Demetreous Flengas v. Kimberly Denise Flengas

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Demetreous Flengas v. Kimberly Denise Flengas

DecidedMarch 10, 1996

Docket03A01-9508-CV-00281

StatusPublished

This text of Demetreous Flengas v. Kimberly Denise Flengas (Demetreous Flengas v. Kimberly Denise Flengas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Demetreous Flengas v. Kimberly Denise Flengas, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED March 1, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk

DEMETREOUS FLENGAS ) HAM LTON COUNTY I ) 03A01- 9508- CV- 00281 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) HON. W LLI AM M BARKER, I . ) J UDGE ) KI MBERLY DENI SE FLENGAS ) ) De f e nda nt - Appe l l e e ) REMANDED W TH DI RECTI ONS I

MARVI N BERKE OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLANT

LESLI E B. M W LLI AM OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLEE c I S

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

De me t r e ous Fl e nga s , t he hus ba nd, a nd Ki mbe r l y De ni s e

Fl e n g a s , t he wi f e , we r e gr a nt e d a n a bs ol ut e di vor c e i n Se pt e mbe r

1 9 9 4 i n Ha mi l t on Count y. Shor t l y t he r e a f t e r , t he Tr i a l Cour t

e n t e r e d i t s me mor a ndum opi ni on a nd or de r whi c h di r e c t e d t he

d i vi s i on o f t he p a r t i e s ' a s s e t s a nd l i a bi l i t i e s . I t i s f r om t hi s

o r d e r t ha t t he hus ba nd a pp e a l s . The pa r t i e s we r e ma r r i e d on Augus t 5, 1989. The y ha v e

n o c h i l dr e n t oge t he r , but t he hus ba nd' s da ught e r f r om a pr e vi ou s

ma r r i a g e l i ve d wi t h t he p a r t i e s unt i l s hor t l y be f or e t he pa r t i e s '

s e p a r a t i on. The hus ba nd f i l e d hi s c ompl a i nt f or di vor c e i n

Fe b r u a r y of 1994. The wi f e a s ke d t ha t t he c ompl a i nt be di s mi s s e d

a n d s h e t he n f i l e d a c ount e r - c l a i m s e e ki ng di vor c e .

A non- j ur y t r i a l wa s he l d on J ul y 18 a nd 19, 1994. An

o r d e r o f a bs ol ut e di vor c e wa s e nt e r e d on Se pt e mbe r 9, 1994. In

Ap r i l o f 1995, a s a l r e a dy not e d, t he Tr i a l Cour t i s s ue d i t s

me mo r a n dum or de r t ha t di r e c t e d t he di vi s i on of a s s e t s a nd

l i a bi l i t i e s . The p a r t i e s owne d va r i ous a s s e t s , i n c l udi ng a

n u mb e r of a ut omobi l e s . Thi s a ppe a l , howe ve r , i s c onc e r ne d wi t h

onl y one a s s e t : t he ma r i t a l home .

I n 1980, pr i or t o t he pa r t i e s ' ma r r i a ge , t he hus ba nd

p u r c h a s e d a hous e i n Si gna l Mount a i n, Te nne s s e e f or $55, 000. Th e

t i t l e t o t he hous e i s i n t he hus ba nd' s na me onl y a nd i s s e pa r a t e

p r o p e r t y of t he hus ba nd. Howe ve r , t he Tr i a l Cour t or de r e d t ha t

wh i l e t he wi f e i s not e nt i t l e d t o a ny s ha r e i n t he hus ba nd' s

s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y, s he i s e nt i t l e d t o s ha r e i n t he a ppr e c i a t i o n

o f s u c h pr ope r t y s i nc e t he ma r r i a ge . The Tr i a l Cour t not e d t h a t

" [ a ] l t h ough t he r e wa s no e vi de nc e i nt r oduc e d r e ga r di ng t he a c t u a l

i n c r e a s e i n v a l ue of t he r e s i de nc e s i nc e t he ma r r i a ge , i t i s

c l e a r t ha t m t of t he i m ove me nt s , whi c h we r e s ubs t a nt i a l , we r e os pr

ma d e b y t he pa r t i e s f ol l owi ng t he ma r r i a ge . " The r e f or e , t he

Tr i a l Cour t or de r e d t ha t t he hous e be s ol d a nd t ha t " t he ne t

2 p r o c e e ds f r om t he s a l e , a f t e r t he de duc t i on of t he ba l a nc e owe d

o n t h e mor t ga ge s , t he he a t i ng a nd a i r - c ondi t i oni ng s ys t e m, r e a l

e s t a t e s a l e s f e e s , c l os i ng c os t s , a nd a ny unpa i d pr ope r t y t a xe s , "

b e d i v i de d be t we e n t he pa r t i e s s o t ha t t he hus ba nd woul d r e c e i v e

7 5 p e r c e nt a nd t he wi f e 25 pe r c e nt .

