Davis v. Davis

57 N.E.2d 703, 42 Ohio Law. Abs. 105, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 514
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 1, 1944
DocketNo. 3641
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 57 N.E.2d 703 (Davis v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Davis, 57 N.E.2d 703, 42 Ohio Law. Abs. 105, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 514 (Ohio Ct. App. 1944).

Opinions

OPINION

By BARNES, P. J.

The above-entitled cause is' now being determined as an error proceeding by reason of plaintiff’s appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, Franklin County, Ohio.

On June 15, 1942, plaintiff filed her petition against the defendant, Davis, and some fifteen other defendants, praying for alimony, temporary and permanent, out of the money, property and assets of the defendant Davis, described" in the petition, either in his possession or in the possession of the defendant firms. Plaintiff’s action was one for alimony alone. Defendant’s answer was a general denial. The trial court found the allegations of plaintiff’s petition to be true, and that the defendant was guilty of gross neglect of duty toward the plaintiff, and further, had abandoned plaintiff without [107]*107good cause on March 16, 1942. The Court held by reason of the above that plaintiff was entitled to a division of the property and awarded her $21,500.00 cash and the cancellation of a note. The Court further held that the Reno divorce must be recognized.

Thereafter, within due time, plaintiff, through her attorneys gave notice of appeal on question of law and thus the case was lodged in our Court.

Appellant’s assignments of errors are stated under 12 separately stated and numbered specifications. Counsel in their briefs have reclassified these assignments under four separate headings as follows:

I. The parties are not divorced.

II. The trial court did not have jurisdiction to make a division of the property of the defendant.

III. The trial court erred in denying plaintiff an allowance for her expenses and attorney fees.

IV. Award of the trial court to the plaintiff is inadequate and unequitable.

We can at once take up these assignments and we will do so in order.

The first raises the issue that the parties are not divorced.

This question was not presented through the pleadings, but was gone into very fully in the evidence.

It appears from the record that a divorce had not been granted at the time plaintiff filed her petition for alimony. The petition contains the allegation that on a day named the defendant abandoned her and under the pretense of going to Hot Springs for his health, went to Reno, Nevada, for the purpose of procuring a divorce. The petition' sets out in detail the attending facts as to defendant’s acts and conduct in going to Reno.

The petition further alleged that plaintiff, after she had been abandoned by the defendant, ascertained that defendant for a period of one to two years had been keeping company with another woman. It is disclosed from the evidence that this woman also made the trip to Reno, and that defendant now claims to be married to her. At the time of the filing of plaintiff’s petition for alimony, plaintiff alleged on information and belief that defendant was in Reno for the purpose of procuring a divorce; that he had no grounds upon which to base any action for divorce, and further, that the trial court in that state had no jurisdiction to hear the action.

Defendant filed answer in September, 1942. As heretofore stated this answer was a general denial. No averment was [108]*108contained therein setting up the defense of divorce. This, we think, was essential to a presentation of this issue.

It is not necessary for the plaintiff to raise this issue in support of her claim for alimony. She did in her recital of historical facts allege that she believed defendant was in Reno for the purpose of bringing an action for divorce. Now this is not the equivalent of alleging that he had obtained the divorce. It was supporting of the allegation of abandonment.

It was not essential that defendant make this question an issue by averring in his answer that he was divorced. If it was desired to raise the question as to the effect of divorce upon the question of alimony, then it was necessary to bring the issue into the case by answer.

Not having done so, the issue stands on the allegation of plaintiff’s petition as an action solely for alimony and not for a division of property as is permitted in actions of divorce.

The above recitals and conclusions were not raised either in oral argument or through the briefs. This is probably due to an inadvertence or through a difference of opinion on the legal proposition.

By. reason of this fact we will take up and consider the question just the same as though the issue was presented in the pleadings that the defendant claims to be divorced by the action of a court in the state of Nevada.

The evidence presented in the record very fully and adequately shows that defendant’s claimed domicile in Reno was a sham and that he did not have a bona fide residence or domicile within that state.

The conclusion is irresistible that the defendant went to Reno for the sole and only purpose of procuring a divorce; that he took up the residence in some apartment and there bided his time for filing his petition. The defendant sought to have the plaintiff assist him in his procurement of a divorce, but she did not so do. In at least one of his letters he spoke about getting through and getting back home. As soon as he procured his divorce he hastened back home. No one can read the record and have any other idea than that the defendant’s-, going to Reno and his stay there was purely for the purpose of bringing his action for and procuring a divorce, and that there was always the intention to return to his Ohio home as soon as he got the divorce.

The courts have universally held that this conduct does not constitute a domicile. As a definition of the term “domicile”, we make reference to 14 O. Jur., p. 564, §3. Reference is also made to the case of In re estate of Stephan, 31 Abs 457, 459:

[109]*109“In law domicile means the place where one has voluntarily fixed his habitation, not for a temporary or special purpose, but with the intention of making it his permanent home- and to which, whenever he is absent, he intends to return.”

Bouvier’s Law Dictionary.

“A domicile can only be changed by making a new home with intention of abandoning the old and to adopt the new."

We also refer to the case of District of Columbia v Murphy, 82 L. Ed., 338 Supreme Court of the United States.

Under the record and the law there is no difficulty in determining that the defendant-appellee in the' instant case was not a bona fide resident of Reno, either at the time when he made his application and filed his petition for divorce or when he was granted the decree.

The legal question presented is whether or not under the full faith and credit provisions of the United States Constitution the trial judge was bound to recognize the divorce decree procured by defendant in Reno.

If so, then the parties were divorced; if not, then there was; no divorce. This principle of law is well recognized by all parties. The trial court determined that under the full faith and’ credit provision he was bound to recognize the action of the Reno court and hence the parties were divorced. Counsel for appellee claim that the court in making this finding is conclusively supported by the case of Williams v North Carolina, 317 U. S., 287; 63 S. Ct. 207.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 N.E.2d 703, 42 Ohio Law. Abs. 105, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-davis-ohioctapp-1944.