Bynacker v. McMichael

194 So. 2d 335, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5718
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 9, 1967
DocketNo. 2400
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 194 So. 2d 335 (Bynacker v. McMichael) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bynacker v. McMichael, 194 So. 2d 335, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5718 (La. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

HALL, Judge.

On May 9, 1958 Mrs. Ethelyn G. Bynacker filed a suit for separation from bed and board against her husband, Bernard E. McMichael, on the ground of cruelty. On January 27, 1961 while the suit for separation was pending untried she filed a suit against her husband for a final divorce based on the ground of two years living separate and apart. Mr. McMichael filed an answer to the latter suit in which he admitted the two years’ separation and reconvened for a judgment of divorce in his favor. Judgment of divorce was rendered in favor of Mr. McMichael on October 18, 1961.

The present appeal arises out of proceedings to effect a partition of the community property.

The record before us consists of four volumes and is in such a confused state that it is almost impossible to follow. The confusion may be, and probably is, attributable to a number of causes and we do not undertake to place the blame therefor on any particular person or persons.

The record reveals (insofar as is essential to an understanding of the present appeal) that a judgment was rendered ordering a partition of the community property, inventories were taken, the real estate was ordered sold and a notary was appointed to complete the partition. The partition has never been completed due to may disputes between the parties. On December 7, 1964 Mrs. Ethelyn Bynacker McMichael filed a petition praying that her husband be ordered to give an accounting to her of certain assets which she claimed to belong to the community.

On June 29, 1965 the Trial Judge rendered a six page judgment, the preamble of which reads as follows:

“This cause came on for trial to determine the assets arising from the community of acquets and gains, heretofore existing between the parties; the value of these assets; and, to determine, recognize and establish the respective rights of said parties therein and/or thereto * ijt * ft

Some parts of the judgment were in favor of Mrs. McMichael and some parts in favor of her husband.

Mr. McMichael appealed suspen-sively from one portion of the judgment but has abandoned his appeal. Mrs. Mc-Michael appealed devolutively from the entire judgment.

[338]*338During the argument of the case before us the author of this opinion raised the question whether the judgment appealed from is one from which an appeal is allowable, for it seemed to him not to be a final judgment but to constitute mere instructions to the notary appointed to conduct the partition, and that to permit an appeal prior to the final judgment homol-ogating the partition would open the door to any number of “piece-meal” appeals. However since submission of the case our attention has been called to the decision of the Supreme Court in Oliphint v. Oliphint, 219 La. 781, 54 So.2d 18, which seems to settle the matter as to the appealability of a judgment such as the one presented here.

The appellant, Mrs. McMichael, relies upon eight assignments of error which we will consider in the order presented in her brief.

Assignments Nos. 1 and 2

Appellant contends that it was error to hold that the period of accountability by her husband shall commence from January 27, 1961, the date of the filing of the action for divorce; and that it was error to hold that her husband should not account for “bonus salary”.

Appellant’s first and second assignments of error are predicated upon her contention that her husband owes an accounting to her of all the community assets from the date she filed her suit for separation (May 9, 1958) instead of from the date she filed her divorce action (January 27, 1961) as held by the Trial Court.

In paragraph III of her petition' for divorce appellant stated in part “ * * * petitioner filed a suit against the defendant for a separation from bed and board which said suit is being dismissed without prejudice by your petitioner herein, simultaneously with the filing of this petition for a divorceThis together with other allegations made by her in various other pleadings scattered throughout the record leaves no doubt in our mind that appellant intended to, and did, abandon her separation suit on January 27, 1961 when she filed the suit for divorce.

Ever since the decision of the Supreme Court in Tanner v. Tanner, 229 La. 399, 86 So.2d 80, it has become the settled jurisprudence of this state that the marital community is dissolved as of the date of the judgment of separation or divorce, and not as of the date of filing suit therefor.

The husband therefore remains the head and master of the community until the rendition of a judgment dissolving it and (except for the protection provided the wife by Articles 149 and 150 of the Civil Code) the wife cannot legally force him to account for his administration thereof, absent allegations and proof of concealment or disposition of community property with intent to defraud her.

As pointed out in Tanner, supra, Civil Code Articles 149 and 150 (LSA-C.C. Arts. 149, 150) provide protection for the wife’s interest in the community which continues to exist during the pendency of the suit for separation or divorce. Article 149 authorizes her to require an inventory of its assets as they exist on the date of the filing of suit and an injunction restraining her husband from disposing of any part thereof. Article 150 provides that from the day suit is brought the husband cannot incur any debt on account of the community nor dispose of any of the immovables belonging to the same and any alienation made thereof in fraud of his wife’s rights is null. Subject to these codal provisions the community remains intact under the husband’s administration until terminated by judgment.

The Trial Judge, correctly in our opinion, found that Mrs. McMichael failed to establish that her husband secreted or otherwise disposed of any of the community assets in fraud of her rights.

[339]*339Mrs. McMichael, having abandoned her suit for separation, the Trial Judge correctly held that the husband’s accountability for the assets of the community commenced as of January 27, 1961, the date of the filing of the action for divorce in conformity with the protection afforded the wife during the pendency of the suit by Civil Code Articles 149 and 150.

The Trial Court however denied Mrs. McMichael’s claim for an accounting for the salary paid her husband by his employer during the pendency of the divorce proceedings. In our opinion the salary paid him during this period is not comparable to the income, such as dividends and rentals, derived during this period from assets owned by the community as of the date suit was filed.

While Mr. McMichael’s salary during this period falls into the community, since he remains head and master thereof until rendition of the divorce decree, he would not be obliged to account for any expenditures therefrom, not in fraud of his wife’s rights, unless there is some provision of the Code which would require it. We know of no such provision.

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Related

Joseph v. Joseph
506 So. 2d 198 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1987)
Burger v. Burger
357 So. 2d 1178 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1978)
Bynacker v. McMichael
205 So. 2d 433 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
194 So. 2d 335, 1967 La. App. LEXIS 5718, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bynacker-v-mcmichael-lactapp-1967.