Birkenbeuel v. Birkenbeuel

94 P.2d 716, 163 Or. 163, 1939 Ore. LEXIS 113
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 4, 1939
StatusPublished

This text of 94 P.2d 716 (Birkenbeuel v. Birkenbeuel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Birkenbeuel v. Birkenbeuel, 94 P.2d 716, 163 Or. 163, 1939 Ore. LEXIS 113 (Or. 1939).

Opinion

*164 KELLY, J.

On June 15,1911, at Portland, Oregon, plaintiff and defendant intermarried. They lived together • for about twenty-four years, then defendant made it known that he wanted a divorce. At about that time, a young woman entered the office of plaintiff and defendant as a clerical and stenographic assistant.

The defendant took this young lady out to lunch several times and brought her from her home to the office in his automobile. When defendant told plaintiff that he, defendant, loved this young woman, it was agreed that plaintiff would leave their home in Portland and that defendant would secure a divorce. In furtherance of the plan that plaintiff should leave home and go to California, an automobile was purchased for plaintiff from the joint funds of plaintiff and defendant.

Plaintiff changed her mind and then defendant left home. Thereafter, defendant secured the services of an attorney to obtain a divorce, the same to be procured by plaintiff on the ground of desertion. Defendant took plaintiff to the office of this attorney and a divorce complaint was prepared and filed wherein plaintiff charged defendant with desertion and asked for a divorce. That was the manner in which the instant case was instituted. Defendant answered denying the desertion and asking for a divorce from plaintiff.

Plaintiff again changed her mind, and also changed her attorney. This latter attorney prepared an amended complaint omitting the' prayer for divorce and asking for money for plaintiff’s separate maintenance and for the support of the adopted son of the parties.

To this amended complaint, defendant filed an answer wherein he put in issue the material allegations *165 of said amended complaint and asked for a decree of divorce.

The ground for divorce alleged in defendant’s answer is cruel and inhuman treatment and personal indignities rendering defendant’s life burdensome.

Six specifications are set forth:

(1) That plaintiff claimed freedom or exemption from sustaining the marital relation with defendant, renounced her previously expressed desire to have children and rear a family and at no time maintained a normal sex life with defendant.

(2) That ever since said marriage, defendant has been obliged to tolerate plaintiff’s mother in his home.

(3) That the attempted adoption of two children, other than the adopted son above mentioned, was not consummated by reason of plaintiff’s failure to live in their home and care for said children and on account of the contentious personality of plaintiff’s mother.

(4) That the son, who was adopted, has been spoiled and his life wrecked by reason of the unfortunate and unhappy atmosphere in said home.

(5) That after living for many years under this unhappy atmosphere and under treatment advocated by plaintiff, defendant’s health broke down completely. Upon obtaining proper medical treatment, defendant’s health was restored. That plaintiff, recognizing that defendant would have to leave in order to retain his health, admitted her failure as a wife and proposed that she give the defendant his freedom in order that he might marry a younger woman and still have and rear children of his own. That defendant agreed to this plan, purchased plaintiff a Graham sedan, in which she was to leave for California, and which she acquired in her own name. That when the time for the separation *166 arrived, plaintiff informed defendant that inasmuch as he was the one who wanted the separation, he should be the one to leave. That defendant did leave his home September 1st, 1935, and has since continued to live separate and apart from plaintiff; but during all this time defendant has supported plaintiff to the best of his ability and reasonably according to his circumstances. That the property owned by defendant is less in value than the amount against it; and this defendant is insolvent without taking into consideration an outstanding indebtedness of $1,539.71 against his office. That the only liquid asset defendant possesses is his income from his patent practice, and that income will steadily decrease for an indefinite time to come.

(6) Extreme jealousy on plaintiff’s part causing defendant extreme mental suffering.

As we read the testimony, defendant failed to sustain his allegations of cruelty on plaintiff’s part or any of them.

As to the first specification, plaintiff testified that the course taken by the parties was at the request of defendant. There can be no question that defendant acquiesced in it. We are impressed with the fact that the advent of the young lady in question was contemporaneous with an awakening on defendant’s part that for about twenty-four years his marital practices were so abnormal as to constitute cruelty on his wife’s part.

The presence of plaintiff’s mother in the home of the parties was invited by defendant. Her furniture was used to equip the first abiding place of plaintiff and defendant after their marriage. Besides, the adopted son testified that she was a very pleasant person.

The third specification reflects as much upon defendant, himself, as upon his wife, especially in the *167 light of the testimony of the adopted son, who lived with plaintiff and defendant for about nineteen years, to the effect that plaintiff and defendant would leave home at 10 a. m. Sundays and not return until 10 p. m. locking the son out of the house and providing nothing for him to eat while they were gone. This testimony was corroborated by the son’s chum to whose home the son would repair for dinner. Such disregard on defendant’s part of his adopted son’s welfare forecloses his right to claim that he, defendant, was cruelly treated by being refused the opportunity of having the care and custody of other children.

The fourth specification is unproved. It is true that the boy contradicted the testimony of his father; but no disinterested witness challenged the merit and attainment of the boy.

The medical testimony in support of the first phase of the fifth specification was to the effect that defendant suffered from shortness of breath; that he responded to chiropractic treatment and that his malady was in no wise caused by the alleged abnormal sex practices of which defendant complained.

The testimony pertaining to the second phase of specification, number five, clearly reflects a collusive attempt on defendant’s part to secure a divorce.

On the sixth specification, the testimony is conflicting ; but it is admitted that defendant told plaintiff that he, defendant, loved the young lady in question. It also appears that defendant lunched with the young woman frequently; that he frequently took her in his automobile to and from the office and her home; and, that in company with others, including plaintiff, the defendant was at the beach with the young lady.

*168 The nineteen-year old adopted son of plaintiff and defendant, whom they adopted at his birth, testified that upon a trip to the Mt.

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Bluebook (online)
94 P.2d 716, 163 Or. 163, 1939 Ore. LEXIS 113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/birkenbeuel-v-birkenbeuel-or-1939.