Case Name: Givens L. FOREMAN, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Lena L. JORDAN et al., Defendants and Appellants
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1961-06-19
Citations: 131 So. 2d 796
Docket Number: No. 65
Parties: Givens L. FOREMAN, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Lena L. JORDAN et al., Defendants and Appellants.
Judges: Before TATE, SAVOY and HOOD, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 131
Pages: 796–810

Head Matter:
Givens L. FOREMAN, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Lena L. JORDAN et al., Defendants and Appellants.
No. 65.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana. Third Circuit.
June 19, 1961.
Rehearings Denied July 12, 1961.
Gold, Hall & Skye, by William E. Skye, Alexandria, for defendant-appellant.
Stafford & Pitts, by Grove Stafford, Jr., Alexandria, for 3rd party defendant-appellant and 3rd party plaintiff-appellant.
Bernard Kramer, Alexandria, for plaintiff-appellee.
Gist, Murchison & Gist, by DeWitt T. Methvin, Jr., Alexandria, for 3rd party defendant-appellee.
Before TATE, SAVOY and HOOD, JJ.

Opinion:
HOOD, Judge.
In July, 1957, the plaintiff, Givens L. Foreman, purchased a house in Alexandria from the defendant, Mrs. Lena L. Jordan, for the sum of $11,500. About six months later he discovered extensive termite damage in the house, and as a result of this discovery he instituted this suit against Mrs. Jordan in February, 1958, for a diminution of the purchase price. Mrs. Jordan filed an answer, and she also filed a third party petition impleading Cecil R. Blair, who by contract had agreed to provide termite control services for the house, and Great American Indemnity Company, Blair's surety under the statutory bond required of licensed pest control operators. See LSA-R.S. 40:1268. Blair and Great American Indemnity Company filed an answer to this third party demand, and by means of another third party petition they impleaded Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, alleging that in the event they are held responsible in damages they are entitled to recover against Hartford under a public liability or manufacturer's and contractor's public liability insurance policy which it had issued to Blair. Plaintiff Foreman then amended his petition, naming Blair, Great American Indemnity Company and Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company as additional parties-defendant.
The trial court rendered judgment on February 5, 1959, sustaining an exception of no cause of action filed by Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company, and dismissing the suit as to that defendant. The case was then tried on its rherits, and following that trial judgment was rendered on November 12, 1959, in favor of plaintiff, Foreman, and against the defendant, Mrs. Jordan, for the principal sum of $1,618.50, but the demands of plaintiff and Mrs. Jordan against Blair and his surety, Great American Indemnity Company, were rejected. From these judgments, Mrs. Jordan, Blair and Great American Indemnity Company have appealed.
All appellants contend that the trial court improperly overruled an exception to the jurisdiction ratione personae initially filed by Mrs. Jordan. By this exception, the appellants contend that Rapides Parish was not the proper venue for this suit, instituted in 1958, because Mrs. Jordan left that parish in 1952 and since that time she has resided and worked in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The uncontradicted facts show that Mrs. Jordan lived in Alexandria, in the residence building sold to the plaintiff, until March of 1952, when (following the death of her husband) she moved to Baton Rouge where she has been employed as a house mother by a social fraternity at Louisiana State University. In 1956 she registered to vote in East Baton Rouge Parish. From 1952 until the middle of 1957 she rented her Alexandria home to tenants, reserving a room in the house during those years to store her furniture. Each year, until February 2, 1957, she applied for and obtained a homestead tax exemption in Rapides Parish, based upon the allegation that this Alexandria residence was her home.
The trial court sustained plaintiff's contention that Mrs. Jordan's domicile remained in Rapides Parish until she sold her Alexandria home in July, 1957, and that since she never executed and recorded a written declaration of change of domicile, as provided by LSA-C.C. Art. 42, she was still subject to suit in Rapides Parish during the year following her removal therefrom. - C.P. Art. 167; State ex rel. Jagneaux v. Jagneaux, 206 La. 107, 18 So.2d 913. This suit was instituted less than one year after she sold her home, so accordingly the district court held that it was properly instituted in Rapides Parish.
The trial judge in his written reasons for judgment pointed out that the retention by Mrs. Jordan of her personal room in her Alexandria residence, the somewhat temporary nature of her employment in Baton Rouge where her meals and room were furnished by the fraternity, and her annual application for homestead exemption benefits in Rapides Parish, all tended to disprove an actual intention to change her domicile and to leave Alexandria permanently, even though she actually had been living in Baton Rouge for purposes of employment for several years.
