Blankley v. Blankley

42 Pa. D. & C.3d 494, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 46
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Fulton County
DecidedAugust 9, 1985
Docketno. 53-1985-C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 42 Pa. D. & C.3d 494 (Blankley v. Blankley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Fulton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blankley v. Blankley, 42 Pa. D. & C.3d 494, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 46 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1985).

Opinion

KELLER, J.,

This action in divorce was commenced by the filing of a complaint on May 4, 1985, and service of the same upon defendant by the sheriff on May 16, 1985. The complaint in Count I alleged grounds for divorce under section 201(c) of the Divorce Code and in Count II on the grounds of indignities. Count III constituted a claim for equitable distribution and Count IV for counsel fees and expenses. Defendant’s answer denied that the marriage was irretrievably broken; that plaintiff was the injured and innocent spouse or that defendant had offered indignities to her person, and opposed equitable distribution and the award of counsel fees and expenses; and it was filed May 6, 1985.

On April 17, 1985, plaintiff filed her petition for injunctive relief pursuant to section 403 of the Divorce Code alleging the ownership by the parties of real estate and certain personal property in Bethel Township, Fulton County, Pa.; the timbering and selling of timber from the real estate and the sale of farm equipment by defendant without the consent or authorization of plaintiff; that the disposition of the proceeds of the sales by defendant was unknown to plaintiff and plaintiff seeks to maintain the status quo and preserve the marital estate for ultimate disposition by the court without either party employing self help or otherwise destroying the marital estate in the assets of the parties. The petition also requested that defendant provide a complete accounting as to the sale of the marital assets subsequent to February 22, 1983, and the disposition of the proceeds. An order was signed on the same date setting May 21, 1985, at 1:30 p.m., for [496]*496hearing on the petition. On motion of counsel for defendant an order was entered May 17, 1985, rescheduling the hearing for June 4, 1985, at 1:30 p.m. The hearing was held as scheduled but not completed. The continued hearing was held on August 1, 1985. At the conclusion of the hearing the court invited counsel, but did not direct counsel for the parties to submit memoranda of law and proposal decrees by August 6, 1985.

The matter is now ripe for disposition.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The parties own as tenants by the entireties three tracts of real estate in Bethel Township, Fulton County, Pa. of 176 acres, 45 acres, and 36 acres. The parties also own an undivided one-half interest in a 60 acre tract in Bethel Township. The remaining one-half interest in owned by defendant’s brother.

2. The real estate owned by the parties is subject to a $57,000 mortgage, dated November 3, 1982, to the Federal Land Bank; and is recorded in Fulton County Mortgage Book Voi. 33, Page 23. The monthly installment payments due on the mortgage are approximately $757.30.

3. The .60 acre tract in which the parties own an undivided one-half interest is subject to a mortgage in the amount of $12,000 to the Fulton County National Bank, and is recorded in the Fulton County Mortgage Book Vol. 34, Page 107. The other mortgagors are Steven and Hilda Blankley and defendant testified that the payments on the mortgage are made by Steven Blankley.

4. Prior to the separation of the parties in 1983, they used their real estate as a working farm raising [497]*497cattle and hogs for sale. They raised grain and hay for the livestock on the farm.

5. The parties owned the necessary farm machinery and equipment for the operation of the farming business.

6. At the time of the separation of the parties they owned approximately 70 head of cattle and 50 to 60 hogs, four or five horses and the necessary feed grain and hay for the livestock.

7. In 1983 and 1984 defendant sold all of the hogs and all but seven or eight head of cattle, and all of the feed grain and hay was used as part of the customary farming operation of the parties. Defendant provided plaintiff with sales slips showing the sale of the livestock in 1983 and 1984, so she could prepare their joint income tax returns but she did not authorize the sale and the defendant did not account for the proceeds of the sales.

8. Defendant discontinued the farming operation in the fall of 1984 because he did not have the necessary operating funds and couldn’t secure them.

9. The judgment docket in the Prothonotary’s Office of Fulton County discloses the following judgments against the parties and constitute liens against their real estate:

No. 274 of 1983-C dated December 6, 1984 in favor of Maynard Wilkins in the amount of $3,183.77.

No. 123 of 1984 dated August 27, 1984 in favor of Harold Eskew in the amount of $15,623.79.

10. In 1984, defendant sold an M-Farmall Tractor to his brother-in-law for $950, and an H-Farmall Tractor to his brother for $500, and testified that he deposited the proceeds of the sales in the parties joint account and paid various bills with the funds.

11. In 1985, defendant sold:

(a) A trailer-type disk for about $1,500.

[498]*498(b) A roller-harrow or cultipacker for about $1,600.

(c) A forage wagon for $950.

(d) A hay wagon for $800.

The checks for the sale of this equipment were made payable to defendant and Produce Credit Association and defendant testified they were delivered to Produce Credit Association to pay in full the joint obligation of the parties.

12. Plaintiff testified that the Production Credit Association is a lending company that makes small loans to farmers, and that she had joined in the obligation for $6;000 for fertilizer and other farm supplies. She knew the joint obligation had been paid off by the machinery sales.

13. Plaintiff approved of the liquidation of the Production Credit Association obligation but objected to not having been consulted by defendant before the sales were made, and because she has no assurance that all of the proceeds of the sales were applied to the Production Credit Association joint debt.

14. Defendant testified that he has paid down the Maynard Wilkins judgment against the parties to a little over $300. Plaintiff had no information as to what payments, if any, defendant had made on account of the judgment but did testify that no demand had been made upon her for payment.

15. At the request of the court counsel for the defendant stated on the record that the Eskew judgment was entered by default to No. 123 of 1983-C, and defendant filed a petition to open the judgment raising various defenses concerning defects in the merchandise and warranty issues; an answer was filed; depositions have been taken and the matter is now scheduled for argument before the court during the month of August 1985. Plaintiff was unaware of any defense being made to the Eskew [499]*499judgment but did hear some proceeding was pending.

16. At the time of the June 4th hearing the 1983 and 1984 real-estate taxes on the parties’ real estate had not been paid and liens had been entered against the property. At the time of the August 1st hearing plaintiff testified and defendant agreed that defendant had paid all of the 1983 real estate taxes except $75 and plaintiff had paid the remaining $75 to avoid having the real estate listed for tax sale. The 1984 taxes remain unpaid.

17.

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Bluebook (online)
42 Pa. D. & C.3d 494, 1985 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blankley-v-blankley-pactcomplfulton-1985.