Brasier v. Brasier

1948 OK 251, 200 P.2d 427, 200 Okla. 689, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 516
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 23, 1948
DocketNo. 32789
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 1948 OK 251 (Brasier v. Brasier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brasier v. Brasier, 1948 OK 251, 200 P.2d 427, 200 Okla. 689, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 516 (Okla. 1948).

Opinion

CORN, J.

Plaintiff, Ruth Brasier, sued defendant, Henry George Brasier, for divorce on the grounds of abandonment, adultery and gross neglect of duty. Plaintiff alleged the marriage in 1911 and the birth of six children, the five living being adults at the time of this action; that for more than 20 years, following birth of the youngest child, defendant abandoned plaintiff and lived separate and apart from the family, though continuing to support the family in a modest manner; that defendant had accumulated considerable property by reason of their joint industry and that plaintiff owned an undivided one-half interest therein. Plaintiff sought a divorce, $250 monthly temporary alimony, equal division of the property and $10,000 permanent alimony, and judgment restraining defendant from alienating or encumbering any of the property.

Defendant’s answer admitted the marriage, but alleged plaintiff had no right to maintain this action because he had been granted a divorce in Pike' county, Ark., on September 13, 1945; that the decree incorporated a written contract of the parties settling their property rights, which was binding upon [690]*690plaintiff; and asked for dismissal of plaintiff’s action.

In substance, this contract provided that defendant was to support plaintiff the rest of her life, in the event she did not remarry, by furnishing her a home free of all expenses and from $15 to $25 per week cash. Title to the home was to remain in defendant and all other property was to be defendant’s absolutely.

By reply plaintiff admitted the purported Arkansas divorce, but alleged same was invalid because defendant was never a bona fide resident as required by the law of that state, and the chancery court was without jurisdiction to enter the decree. Further, that the divorce was obtained by fraud upon the court; that the settlement agreement was unjust and inequitable and procured by fraud, undue influence and duress upon plaintiff, and that both the divorce and the property settlement should be declared void and set aside.

After hearing the case at length the trial court took the matter under advisement and thereafter entered judgment refusing to recognize the validity of the purported Arkansas divorce and property settlement. The court further, found that there was approximately $50,000 of property acquired by joint industry of the parties, rendered judgment granting plaintiff a divorce, awarded her the home and furnishings, and also awarded her $24,000 as permanent alimony, payable at the rate of $200 per month.

The evidence established that defendant left plaintiff about 1925, and thereafter lived separate and apart, although continuing to support the family. The record reflects that at the time defendant made the property settlement with defendant preparatory to procuring the Arkansas divorce, this was done in contemplation of his being free to enter into another marriage.

Plaintiff has a limited education and is wholly untrained for any gainful occupation, seems incapable of understanding financial or legal matters, and in addition is extremely deaf. Over the years she has occupied herself entirely with rearing their children, and the evidence shows that during their childhood it was necessary for them to work and all were employed at one time or another by defendant.

Defendant is a man of enterprise and business ability who, over the years of marriage, has accumulated considerable property in Tulsa county, composed of six barber and beauty shops, a barber and beauty supply business, all of which were going concerns at the time of the trial. In addition he owned real estate valuable for development purposes, some houses purchased for reconditioning, and surplus supplies and equipment incident to his barber and beauty shop business. Plaintiff’s evidence fixed the value of this property in excess of $53,-000, while defendant contended the value should be set at $30,400. Testimony offered for the purpose of establishing the latter figure was excluded for reasons hereinafter mentioned.

In seeking reversal of the trial court’s judgment defendant first contends that where a court of competent jurisdiction of a sister state renders a judgment in relation to subject matter within its jurisdiction, the presumption favors validity thereof, and clear, cogent and convincing evidence is required to overcome such presumption. The second contention is that where there is an attempt to defeat such a judgment on the ground same was obtained by fraud, this must be proved by a preponderance of evidence, so as to overcome all opposing evidence and the presumption of validity favoring the judgment. Both propositions turn upon the question as to the weight to be given to judgments rendered in another state, and thus best may be considered together.

In December, 1944, defendant made a trip to Arkansas and stayed a week or ten days at a hotel, and during that time consulted a lawyer concerning the [691]*691securing of a divorce. In March, 1945, he returned to Arkansas and instituted divorce proceedings against plaintiff. His testimony was that he had spent between two and four weeks in Arkansas prior to that time, although he had rented a room in a private home. The following May defendant prevailed upon plaintiff to agree to his securing the divorce and to enter into the property settlement. Thereafter, in August, 1945, defendant filed his amended petition in the Arkansas court and a decree of divorce, incorporating the property agreement, was entered September 13, 1945.

The evidence showed defendant made four trips to Arkansas, the first being made with the intention of seeking a divorce. At all times during this period defendant had a place of residence in Tulsa, maintained and managed his business there, paid taxes in Oklahoma while owning no property in Arkansas, and neither knew nor became acquainted with people in that state other than the attorney, who represented him there.

Plaintiffs evidence, based upon the testimony of his own children who worked for and with defendant, established that he never indicated any intention of establishing a domicile in Arkansas, and during the period of his alleged residence there he was in Tulsa practically all of the time managing his affairs there.

Although recognizing the rule announced in Williams v. North Carolina, 325 U. S. 226, 65 S. Ct. 1092, defendant insists that since the Arkansas court assumed jurisdiction and found defendant was a resident and under the jurisdiction of the court, the burden then was upon plaintiff to establish lack of foundation for the judgment of the Arkansas court, otherwise the same cannot be set aside. Thus defendant urges that because of that court’s finding that defendant was a bona fide resident of the state, the courts of Oklahoma cannot assume such residence was a sham and assumed only for the purpose of securing the divorce.

Proper determination of this appeal involves consideration of two questions. First, whether the Arkansas chancery' court ever acquired jurisdiction of the subject matter of the action; and, second, whether plaintiff herein in an action in our courts could question the Arkansas court’s jurisdiction of the subject matter in a collateral attack, after •having entered her appearance in the Arkansas court.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Marriage of Cooper v. Cooper
2009 OK CIV APP 73 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2009)
In Re MB
2006 OK 63 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2006)
Barrett v. Barrett
1994 OK 92 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1994)
Hunt v. Hunt
718 P.2d 560 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1985)
Grimshaw v. Grimshaw
581 P.2d 1329 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Murphy v. Murphy
581 P.2d 489 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Bradshaw v. Bradshaw
578 P.2d 762 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Hodson v. Hodson
292 So. 2d 831 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1974)
Boudreaux v. Welch
192 So. 2d 356 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1966)
Simms v. Hobbs
1966 OK 5 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1966)
Pitre v. Pitre
172 So. 2d 693 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1965)
Key v. Key
1963 OK 288 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1963)
Hartenstein v. Hartenstein
118 N.W.2d 881 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1963)
Gherardi De Parata v. Gherardi De Parata
179 A.2d 723 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1962)
Winters v. Winters
111 So. 2d 418 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1959)
Colby v. Colby
141 A.2d 506 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1958)
Eaton v. Eaton
81 So. 2d 371 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1955)
Vetter v. Vetter
1954 OK 68 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1954)
Haden v. Haden
262 P.2d 73 (California Court of Appeal, 1953)
Anonymous v. Anonymous
85 A.2d 706 (Superior Court of Delaware, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1948 OK 251, 200 P.2d 427, 200 Okla. 689, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 516, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brasier-v-brasier-okla-1948.