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37 La. Ann. 174

Schmidt v. Foucher

Supreme Court of Louisiana

Decided March 15, 1885

Supreme Court of Louisiana · decided 1885-03-15

<p>A suspensive appeal does not lie from an interlocutory decree dissolving an injunction, where tlie dissolution is permissive only of an act, the commission of which cannot cause any irreparable injury.</p> <p>The effect of the dissolution of an injunction issued against an actual possessor of real estate, to prevent him from collecting the rents thereof, is to place the parties in the condition which they occupied before the writ asked was allowed.</p> <p>The injury resulting to plaintiff—should ho finally succeed in his petitory action—could be ascertained, computed and liquidated into dollars and cents. Such injury is not irreparable.</p>

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1885-03-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently October 1977

6 state decisions

301885189019001910192019301940195019601970decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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¶1On Motion to Dismiss.

¶2The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Bermudez, C. J.

¶3The injunction issued in this case, was dissolved-on a rule, previous to trial on the merits.

¶4The plaintiff appeals from the decree of dissolution.

¶5The defendant and appellee claims that, as the dissolution of the injunction is permissive of an act, which cannot cause the plaintiff irreparable injury and as the dissolving decree is interlocutory only, no suspensive appeal lies from it. lie therefore, moves for-a dismissal.

¶6*175The injunction issued against defendant to prevent the collection of rents of x>roperty, which plaintiff claims to belong to him ;- but, of which defendant had actual possession'when the writ was obtained.

¶7The Code, of Practice (566) provides, that one may appeal from all interlocutory judgments, when such may cause him an irreparable injury.

¶8To ascertain whether an appeal lies in such cases, it is only necessary to ascertain whether the interlocutory order, if unappealed from, would authorize an act, the consummation of which might cause irremediable wrong. If the act can cause such injury, the appeal lies; if it cannot, the appeal does not lie.

¶9The exercise of the power to dissolve an injunction, can be reviewed on appeal, only where the act prohibited is such as, if committed, may occasion damage not susceptible of being indemnified.

¶10The erroneous unfettering of the party enjoined and permitting him to do an act irreparably mischievous, confers a right of appeal under the express terms of the law ; but in that event ouly.

¶11No appeal has ever been maintained from an interlocutory decree dissolving an injunction, unless the effect of th’e dissolution was such as would- cause irremediable injury.

¶12Where the wrong apprehended, if consummated, is such as can be ascertained, computed and liquidated into dollars and cents, suspensive appeal does not lie from the dissolving order. Neither would a devolutive appeal lie from it, for the reason that its correctness can be reviewed on duo appeal from .the judgment on tho merits of the case.

¶13It is immaterial whether the injunction be dissolved on bond or otherwise. Au appeal lies ouly where, if the dissolving order is not appealed from, injury, not reparable, would be sustained.

¶14The averment, though sworn to, that unless prevented, the apprehended act, if committed, will occasion irreparable injury is not conclusive on the court. The showing must be such as leaves no doubt on the character of the injury sought to be guarded against 3 Ann. 217; 14 Ann. 57; 16 Ann. 88, 396; 17 Ann. 320 ; 21 Ann. 786; 23 Ami. 151, 51; 3 R. 437; 12 R. 488; 32 Ann. 1192 ; 36 Ann. 833, and many others.

¶15The suit is petitory in character. The plaintiff alleges that he acquired the property from Foucher, who continued to occupy half of it with his wife, and who subsequently, on vacating the same, rented it to a party named, whom he even sued for the rent, recovering judgment, notwithstanding plaintiff’s resistance to tho claim before a city *176court. The. plaintiff further alleges that he is in possession of the other half. The prayer is, that Toucher and wife he cited, that plaintiff be recognized as owner of the property, and for damages against them, and that Toucher and his wife be enjoined from collecting the rents from the tenant.

¶16Mrs. Toucher answered, claiming title to the property under a transfer from her husband, and Toucher appeared charging the nullity of the title averred by plaintiff

¶17The contention as to the ^ownership of the property is between plaintiff and Mrs. Toucher.

¶18The effect of the dissolving order made on the rule, is to restore things to the condition in which they stood when the injunction was obtained and issued, that is, it retains actual possession of the property where it stood at the time.

¶19The injury which may result to the plaintiff in consequence, would ' consist in a deprivation of the enjoyment of the property pendente lite, a wrong, which, if plaintiff be ultimately successful, can well be ascertained and reduced into dollars and cents, some way or other. 36 Ann. 833.

¶20The damage, if any be sustained, occasioned by any act consequent on the dissolution of the injunction, cannot therefore be said to be irreparable.

¶21The acts complained of do not amount to a trespass. The effect of the dissolution does not change the possession, and the injury is reparable.

¶22If it be true that the court erred in dissolving the injunction, it is an error which can he remedied before, or by the final judgment in the case.

¶23Under such circumstances, a suspensive appeal does not lie. 33 Ann. 133; 22 Ann. 512 ; 24 Ann. 154; 30 Ann. 685; 34 Ann. 1210 ; 35 Ann. 515; 33 Ann. 1560; 30 Anil. 833.

¶24It is therefore ordered and decreed, that the motion prevail and that the appeal be accordingly dismissed, at appellant’s costs.

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