Pierre François Nouvet, "syndic" of Achille Barthelemy Courcelle's creditors, presents to the court that Courcelle has recently made a legal and "Voluntary Surrender" of his property. Nouvet explains that Courcelle, a skilled mechanic and an undertaker, had "realized by his thrift & Labor," and without paying his creditors, the tidy sum of $23,910, all of which he had used to purchase land and slaves in the name of a free woman of color named Louise Arsène Vitry, his concubine of nineteen years. Nouvet supports his claim that Louise Vitry's property was paid for by Courcelle by observing that Louise "has no means of Existence whatever and never undertook to perform any work of any Character to make a living;" nor has she inherited anything "of any person whatever." Nouvet alleges that all "these pretended donations, Sales & c." were made solely for the purpose of shielding Courcelle from his creditors and are thus fraudulent. He therefore prays that the court will decree the "said Donations and Sales" null and order that the property be sold to satisfy Courcelle's creditors.
Result: Dismissed; appealed; affirmed; plea for rehearing.
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Repository: University of New Orleans