3 The hus ba nd pr e s e nt s t he s e i s s ue f or a ppe a l :

I. W t he r a t r i a l c our t ma y a wa r d a n i nt e r e s t i n a he s p ous e ' s s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y t o t he ot he r s pous e de s pi t e n o e vi de nc e t ha t t he s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y i nc r e a s e d i n v a l ue .

II. W t he r a t r i a l c our t ma y a dmi t a l a y opi ni on he r e ga r di ng va l ue by a wi t ne s s who i s not a n e xpe r t a nd d o e s not own t he pr op e r t y.

The r e i s no que s t i on t ha t t he ma r i t a l home i s s e pa r a t e

p r o p e r t y be l ongi ng t o t he hus ba nd. Howe ve r , T. C. A. 36- 4-

1 2 1 ( b ) ( 1) ( B) pr ovi de s t ha t " a ny i nc r e a s e i n va l ue dur i ng t he

ma r r i a g e , of pr ope r t y de t e r mi ne d t o be s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y" i s

ma r i t a l pr ope r t y s o l ong a s e a c h pa r t y t o t he ma r r i a ge

" s u b s t a nt i a l l y c ont r i but e d t o i t s pr e s e r va t i on a nd a ppr e c i a t i o n . "

Se e a l s o El l i s v . El l i s , 748 S. W 2d 424 ( Te nn. 1988) . . The Code

d e f i n e s s ubs t a nt i a l c ont r i but i on a s " t he di r e c t or i ndi r e c t

c o n t r i b ut i on of a s pous e a s home ma ke r , wa ge e a r ne r , pa r e nt or

f a mi l y f i na nc i a l ma na ge r , t oge t he r wi t h s uc h ot he r f a c t or s a s t h e

c o u r t h a vi ng j ur i s di c t i on t he r e of ma y de t e r mi ne . " T. C. A. 36- 4 -

1 2 1 ( b) ( 1) ( C) .

I n t he c a s e b e f or e us , t he r e i s e vi de nc e t ha t t he

p a r t i e s ma de s e ve r a l i mpr ove me nt s t o t he ma r i t a l home a nd

a d j o i n i ng pr ope r t y. Among t he i mpr ove me nt s we r e : a ddi ng a

g a r a g e , a ddi ng a c ove r e d de c k, a ddi ng a wood s t or a ge bui l di ng,

e n c l os i ng a p a t i o, i n s t a l l i ng c e nt r a l he a t a nd a i r , f e nc i ng i n a

p o r t i o n of t he pr ope r t y, i ns t a l l i ng a n uppe r dr i ve wa y a nd va r i o u s

o t h e r i mpr ove me nt s . The s e i mpr ove me nt s we r e done by t he pa r t i e s

4 t h e ms e l v e s , by wor ke r s t he pa r t i e s t r a de d wi t h or by i ndi vi dua l s

wh o we r e pa i d f or t he i r wor k. The hus ba nd doe s not c ont e s t t he

Tr i a l Cour t ' s f i ndi ng t ha t t he wi f e s ubs t a nt i a l l y c ont r i but e d t o

t h e i n s t a l l a t i on of t he i mpr ove me nt s .

The hus ba nd i ns t e a d i ns i s t s t ha t be c a us e t he wi f e

f a i l e d t o p r oduc e a ny a c t ua l e vi de nc e of a n i nc r e a s e i n t he

p r o p e r t y' s va l ue s he i s not e nt i t l e d t o a n i nt e r e s t i n t he

p r o p e r t y. De t e r mi ni ng t he va l ue of s uc h pr ope r t y i s a f a c t

q u e s t i o n a nd t hus , t he t r i a l c our t ' s de t e r mi na t i on mus t be gi v e n

g r e a t we i ght on a ppe a l . W l l a c e v. W l l a c e , 733 S. W 2d 102 a a .

( Te n n . App. 1987) . The Tr i a l Cour t ' s de c i s i on wi t h r e ga r d t o

v a l u a t i on of ma r i t a l pr ope r t y wi l l be pr e s ume d t o be c or r e c t

u n l e s s t he e vi de nc e pr e pon de r a t e s ot he r wi s e . W l l a c e , s upr a . a

The di f f i c ul t y h e r e i s t ha t t he r e i s no a c t ua l e vi de n c e

r e g a r d i ng t he va l ue of t he hus ba nd' s e qui t y i n t he pr ope r t y a t

t he t i me o f t he ma r r i a ge . At t r i a l , t h e hus ba nd t e s t i f i e d t ha t

t h e p r o pe r t y wa s wor t h $80 , 000 whi l e t he wi f e t e s t i f i e d t ha t t h e

p r o p e r t y wa s wor t h $175, 000. Al s o i nt r oduc e d i nt o e vi de nc e wa s

t he f a c t t ha t pr i or t o t he i ns t a l l a t i on of t he he a t i ng a nd

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