Case Name: Succession of SERRES
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1914-03-02
Citations: 136 La. 531
Docket Number: No. 20436
Parties: Succession of SERRES.
Judges: MONROE, C. J. I concur in the decree.
Reporter: Louisiana Reports
Volume: 136
Pages: 531–545

Head Matter:
(67 South. 356)
No. 20436.
Succession of SERRES.
(March 2, 1914.
On the Merits, June 29, 1914.
On Rehearing, Feb. 8, 1915.)
(Syllabus by the Court.)
On Motion to Dismiss.
1. Appeal and Error <^=640 — Incomplete Transcript — Dismissal.
Where a transcript of appeal is filed, from which several documents are missing, but the apellant obtains a writ of certiorari and completes the transcript within three days after the return day, the appeal will not be dismissed because of the incomplete transcript filed.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Appeal and Error, Cent. Dig. §§ 2788, 2829; Dec. Dig. <@3= 640.]
2. Appeal and Error <@=>660 — Completion oe Transcript — Certiorari—Dismissal oe Appeal.
The fact that one applying for a writ of certiorari .to a lower court to complete a transcript does not allege that it is not his fault that the transcript is incomplete is no reason for .setting aside the writ and dismissing the appeal.
[Ed. Note — For other cases, see Appeal and Error, Cent. Dig. §§• 2829, 2844-2847; Dec. Dig. <@=>660.]
On Rehearing.
3. Wills <@=>525 — Construction—Bequest.
Where the testator declares that the first legatee is his only child and that he gives and bequeaths to her all that the law requires, and gives the balance of his estate to her and another legatee jointly, the first bequest is of the third of the estate reserved to an only child as a forced heir.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Wills, Cent. Dig. §§ 1129-1139; Dec. Dig. <@3=525.]
4. Bastards <@=>13 — Legitimization—'Wills.
The testator’s acknowledgment, in a nuncupative will by public act, that the legatee is his child, is a sufficient acknowledgment to convert an illegitimate legatee from a bastard into a natural child, entitled to receive by the will one-fourth of the testator’s estate if he leaves only legitimate ascendants or brothers or sisters or descendants of brothers or sisters, or one-third of his estate if he leaves only more remote collateral relations.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Bastards, Cent. Dig. §§ 16, 17; Dec. Dig. <@=>13.]
5.Wills <@3=229 — Capacity oe Legatee — Right to Object.
A legatee who is not a relation of the testator has no right to question the capacity of a colegatee to receive under the will on the ground of illegitimacy.
[Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Wills, Cent. Dig. §§ 550-554; Dec. Dig. <@=>229.]
Provosty, J., dissenting in part.
Appeal from Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans; T. C. W. Ellis, Judge.
Succession of Jean Serres. From a judgment sustaining exceptions.to petition of Mrs. Catherine Dautch Bordes, she appeals.
Affirmed on rehearing.
See, also, 135 La. 1005, 66 South. 342.
Dufour & Dufour, of New Orleans, for appellant. C. C. Friedrichs and Harold A. Moise, both of New Orleans (W. S. Parker-son, of New Orleans, of counsel), for appellee.

Opinion:
On Motion to Dismiss Appeal.
BREAUX, C. J.
On motion to dismiss appeal taken by Mrs. Catherine Dautch Bordes.
The gravamen of the motion is that defendant in motion does not have the least ground for an appeal; in the second place, that a party to an appeal, intending to use the record upon which a former appeal has been taken, should obtain the court's permission on motion. Lastly, that the appeal bond is insufficient.
There was neglect and oversight in confecting the record of appeal, and, while there was cause of complaint at first on the part of the appellee, the documents not copied at first in the transcript have since been copied, and the copies now form part of the transcript. The copies were brought up to this court in due time. The transcript was filed in this court on the 28th day of January, 1914. The motion to dismiss the appeal be cause of want of copies of the proceedings was filed on the 30th day of the same month, and, on the day following, the clerk of court made his return and produced the following copies, which he annexed to and attached as part of the transcript.
(1) Motion of Mrs. Catherine Dautch Bordes and Pierre Bordes.
(2) Petition for registry and execution of will for confirmation of executor for letters, for an inventory and order of said petition.
(3) Exception to petition of Mrs. Catherine Dautch Bordes.
(4) Judgment sustaining exception.
(5) Reasons for judgment.
(6) Notarial will.
If copies are filed in due time, there is no good ground to have the appeal dismissed.
As these documents were filed within three days after the transcript had heen filed, from no point of view can the appeal be dismissed.
The original transcript, although defective, was amendable. Had it been defective so as not to be a record at all, a complete transcript might have been filed at the date that the copies before mentioned were filed.
The appeal was made returnable by the district trial judge on the 28th day of January, 1914. We have seen that the copies, a list of which is given above, were filed within the three days after the return day. That was all-sufficient.
The appellant, in order to meet objection urged by plaintiff in motion to dismiss the appeal, obtained a writ of certiorari to complete the record.
The appellee objects and asks that no-effect be given to the writ issued to the clerk to complete the record because, as alleged by appellee, appellant did not set out the grounds which show that the irregularities in the transcript arose through no fault on his part.
The clerk had delivered a transcript which was duly filed with the certificate sufficiently full, as it referred to another case on appeal, owing to the fact, we infer, that appellant desired to use another transcript already filed.
It did not contain certain copies. Appellant, doubtless fearing that his appeal would be dismissed, filed the copies in due time, and, in addition, sued out a writ of certiorari. , Although he did not allege that it was not his fault that the transcript was not complete, there was nothing to give rise to the inference that he was at fault, as charged by the appellee.
The writ of certiorari was issued and has been executed; the papers are all before the court and were all timely filed. We therefore cannot dismiss the appeal.
Eor reasons stated, it is ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the motion to dismiss is overruled.