Title: Erath Sugar Company v. Broussard
Citation: 125 So. 2d 776, 240 La. 949
Docket Number: N/A
State: Louisiana
Issuer: Louisiana Supreme Court
Date: January 9, 1961

125 So. 2d 776 (1961) 240 La. 949 ERATH SUGAR COMPANY, Ltd., v. Aliface BROUSSARD. No. 45302. Supreme Court of Louisiana. January 9, 1961. Edward F. LeBlanc, Abbeville, for plaintiffs-appellants. J. E. Kibbe, Abbeville, for defendant-opponent. SANDERS, Justice. In this proceeding, the plaintiff seeks to be decreed the owner and to be granted the undisturbed possession of a certain plot of land located in Vermilion Parish. The district court sustained an exception of no cause of action and dismissed the suit. The court of appeal[1] affirmed the judgment upon a holding that the plaintiff could not proceed under the Uniform Declaratory Judgments Act (LSA-R.S. 13:4231-13:4246) *777 since its petition sets forth grounds for a petitory action. In its application for writs, plaintiff asserted that this holding is in conflict with the case of Succession of Rickerfor, La. App., 120 So. 2d 320, in which this Court denied writs. After consideration, we granted certiorari in the present case to review the judgment of the court of appeal. In its opinion, the court of appeal correctly stated: However, in our opinion, the court erroneously concluded: The court of appeal held that the present proceeding cannot be characterized as a petitory action when the prayer of the petition specifically limits the relief demanded to a judgment "in keeping with the provisions of La.R.S. [13:] 4231 et seq. * * *." We cannot agree with this holding. The petition additionally seeks judgment: The system of fact pleading prevails in Louisiana. Under this system, pleading is the "handmaid rather than the mistress" of justice. Unduly harsh or technical rules of pleading are not favored. Each pleading must be reasonably construed so as to afford the litigant his day in court, arrive at the truth, and do substantial justice. West v. Ray, 210 La. 25, 26 So. 2d 221; Seale v. Stephens, 210 La. 1068, 29 So. 2d 65; Florida Molasses Co. v. Berger, 220 La. 31, 55 So. 2d 771; Breaux v. Laird, 230 La. 221, 88 So. 2d 33. The characterization of the action by the parties is not controlling. State ex rel. Matt v. Rightor, 37 La.Ann. 843; Pfister v. St. Bernard Cypress Co., Limited, 155 La. 575, 99 So. 454; Schoultz v. Keller, 10 La.App. 138, 120 So. 232. In the present case, the respondent concedes, both in brief and argument, that all of the essential allegations of a petitory action are present in the petition. The prayer clearly seeks executory and coercive relief characteristic of a direct action. A consideration of the petition leads to the inevitable conclusion that the proceeding is in fact a petitory action. The recitals of the petition relating to the declaratory judgments act[2] must be treated as surplusage. They do not vitiate the pleading since it is otherwise sufficient for a petitory action. *778 The case of Succession of Rickerfor, supra, announces a salutary rule which is here adopted as decisive of the issue presented. Therein it was held: For the reasons assigned, the judgment of the district court and the court of appeal, dismissing plaintiff's suit, is reversed and set aside, and the case is remanded to the district court for proceedings consistent herewith. Costs of the proceedings in this Court are to be paid by defendant. All other costs are to await the final disposition of the cause. SUMMERS, J., recused. [1] 120 So. 2d 544. [2] Inasmuch as this action is maintainable under the present jurisprudence, the question of the applicability of Article 1871 of the LSA-Code of Civil Procedure (Act 15 of 1960) effective January 1, 1961, is pretermitted.