Cooper v. Cooper

144 N.W.2d 146, 259 Iowa 277, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 833
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJuly 14, 1966
Docket52191
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 144 N.W.2d 146 (Cooper v. Cooper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cooper v. Cooper, 144 N.W.2d 146, 259 Iowa 277, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 833 (iowa 1966).

Opinion

Moore, J.

This is a divorce action filed September 21, 1964, by Ray Cooper against his wife Mary Jo Cooper alleging cruel and inhuman treatment and later amended charging adultery as grounds for divorce. He asked for custody of their four minor children, the personal property and that the 160-acre farm of the parties described in the petition and commonly referred to as the Goldfield farm be placed in trust with a life estate in him and the remainder in the children. After an unsuccessful attempt to obtain *a divorce in Reno, Nevada, defendant Mary Jo filed her answer March 4, 1965, asking custody of the children and a determination of property rights.

On December 9, 1964, Mrs. Cooper commenced a partition action in the same court asking the 160-acre farm owned by Ray and herself be sold. On Mr. Cooper’s motion this action was consolidated with the divorce case.

I. On trial to the court starting May 4, 1965, the entire controversy was tried as a contested divorce and resulted in a decree of divorce. The parties agreed the court could dispose of the property if a divorce was granted. The partition action thereby became moot as the divorce decree includes a determi *279 nation of the parties’ rights in the 160-acre farm and orders its sale. On this appeal by both parties we are asked to review the trial court’s order determining their respective rights in the farm. Mary Jo’s complaint her husband was in default due to late filing of his answer in the partition action therefore need not be considered by us. Our reference to the parties will be as they are in the divorce case.

Plaintiff and defendant were married December 29, 1956, at Eagle Grove. Plaintiff had served in Korea with distinction and received several citations including the Purple Heart. At all times pertinent here he was employed by the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company first as a brakeman and later as engineer. Defendant had two years of college and was not employed outside the home during the marriage. At time of trial plaintiff was 37 and defendant 27. Pour children were born to this marriage who ranged in age from three to seven years at time of trial.

■ During the first years marital problems, if any, were minor. They- first lived in Hawarden, then on an acreage near Eagle Grove and in 1962 moved to the 160-acre farm near Goldfield. Defendant developed some emotional problems during the last few years of their marriage but real trouble resulted from defendant’s adulterous conduct with a farmer and horseman at Fairfield starting early in 1964. Her letters establish illicit relations with this man and their plans to obtain divorces and marry.

July 9, 1964, Mrs. Cooper commenced an action for divorce in Wright County District Court. Mr. Cooper answered and indicated the divorce would be contested. Faced with frustration of her plans Mrs. Cooper without notice to her husband on August 17, 1964, dismissed her divorce action, drew out all the savings and $400 from the cheeking account of the parties, took the children and flew to Reno, Nevada. She filed a divorce action in Reno on September 28, 1964. This was one week after Mr. Cooper filed the divorce action in Wright County which is now before us on appeal. Not until after defendant’s departure for Reno did plaintiff discover the torrid love letters that had passed between defendant and the man at Fairfield.

*280 Plaintiff incurred attorney fees both for himself and his wife and other expenses in contesting defendant’s attempts to obtain a Reno divorce. Her first divorce action in Reno was dismissed by the court on February 2, 1965, for lack of jurisdiction but she immediately started a second. At considerable expense plaintiff went to Reno in an attempt to get the children where he found them living with their mother under deplorable conditions. He also discovered she had been carrying on affairs with other men in Reno.' She had taken a trip to Squaw Valley with a photographer and another to California with a Doctor Dam.

On trial of this case defendant did not deny the letters written by her admitting adultery but refused to answer questions pertaining thereto and her conduct with other men during her marriage. Her attempt to prove misconduct by plaintiff faffed for lack of evidence.

The trial court’s findings, conclusions and decree filed May 17, 1965, grants plaintiff a divorce on the ground defendant Mary Jo Cooper had committed adultery. Custody of the four children is placed in the Wright County District Court with their physical custody given to plaintiff subject to review later upon proper showing. Defendant is granted reasonable visitation rights.

Regarding property rights the decree provides:

“4. Dr. O. N. Emerson of Eagle Grove, Iowa, is appointed a commissioner of this court with authority to sell at public auction in the courtroom of the courthouse at Clarion, Wright County, Iowa, the following described real estate, to-wit:
“The Southwest Quarter (SW %) of Section twenty six (26) Township 92 North, Range 26 west of the 5th PM, Iowa.
“From the proceeds of sale, there shall first be deducted the costs and expenses, court costs in case number 16173 and 16214, mortgage indebtedness, unpaid attorney fees incurred on behalf of both plaintiff and defendant, the unpaid indebtedness owing by each party as shown by the evidence as of the date of this deeree. (In the event of any dispute on these claims they are to be submitted to the court) Any indebtedness incurred by reason of the farm operation is also to be paid. Of the *281 balance of the proceeds remaining %rds thereof shall be allocated to Mary Jo Cooper and %rd thereof to Ray Cooper. The commissioner is instructed to retain an amount equal to 35% of each share and to invest the same in certificates of deposit or savings accounts in the names of the children with a government insured bank or savings and loan association. The instruments representing such investments shall carry an interest rate of not less than 4% per annum and the same shall be left for safekeeping with the clerk of this court, her successor or successors. No bond shall be required. These investments shall remain intact until all of the children reach the age of 21 years, or sooner die or are emancipated. Jurisdiction is retained here to modify this provision in the event of death or disability of the parents or should other equitable circumstances arise.
“5. Defendant Mary Jo Cooper is granted absolutely:
“(a) Her furniture, bedroom suite, her car now in her possession, sewing machine, antiques, her dishes and enough bedding for her own use, to be removed by her from the present home by June 15, 1965.
“(b) her personal effects.
“6. Plaintiff is granted absolutely:
“(a) The Buick automobile and all other furniture and personal property located in the home not specifically granted to defendant in (a) of paragraph 5 above.
“(b) his personal effects.
“7.

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Bluebook (online)
144 N.W.2d 146, 259 Iowa 277, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 833, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cooper-v-cooper-iowa-1966.