Florence v. Florence

388 S.W.2d 220
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 4, 1965
Docket75
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 388 S.W.2d 220 (Florence v. Florence) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Florence v. Florence, 388 S.W.2d 220 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a temporary injunction restraining appellant from disturbing the appellee at her work or at their residence and an order allowing appellee to continue use of the residence of the parties during the pendency of the suit. This appeal grows out of a presently pending divorce suit in which appellee is cross plaintiff and appellant is cross defendant.

On November 12,1962, appellant filed suit for divorce against appellee in the 115th Judicial District Court of Upshur County, Texas. Appellee duly filed her first amended original answer, which in addition to denying the allegations in plaintiff’s amended petition, she prayed for a division of the property, for attorney’s fees, and that plaintiff take nothing by his suit.

On October 29, 1963, the case went to trial before a jury and a verdict was returned on the 30th day of October, 1963. The verdict of the jury was against appellant.

On January 8, 1964, appellant filed a motion requesting the court to enter a judgment against him and in favor of the defendant in accordance with the answer of the jury to the special issues submitted to them. The motion was set for hearing on January 24, 1964.

On January 24, 1964, prior to pronouncement or entry of the judgment denying appellant a divorce, appellee filed a cross action in said cause wherein she sought divorce from appellant, a division and adjudication of the property rights existing between the parties, and that she be awarded the use and benefit of the residence of the parties therein described during the pendency of the suit, or until further order of the court.

On February 7, 1964, appellee filed her application for temporary injunction which in part she makes the following allegation:

“Accordingly, cross plaintiff prays the Court to enter its order fixing a time and place for hearing this her application to be awarded the temporary use and occupancy of the residence house herein described, during the pendency of this suit, or until further orders of this Court.
*222 “Cross plaintiff shows to the Court that at the time of the filing of said cross action, the attention of the Court was not called to the above quoted paragraph by reason of the fact that cross plaintiff understood that her quiet, peaceable and exclusive occu-pany of the property hereinabove described was to continue uninterruptedly.
“Cross plaintiff shows to the Court that on Friday, January 31, 1964, on Monday, February 3, 1964, and on Wednesday February S, 1964, the cross defendant has demanded of cross plaintiff a key to such residence and the right to freely enter into said house at will, to live therein, if he chose, and in short to do any and all other things necessary to establish and maintain complete dominion of and over such house, this cross plaintiff and her children. Cross defendant has further stated that he, at all costs, intended to enter said house, even to the extent of chopping a door in or down, for the purpose of gaining entrance.”

Cross plaintiff further alleges “that while she has had the uninterrupted and peaceable use, possession and occupancy of the residence house formerly occupied by both cross plaintiff and cross defendant, she fears that unless the Court makes and enters its order awarding to her the right to live in such house, cross defendant will in some manner or fashion attempt to dispossess cross plaintiff and her children from said house. In this connection, cross plaintiff alleges and shows to the Court that she had no home other than the home occupied by her at this time.” The appellant further alleges that the parties became separated on the 4th day of October, 1962, by appellant leaving, and that since such time the appellee has lived in such residence and has the exclusive use and occupancy of it as a home for herself and children.

Appellee therein prayed that “the Court make and enter an order at this time maintaining the status quo which has existed between the parties for a period of 16 months by awarding to cross plaintiff the exclusive use and benefit of the premises owned by the parties and located and situated at 504 S. Montgomery Street, Gilmer, Up-shur County, Texas. And that until a hearing can be had on such application, the Court temporarily restrain and enjoin the cross defendant from coming around, about or upon such premises, or from in any way molesting or harassing cross plaintiff or in any manner interfering with cross plaintiff’s right to the exclusive use and benefit of such premises and the quiet, peaceable possession thereof, and that on hearing hereof the cross defendant be permanently enjoined in like manner during the pendency of this suit, or the further orders of this court, and for such other and further relief, generally and specially, to which cross plaintiff may show herself entitled to recover herein.”

On February 7, 1964, appellee was granted a temporary restraining order as prayed for. A hearing on her application for temporary injunction was set for hearing on February 15, 1964.

Although appellant was duly cited and served with notice of the date of hearing on the application, he failed to appear or answer therein.

On February 15, 1964, upon the hearing of appellee’s application, a temporary injunction was granted restraining and enjoining appellant from “coming around, about or upon the premises where cross plaintiff may be living or working, or may otherwise be, and from molesting or threatening her in any manner.” The court further in said order awarded ap-pellee the use, possession, occupancy and control of the residence homestead of the parties during the pendency of the suit.

From this order appellant has perfected his appeal to this court.

The trial court, pursuant to request therefor, filed his findings of fact and *223 conclusions of law. We quote in part from such findings and conclusions as follows:

“Plaintiff voluntarily left the residence homestead of the parties on October 4, 1962 and has not made any attempt to resume residence at the homestead until on or about the 1st day of February, 1964.
“Since the date of separation of the parties, defendant and cross plaintiff has had the exclusive use and occupancy of the residence homestead of the parties without any opposition on the part of cross defendant.
“Cross plaintiff’s counter claim filed herein on the morning of January 24, 1964, reflects her pleading to the effect that she feared that unless the court entered an order awarding her the exclusive use and occupancy of such residence, the cross defendant probably would attempt to dispossess her and her children from said house.
“On cross plaintiff’s application for a temporary restraining order, filed herein on February 7, 1964, to restrain cross defendant from trying to effect entry into the residence of the parties, and from coming about cross plaintiff or harassing her in any manner, this court did grant such relief to her without notice to cross defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
388 S.W.2d 220, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/florence-v-florence-texapp-1965.