Fien v. Galloway-Fien

2024 Ohio 5762
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 9, 2024
Docket2023-G-0048
StatusPublished

This text of 2024 Ohio 5762 (Fien v. Galloway-Fien) 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
Fien v. Galloway-Fien, 2024 Ohio 5762 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

[Cite as Fien v. Galloway-Fien, 2024-Ohio-5762.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT GEAUGA COUNTY

WILLIAM G. FIEN, JR., CASE NO. 2023-G-0048

Plaintiff-Appellee, Civil Appeal from the - vs - Court of Common Pleas

SHERRY L. GALLOWAY-FIEN, Trial Court No. 2012 DC 000898 Defendant-Appellant.

OPINION

Decided: December 9, 2024 Judgment: Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded

Patrick DiChiro, 6300 Rockside Road, Suite 302, Independence, OH 44131 (For Plaintiff-Appellee).

Sherry L. Galloway-Fien, pro se, 15863 Thompson Road, Thompson, OH 44086 (Defendant-Appellant).

JOHN J. EKLUND, J.

{¶1} Appellant, Sherry Galloway-Fien, and Appellee, William Fien, were divorced

in 2015. Six years later, the parties each filed post-decree motions asking the court to

order the other to show cause why the other should not be held in contempt for failing to

comply with the Divorce Decree’s property division terms.

{¶2} Appellee’s post-decree motion alleged Appellant had failed to pay him his

agreed upon share of equity ($17,130.50) in their W. 157th Street residence. Appellant

first filed a Motion to Modify Child Support and then a Motion to Show Cause, which asserted that Appellee had failed to make mortgage payments on the Thompson Road

residence.

{¶3} After holding a hearing, a magistrate issued a decision. The trial court

adopted the magistrate’s decision, over Appellant’s objections. For the reasons stated

below, we affirm the trial court’s judgment in part, reverse in part, and remand.

Substantive and Procedural History

{¶4} Appellant and Appellee were married March 20, 2005, and had two children.

{¶5} On September 6, 2012, Appellee filed a Complaint for Divorce.

{¶6} On May 11, 2015, the trial court entered a Judgment of Divorce. That

judgment addressed (among other things) the division of two properties: a Thompson

Road marital residence and a W. 157th Street residence.

The Divorce Decree:

{¶7} As to the Thompson Road residence, the Divorce Decree stated:

[Appellee] shall be entitled to retain exclusive possession of the Thompson Road property unless the property is sold or [Appellant] removes [Appellee] from liability on the residence as set forth herein. [Appellee] shall be responsible for the first and second mortgages on said property and all other obligations associated with said residence and shall indemnify and hold [Appellant] harmless thereon.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that [Appellee] shall be granted one year from the date of this final Judgment Entry of Divorce to refinance or otherwise remove [Appellant’s] name from the liabilities on the first and second mortgages associated with the Thompson Road property. If after one year [Appellee] is unable to refinance or otherwise remove [Appellant’s] name from the first and second mortgages at the Thompson Road property, then [Appellant] shall have 90 days to refinance or otherwise remove [Appellees’] name from the liabilities on the first and second mortgages associated with the Thompson road property. . . . If after both periods of time for the parties to refinance or otherwise remove the other from liability on the Thompson Road property have expired and neither party has refinanced the residence or otherwise removed the pother party from liability, then the residence shall be immediately listed for sale with a licensed real estate agent and sold. 2

Case No. 2023-G-0048 {¶8} As to the W. 157th Street residence, the Divorce Decree stated:

[Appellant], at her option, shall be permitted to retain exclusive possession of the W. 157th Street property until the occurrence of one of the events set forth below. [Appellant] shall indemnify and hold [Appellee] harmless as to all obligations regarding said real property including but not limited to the mortgage, taxes, homeowner’s insurance, maintenance and utilities.

[Appellant], at her option, shall have up to one year to either pay [Appellee] for his share of the equity in the W. 157th St. property or list the property on the market for sale. In the event [Appellant] elects to sell the property, then within one year of this final Judgment Entry of Divorce, said property shall be listed with a licensed real estate agent selected by mutual agreement of the parties and sold. In the event the parties are unable to agree, the parties shall follow the advice of the real estate agent regarding listing price, acceptance of offers, and counteroffers. Upon sale, after payment of the customary costs of sale, the proceeds shall be equally divided between the parties.

In the event [Appellant] elects to purchase [Appellee’s] interest in said real property, she shall, within one year of this final Judgment Entry of Divorce, be ordered to pay [Appellee] $17,130.50 for his share of the equity.

{¶9} Thus, under the Divorce Decree, Appellee assumed responsibility for the

mortgages on Thompson Road residence and agreed to indemnify and hold Appellant

harmless on the mortgages and other obligations for the property.

{¶10} As to the W. 157th Street residence, Appellant agreed to indemnify and hold

Appellee harmless for the mortgage payments. Appellant had the option to pay Appellee

$17,130.50 for his share of the equity in the property or to list and sell the property with

mutual participation of the parties and to divide the proceeds of the sale.

{¶11} Appellant took exclusive possession of the W. 157th Street residence;

Appellee took exclusive possession of the Thompson Road residence.

Case No. 2023-G-0048 Temporary Agreement:

{¶12} A mere four and one-half months later, on September 28, 2015, the parties

entered a Temporary Agreement to switch residences. Although the parties assumed

responsibility for the utilities and other expenses along with the switch in residence, the

parties remained responsible for their original mortgage expenses on the properties as

set forth in the Divorce Decree until March 1, 2016.

Post-Decree Motions:

{¶13} Appellee filed his post-decree Motion to Show Cause on April 14, 2021.

{¶14} Appellant filed a Motion to Modify Child Support on November 4, 2021.

{¶15} Appellant filed her Motion to Show Cause on December 7, 2021. Appellant

said that Appellee’s failure to make the Thompson Road mortgage payments as required

resulted in her taking out a loan to stop a foreclosure on the residence and that she

incurred late fees and finance charges.

Hearing on the Motions:

{¶16} On August 26, 2022, the trial court held a hearing through a magistrate on

the pending motions.

{¶17} At the start of the hearing, Appellee withdrew the portion of his show cause

motion pertaining to refinancing the Thompson Road residence because Appellant had

since refinanced the loan. Second, the parties stipulated to the child support computation

worksheet figures, which were entered into evidence as Court’s Exhibit I. The parties

agreed that “two of the four issues” raised had been resolved.

Case No. 2023-G-0048 Testimony relating to W. 157th Street residence:

{¶18} Appellee testified that the parties owned two houses at the time of their

divorce. Appellant did not list the W. 157th Street residence by May 11, 2016. Instead,

Appellant sold the residence in December 2017. However, she did not pay Appellee

$17,130.50 as required by the Divorce Decree.

{¶19} Appellee said he did not pursue court action on this issue sooner because

there was still an ongoing dispute about the refinance of the Thompson Road residence.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2024 Ohio 5762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fien-v-galloway-fien-ohioctapp-2024.