbofen v. T. L. JAMES & COMPANY, INC., Succession of Joe W. Brown, No. 368-953, Civil District Court, Orleans Parish of Louisiana, Mrs. Dorothy Dorsett Brown, Individually and as Testamentary Executrix of the Succession of Joe W. Brown, George Dallas Williams, Sabine Dredging and Construction Company, Inc., and T. M. Dorsett.
No. 7126.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
Oct. 20, 1977.
Writs Refused May 5,1978.
John M. Mamoulides, Gretna, Gail T. Kre-her and Abbott J. Reeves, New Orleans, for plaintiffs-appellees.
Hurley, McNulty & Stakelum, Paul E. Hurley and P. J. Stakelum, III, New Orleans, for defendants-appellants.
Before SAMUEL, LEMMON, BOUTALL, SCHOTT and BEER, JJ.

Opinion:
LEMMON, Judge.
DECREE
The result of the attached opinions, stating the votes of the members of the five-judge panel on the merits of this case and the reasons therefor, is a judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $1,494.00, plus legal interest from October 30,1958, and all costs in both courts.
LEMMON and BEER, JJ., concur in the decree and assign reasons.
SCHOTT, J., concurs in the decree only and assigns reasons.
BOUTALL, J., dissents from the decree and assigns reasons.
SAMUEL, J., concurs in part and dissents in part and assigns reasons.
LEMMON and BEER, JJ., vote to amend and affirm on the merits and assign reasons.
BOUTALL, J., votes to affirm and amend on the merits and assigns reasons.
SCHOTT, J., dissents on the merits and assigns reasons.
LEMMON and BEER, Judges, concur in the Decree and assign reasons.
The members of the five-judge panel have taken different points of view as to why the five votes (stated in the attached opinions on the merits) result in a judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $1,494.00. We therefore state our reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with the decree separately from our divergent opinions on the merits of the case.
A defendant had appealed from a judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $183,-112.30. On appeal we (Judges Lemmon and Beer) voted for judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $1,494.00, Judges Samuel and Boutall voted for judgment for plaintiffs in the amount of $199,637.50, and Judge Schott voted for judgment for defendant.
In our view there are two reasonable approaches to the decision that these votes result in the stated decree. One point of view is that since defendant sought relief by appeal, the effect of Judge Schott's vote, combined with our votes, is to grant that relief, at least to the extent of a reduction of $181,618.30. Under this view the effect of Judge Schott's vote for the ultimate reduction (to zero) resulted in three votes concurring to reduce by $181,618.30 to $1,494.00, since a vote for a greater reduction encompasses a vote for a lesser reduction.
The other point of view is that there are four votes to award a judgment to plaintiffs, and the effect of the votes of Judges Samuel and Boutall to award judgment in the amount of $199,637.50, combined with our votes, is to award a judgment of at least $1,494.00, since a vote for a greater award includes by inference a vote for at least the lesser award.
Either point of view appears plausible to us. We agree that the result of our votes is a judgment for plaintiff for $1,494.00, and it matters not whether one voter believes another's vote caused this result. There is no doubt as to the decree, and the disagreement as to why this decree resulted from the votes does not affect the decree itself.