C.G. v. F.G.

53 Misc. 3d 229, 34 N.Y.S.3d 882
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 8, 2016
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 53 Misc. 3d 229 (C.G. v. F.G.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
C.G. v. F.G., 53 Misc. 3d 229, 34 N.Y.S.3d 882 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Catherine M. DiDomenico, J.

The decision and order on wife’s application is as follows:

Plaintiff wife moves by order to show cause (motion sequence No. 001) for pendente lite relief requesting an order: (1) granting her temporary custody of the subject child of this marriage G.G. (age five); (2) granting her exclusive use and occupancy of the former marital residence; (3) directing that all visits with defendant husband be professionally supervised; (4) awarding pendente lite child support; (5) awarding pendente lite maintenance; and (6) awarding plaintiff’s attorney pendente lite counsel fees and expert fees. While wife also initially requested that this divorce action proceed under a redacted caption, that application was withdrawn on the motion’s initial appearance date. Wife’s application for exclusive use and occupancy was previously granted by this court on May 31, 2016.

Defendant husband cross-moves by notice of cross motion (sequence No. 002) requesting an order: (1) setting forth a schedule for unsupervised visitation; (2) awarding pendente lite child support and maintenance in accordance with husband’s calculations; (3) permitting the defendant to collect certain rents and obtain possession of the former marital vehicle (a 2014 Mercedes GL); (4) allowing husband to deduct the payment of the mortgage from his support obligations in lieu of the payment to wife thereof; (5) setting a pretrial hearing date for the family offense aspects of this proceeding; and (6) granting husband a duty use exception for the use of his firearm during periods of on duty employment with the New York City Police Department.

[231]*231Factual Background

The parties were married in September of 2004 after having dated for a period of approximately three years. There is one child of this marriage, G.G. (age five). While there are currently no custodial orders pertaining to the subject child, it is undisputed that the child resides primarily with wife. Moreover, on or about January 21, 2016 this court issued a temporary order of protection against husband which directs him to “stay away” from G.G., subject to the parental access orders of this court. Husband currently has visitation with the subject child, twice a week, under the supervision of the maternal grandparents.

Husband is 38 years old. Husband is currently employed as a sergeant for the New York City Police Department. The last complete tax return provided to the court was a jointly filed return from 2014. According to this tax return, the parties claimed total wages of $161,920, which consisted of husband’s income and a state income tax refund. However, wife argues that this income is not wholly reflective of husband’s earning capacity. According to the voluminous tax information provided by both parties it appears that husband earned in the vicinity' of $188,710 in 2013, $161,920 in 2014 and $157,280 in 2015.

In addition to his income from employment, wife argues that husband commingles his funds with those of his parents, and that his parents provide him with considerable financial support. In support of this claim, wife annexes various transcriptions of alleged recorded conversations between wife and husband and wife and paternal grandmother regarding the purchase of luxury vehicles and expensive clothes made in his parents’ names. While husband admits that his paycheck is consistently deposited into a joint account with his mother, and that he co-owns assets with his father, he denies that his parents provide him with a significant amount of financial support. Husband simply claims that his parents provide him with “occasional help.”

In addition to support from his parents, wife also implies that husband must be obtaining money from a source other than his income as she alleges that husband is intending to purchase a million dollar home and has purchased an $85,000 engagement ring for his paramour. It is undisputed that husband obtains rent from an investment property located in Staten Island, New York, but he argues that the monthly mortgage relating to that property exceeds the rental income. [232]*232Husband denies that he obtains income from any other source than his regular employment with the police department. Husband self reports that he has attained 60 college credits and that his health is good. Wife contests this claim and argues that husband suffers from undiagnosed and untreated mental illness, including obsessive compulsive traits.

Wife is 39 years old. Wife is currently employed as an insurance underwriter by an entity known as “TCE Insurance Services Inc.” In addition to the parties’ 2014 tax return, which attributes no income to her, wife has provided the court with her 2015 “end of year” paycheck which was issued on December 31, 2015. According to this paycheck, wife earned a gross income of $17,706. Husband argues that this amount is incorrect and that she actually works both “on and off the books,” however, husband has offered no persuasive proof of these claims. In fact, in his opposition papers, husband approximates that wife earns anywhere between $15,000 and $30,000 a year, which appears consistent with wife’s documentation. Husband further claims that wife receives an unknown amount of financial support from her family. Wife self reports that she has an Associate’s degree, and that her health is good.

Decision

Temporary Maintenance

Wife seeks an award of pendente lite maintenance. As this action was commenced after October 25, 2015, this court is required to apply the new statutory mathematical formula in determining temporary maintenance awards. (See Domestic Relations Law § 236 [B] [5-a].) Pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 236 (B) (5-a) (c), after the statutory formula is applied to the parties’ income, the calculated amount is considered the presumptive award of temporary maintenance, which shall be ordered, unless the court finds that the presumptive award would be unjust or inappropriate based upon the factors prescribed in Domestic Relations Law § 236 (B) (5-a) (h) (1).

If the court determines that the presumptive temporary maintenance award is unjust or inappropriate, thereby warranting a deviation, the statute requires that the order adjusting the presumptive award must include the amount of the unadjusted presumptive award of temporary maintenance, the factors the court considered, and the reasons the court adjusted the presumptive award. (See Domestic Relations Law § 236 [B] [5-a] [h] [2].)

[233]*233In determining income for the purpose of calculating temporary maintenance, the statute uses the same definition of income as set forth in the Child Support Standards Act. (See Domestic Relations Law § 236 [B] [5-a] [b] [4].) The court is directed to utilize income figures as they were, or should have been, reported oh the parties’ most recently filed tax return. (See Domestic Relations Law § 240 [1-b] [b] [5] [i]; see also Miller v Miller, 18 AD3d 629 [2d Dept 2005].) However, when determining income, the court need not rely solely on the party’s own account of his or her finances, but may, in its discretion, impute income based upon the party’s past earnings or demonstrated earning potential. (See Friedman v Friedman, 309 AD2d 830 [2d Dept 2003].) While rental income may be considered as income, it should only be considered as such after it is used to pay mortgages and expenses related to the property from which it is derived. (See Matter of Ambrose v Felice,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 Misc. 3d 229, 34 N.Y.S.3d 882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cg-v-fg-nysupct-2016.