"A residence is one thing and a domicile another. A person may have as many residences as he may choose, but cannot have but one real domicile." Oglesby v. Turner, 127 La. 1093, 1096-1097, 54 So. 400, 402. "A change of domicile is brought about by the actual residing in another place with the intention of making it the principal establishment or home." Succession of Rhea, 227 La. 214, 78 So.2d 838, 842. "The party who seeks to avail himself of a change of domicile bears the burden of proving it. So long as any reasonable doubt remains, the presumption is that it has not been changed. The domicile of origin continues until another is acquired." Succession of Simmons, 109 La. 1095, 1097, 34 So. 101, 102; In re Rials, 220 La. 484, 56 So. 2d 844 ; 28 C.J.S. Domicile § 18, p. 41, et seq. See also Civil Code Articles 38, 41, 42 & 43.
Applying these legal principles, to the facts in this case, we cannot say. that the trial court erred in holding that Rapides Parish is the proper venue for this suit.
The evidence convinces us, as it did the trial judge, that the plaintiff-buyer is entitled to judgment against the defendant-seller, decreeing a diminution of the purchase price because of the extensive termite damage found in the house which he purchased. These damages constituted latent defects of such a nature that it must be supposed that the buyer would not have purchased it had he known of the vice. Because of this damage and of the seller's implied warranty against such hidden defects, the buyer is entitled to recover the diminution in value of the thing sold attributable to these redhibitory defects. See LSA-C.C. Arts. 2476, 2520, 2521 and 2541.
It is suggested that the buyer should have noticed the termite damage, and that "apparent defects, that is, such as the buyer might have discovered by simple inspection are not among the number of redhibitory vices." LSA-C.C. Art. 2521. Although several expert witnesses, including termite experts, building contractors and an architect, testified that at the time of the sale the termite damage was easily ascertainable on their expert examinations, their special knowledge in that field, obtained from their specialized training and experience, cannot be attributed to the plaintiff-purchaser here. See Ruehmkorf v. McCartney, La.App. 2 Cir., 121 So.2d 757, certiorari denied. Both the buyer and the seller's real estate agent, who had negotiated the sale of the house to him, testified that these defects were not apparent to the untrained eye. The experts, in fact, testified that the major portion of the termite damage could not be detected without crawling under the house and probing with a screw driver or a sharp instrument, and that some of the termite damage could not be detected without removing portions of the siding on the house, which was done several months after the sale had been completed, but shortly before this suit was instituted. We think the old termite damage to the house was not an apparent defect, such as the buyer might have discovered by simple inspection, but on the contrary it constituted a latent defect warranting a diminution in the purchase price.
Also, we find no error in the trial court's award of $1,618.60, as the amount which reasonably would be required to repair the termite damage. A detailed estimate in a larger amount was furnished by the plaintiff's expert, while similar estimates in smaller amounts were furnished by the appellants' experts. The chief differences lay in a disagreement as to the extent of the replacement of materials and' the refinishing which would be required to repair the damage. The award was within the discretion of the trial court, and in our opinion it is supported by the evidence.
The basis of Mrs. Jordan's third party demand against Blair and Great American. Indemnity Company, his surety, is (1) Blair's alleged breach of a termite inspection and control contract relating to the Jordan residence, and (2) the alleged breach of a warranty by Blair that the house was not in need of repair, which warranty Mrs. Jordan asserts is contained in an FHA Termite Inspection Report, executed by Blair's employee on April 14,. 1957, stating. in effect that repair or replacement of any portion of the building was not recommended.
In dismissing Mrs. Jordan's third party-demand, the trial judge held that she had failed to prove that the substantial termite damage in this 35-year-old residence building occurred after 1946, the year when Blair first undertook to provide termite control services for this building. The trial court also held that no reliance was placed by Mrs. Jordan on the FHA termite inspection report made by Blair's employee in 1957, and accordingly that she was not damaged in any manner by the statements contained in that report.
The record establishes that on March 26, 1946, plaintiff's husband entered into a contract with defendant Blair, under the terms of which Blair agreed to treat the Jordan residence for the control of subterranean termites, to make semi-annual inspections of the building thereafter, and to give additional treatment at any time during the term of the contract if termite infestation is found. Although this contract was entered into for an initial period of two years, it was renewed from time to time thereafter, so that Blair continued to maintain termite control services for the building under those terms from the date of that original contract until this suit was filed. During that time Blair furnished semi-annual inspections and treatment of the premises as required by the contract.
