Opinion ID: 1615482
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: On September 1, 1970, lot forty-three, East Broadmoor Subdivision, Parish of East Baton Rouge, [1] was purchased by Archibald Carter Magee, Sr., for $33,500 from Mary B. and John D. Sutherland. The Act of Sale recites that the purchaser was married to and living with Doris L. Magee, born Lancaster, domiciled in the Parish of East Baton Rouge. [2] Subsequently, on July 9, 1971, Doris Lancaster Magee received a judgment of separation in East Baton Rouge Parish, and the parties were enjoined against alienating any property pending a settlement of the community. The judgment of separation was not recorded in the mortgage records until April 30, 1980, after the sheriff's sale. No notice of lis pendens, judgment of divorce, or community property settlement was ever recorded. On September 14, 1979, Reynolds Roofing Company, Inc., received a $1,856 judgment to satisfy a lien on the Magee property; a writ of fieri facias issued; and lot forty-three of East Broadmoor Subdivision was seized. Archibald Magee was appointed custodian of the property. When first offered for sale with appraisal, there were no bids on the property. On April 2, 1980, it sold at public auction to H. Mitchell Stockmann for $49,000. After the first mortgage balance of $14,381.18, the Reynolds' judgment and expenses were paid, the sheriff transferred the net proceeds of $30,646.76 to Dr. Magee. The recorded proces-verbal of the sheriff's sale recites that the certificate of mortgages recorded against the property included none in the names of Archibald C. Magee, Doris L. Magee, John D. Sutherland, and Mary B. Sutherland, except those relating to the Magee purchase and the Reynolds' lien. On October 16, 1980, lot forty-three was sold by Stockmann and his wife to Don Alan and Connie Summers Iglehart for $85,000, and the Igleharts mortgaged the property to River City Federal Savings and Loan Corporation for $68,000. Doris Magee filed suit, naming as defendants: Sheriff Amiss of East Baton Rouge Parish; Don Alan and Connie Summers Iglehart; River City Federal Savings and Loan Corporation; and Archibald Magee, alleged to be a nonresident. She asked that the sheriff's sale be declared a nullity insofar as it purported to convey her undivided one-half interest in the property to Stockmann and that the Stockmanns' sale to the Igleharts also be annulled. Alternatively, she asked judgment against Archibald C. Magee for one-half of the proceeds from the sheriff's sale. Cited as garnishee was the American Bank & Trust Company at Baton Rouge, which allegedly holds assets belonging to Archibald Magee. The Igleharts filed a third party demand against Sheriff Amiss, the Stockmanns, and Reynolds. In answer, the Stockmanns alleged the existence of a counter letter nullifying their liability as vendors; contended that the sale to the Igleharts was substantially [3] below the property's appraised or market value because of potential litigation, [4] and pleaded discussion against the Igleharts' title insurer and examiner. The Stockmanns third partied Archibald Magee and Reynolds. Rejecting Doris Magee's claim that she had been denied due process under the state and federal constitutions, the trial court granted summary judgment and dismissed Doris Magee's suit against the sheriff. The summary judgment in favor of the sheriff is now final. Summary judgment was also granted in favor of defendant, River City, and third party defendants, Reynolds and the Stockmanns. [5] The court of appeal [6] found that Reynolds had properly filed suit against Archibald Magee as head and master of the community under LSA-C.C.P. art. 735 [7] which then provided that the husband is the proper defendant in an action to enforce an obligation against the community; that the sheriff correctly sold the property to satisfy the judicial mortgage created by the Reynolds' judgment; and that the unrecorded judgment of separation had no effect as to Reynolds, the Stockmanns, the Igleharts, and River City, who were third parties protected by the public records doctrine. The court of appeal affirmed the summary judgment in favor of River City, the Stockmanns, and Reynolds and remanded for further proceedings as to Doris Magee's claim against Archibald Magee. A writ was granted to review the judgment of the court of appeal. [8]