Although it is suggested that Blair is not liable under the contract for termite damage sustained during the existence of the agreement, defendant Blair himself commendably admitted, and the trial court found, that the object of the services which he agreed to perform under that agreement was "to prevent termite damage." The trial court concluded, correctly we think, that under this contract Blair and Great American Indemnity Company, his surety, would be liable for any failure to prevent termite damage, as agreed and intended by the termite inspection and control contract. Melancon v. Mizell, 216 La. 711, 44 So.2d 826; Ruehmkorf v. McCartney, supra. See- also Annotation, "Contracts for eradication or control of termites or other pests or vermin," 43 A.L.R.2d 1237.
Since the evidence establishes the existence of substantial termite damage at the time of the 1957 sale, the principal question presented by the third party demand is whether or not that damage occurred after March 26, 1946, and while the termite control contract between Blair and Mrs. Jordan was in effect. If the damage occurred before the contract was entered into, of course, there could be no liability on the part of Blair or his surety for that damage.
The Jordan house was built in 1922, so it was 24 years old when the termite control contract was entered into. Every expert who testified at the trial agreed that the termite damage in the house was not recent, and that it was extensive enough to have required several years to have occurred. One expert estimated that even without any termite treatment at all a period of from three to seven years would be required for that amount of damage to have been done. All of the experts also agreed that it is impossible from an examination made in 1957 or 1958 to determine when the termite damage occurred, to estimate how long it has been present in the house, or to ascertain whether it occurred before or after 1946.
Defendant Blair is a trained and experienced pest control expert, who has been engaged in general insect, pest and termite control work since 1940. He testified that at the time the contract was entered into in 1946 he made a careful inspection of the house, and found at that time that there was old termite damage and that the house was then actively infested with termites. He thereupon treated it for termites, using the best methods and chemicals then approved by the industry, and from that.time until the sale was completed in 1957 he continued to inspect the house semi-annually and to treat it each time he found a re-infestation, all as required by the contract. In his opinion the old termite damage which now exists in the house occurred prior to March 26, 1946, the date on which he began providing termite control services for it. He testified:
"Q. Do you have any opinion as to whether or not termite damage that occurred in that house occurred before or after 1946? A. Based on the experience that I've had with the termites and everything, I would say definitely this damage was caused prior to 1946.
^ ifi % # H #
"Q. You stated a while ago that you would state, as I recall, that in your opinion, this damage occurred prior to 1946? A. That's correct.
"Q. That's your unequivacle statement? A. That's correct. May I explain it?
"Q. You don't think that damage could have occurred by those termites eating on that (indistinct) from 1946 to 1958? A. No, because they did not eat on it constantly during that time, because they have to come to the ground, and when they come to the ground through a mud tunnel, you can find them. Otherwise, if you had missed them, then they would swarm in the house. If they had done that damage from 1946 on, they would have been swarming in that house every year."
Ray Stubblefield, an expert who has been engaged in termite control business for more than ten years, inspected the house in 1958 and again in 1959. In response to an inquiry as to when the termite damage occurred, he testified. "My opinion is that it occurred before 1946." He concedes, however, that this opinion is based on the assumption that semi-annual inspections have been made and that proper treatment has been administered since 1946. The testimony of defendant Blair and his brother, Roy Blair, is uncontradicted to the effect that these inspections were made and proper treatment was given each time the house was found to be re-infested. Although Blair does not have records of his inspections and the treatment of the house prior to 1948, he does have a complete record of the inspections and termite control services he rendered affecting that building since March, 1948. These records confirm his testimony to the effect that inspections were made and treatment was administered regularly, in accordance with the contract.
Tom M. Skinner, a termite inspector employed by the Louisiana Pest Control Commission, examined the house in August, 1958, and found old termite damage but no live termite infestation. He testified that the piers under the house had been drilled, and that there were no wood contacts between the house and the ground, all of which confirms in some measure the testimony of defendant Blair as to the treatment which he administered.
Paul K. Adams, the only other termite expert who testified at the trial, examined the house about in January of 1958, after the siding had been removed. At that time he found active infestation of termites in two places, which he stated were "limited to a small area." He also found old termite damage, but he testified that it was impossible for him to determine when that damage occurred. He was certain that the damage occurred sometime before the house was sold in 1957, but he stated that it was impossible for him to determine whether it occurred before or after Blair first undertook to render termite control services in 1946. Adams further testified that it is common for houses which have been treated to become re-infested with termites, and it is for that reason that periodic inspections for re-infestation are required by the contract. The records kept by Blair show that the two relatively small infested areas found by Adams early in 1958 were treated by Blair on February 2, 1958, and that later inspections revealed no further live infestation.
All of these facts indicate strongly that the termite damage which existed at the time of the sale in 1957, occurred before Blair undertook to render termite control services in 1946. Counsel for Mrs. Jordan argues, however, that since defendant Blair did not have a record of the initial examination which he made in 1946, and since it appears that he did not personally inspect the house from the early 1950's until after the sale in 1957 (the regular inspections during that time being made by Blair's employees), this witness is not in a position to testify that the damage found in 1957 existed eleven years earlier when he began treating the house. We find no merit to that argument, because the record shows that Blair inspected the house a number of times from 1946 until sometime in 1950, and that he again inspected it following the 1957 sale. It appears to us, as it apparently did to the trial judge, that Blair is in a better position than anyone else to know whether or not the existing old ter mite damage occurred prior to 1946.
Counsel for Mrs. Jordan argues that Blair apparently found no substantial termite damage to the house in 1946, since he did not recommend to Mrs. Jordan that repairs be made. Blair testified that he "brought to her attention, as we bring to all peoples' attention, that there was termite evidence there, and also from a damage standpoint, that they were supposed to look into the damage factor." Mrs. Jordan does not contradict this statement, although she says she was not aware of the fact that there was extensive termite damage until after she had sold the property.
On the basis of Blair's uncontradicted statements, therefore, we conclude that in 1946 he informed Mrs. Jordan or her husband, who was living at that time, of the fact that there was then some existing termite damage to the house. If our conclusion in that respect should prove to be wrong, however, we think the mere fact that Blair may not have informed Mr. or Mrs. Jordan of the old termite damage in 1946 would not be sufficient to justify a conclusion that no such damage existed at that time.
The evidence shows that in 1950 the house became re-infested with termites, causing damages to a rug which Blair replaced. In 1956 termites did some slight damage to a bookcase, which Blair immediately repaired. In 1957, Mrs. Jordan's real estate agent reported some "flying ants" on the premises, which Blair immediately investigated, but we interpret the evidence as establishing that they were not termites. Although the house was found to be completely free of infestation in April 1957, two small infested areas were found in the early part of 1958, as has been pointed out, but they were treated immediately and the termites apparently were eradicated because none were found at inspections made a few months later. Blair testified that the house actually became re-infested five times during the eleven or twelve years he serviced it, but that on each occasion only small areas were affected and treatment was administered promptly. From the testimony of the expert witnesses, it appears to us that these few instances of re-infestation do not indicate any fault on the part of Blair, that they might normally be expected while a house is being treated properly under a termite control contract such as existed here, and that the old termite damage found in 1957 could not have occurred while the contract was in force.
After considering all of the evidence, we conclude, as did the trial judge, that the evidence fails to establish that any significant part of the termite damage which existed in 1957 occurred after 1946, or while Blair was rendering termite control services for the building. The evidence, in fact, convinces us that substantially all of the termite damage which existed at the time of the sale occurred before 1946.
Shortly before the house was purchased by plaintiff, Blair was asked to inspect it and to furnish a termite inspection report, pursuant to a requirement of the Federal Housing Authority in connection with the financing of the sale of the property. This inspection was made by one of Blair's employees on April 4, 1957, who certified that at that time there was evidence of pest termite infestation, but that "repair or replacement of any portion of the main or auxiliary structures" was not recommended. Mrs. Jordan contends that this inspection report constituted a "warranty" to her by Blair that no repairs to the house were necessary because of termite damage, that she relied on this warranty in selling the house, and that because of her reliance on that report she is entitled to recover against Blair.
The siding on the house had not been removed at the time Blair's employee made this inspection in 1957, and the evidence shows that much of the termite damage could not be discovered, even by a termite expert, without the removal of that siding. Blair states that if he had personally made the investigation at that time he would not have recommended any repairs, just as was done by his employee, but he concedes that after the siding on the house was removed and he was able to see the full extent of the old termite damage, he now feels that some repairs should be made. The evidence shows, however, that Mrs. Jordan has not been damaged in any way by this termite inspection report. If Blair had torn away the siding and had discovered the extent of the old termite damage prior to the sale, then, of course, Mrs. Jordan would have had to bear the cost of repairing the damage at that time. It is not shown that Mrs. Jordan in any way relied on the FHA Termite Inspection Report in selling the house or in determining the price which she should ask for it, or that the report in any other way operated to her prejudice. It is elementary that no recovery may be had for breach of contract until damages have been proved. In this case Mrs. Jordan has not shown that she was damaged in any way by the termite inspection report issued by Blair's employee on April 4, 1957, even if it should be construed as a "warranty" that the house was not in need of repair.
Although plaintiff, Foreman, also demands judgment against Blair and his surety, the trial judge rejected the demands as to those defendants, and since plaintiff has not appealed we are not called upon to determine whether Blair and his surety are liable to plaintiff.
For the reasons herein set out, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. All costs of this appeal are assessed to appellant, Mrs. Lena L. Jordan.
Affirmed.