Francis v. Wright-Francis

61 V.I. 13, 2014 WL 3543647, 2014 V.I. LEXIS 45
CourtSuperior Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedJuly 14, 2014
DocketFamily No. ST-10-DI-226
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 61 V.I. 13 (Francis v. Wright-Francis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Francis v. Wright-Francis, 61 V.I. 13, 2014 WL 3543647, 2014 V.I. LEXIS 45 (visuper 2014).

Opinion

WATLINGTON, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

(July 14, 2014)

This matter came on for a trial on April 8, 2014, before the Honorable Debra S. Watlington, Judge of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands for the determination of the parties’ personal property and the marital homestead. Petitioner/Husband Mr. Julito A. Francis appeared with counsel Andrew L. Capdeville, Esq., and Respondent/Wife Dr. Wright-Francis appeared with counsel Julie German Evert, Esq.1 The Court heard sworn testimony from Mr. Francis, Dr. Wright-Francis, Mrs. Joan Francis, and Erica Kellerhals, Esq.

PRELIMINARY MATTERS

Prior to commencing the trial, the Court addressed stipulations and outstanding motions of both parties. The parties stipulated to the admission of Civil Complaint, ST-14-CV-188, Balbo Corporation v. Julito Francis & Debra Francis, filed by Mr. Gerard Castor. However, they do not stipulate or concede to the amount of monetary relief alleged in the pleading.2 The parties also stipulated that the marital homestead, IB-29 Estate Solberg, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is valued at Seven Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($725,000.00) subject to a mortgage of One Hundred Ten Thousand Dollars ($110,000.00). The parties further stipulated that the Court may make its determination of [17]*17jointly owned marital household furniture based on evidence submitted from the January 13, 2014 hearing.3

Thereafter, the pending motions were addressed as follows: 1) Dr. Wright-Francis’ Motion to Exclude Gerard Castor’s testimony was rendered moot in light of the parties’ stipulation; 2) the Court denied Dr. Wright-Francis’ Motion to Exclude Mr. Francis and his mother, Joan A. Francis, from testifying that she has an interest in the parties’ marital homestead; 3) the Court denied Mr. Francis’ request to exclude the expert testimony and report of Attorney Erika Kellerhals; 4) the Court denied Dr. Wright-Francis’ Motion to Exclude Mr. Francis from testifying that he is entitled to money from her earnings; and 5) the Court granted Dr. Wright Francis’ Motion to Exclude testimony concerning the value of the parties’ real and personal property located in the state of Georgia.4

UNDISPUTED FACTS

The parties, Mr. Julito Francis and Dr. Debra Wright-Francis, were married on August 17, 1991 in Opelika, Alabama. They have one minor child, Brooklyn J. Francis, bom on March 6, 2000 and one adult daughter, Saryn J. Francis, bom on January 27, 1993. The parties both resided in Georgia until Mr. Francis relocated in 2004 to St. Thomas; while Dr. Wright-Francis and their daughters joined him in 2005. The parties resided at No. IB-29 Estate Solberg, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands during their marriage. A Decree of Divorce was entered on July 25, 2012, dissolving the marriage.

Mr. Francis is the son of Joan Francis and brother to Diane A. Marsh. Joan Francis and her daughter, Diane, acquired the property known as IB-29 Estate Solberg from the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority which required them to build on the land within a set time period. After realizing that they would not be able to comply with program regulations, they transferred ownership to Mr. Francis to begin constmction to help secure financing to build. Mr. Francis’ mother and sister conveyed Parcel No. IB-29 Estate Solberg to Mr. Francis and Joan Francis by Warranty Deed on April 12,1995. Subsequently, on October 29, 1997, Joan Francis [18]*18executed a Quitclaim Deed transferring her interest in Parcel No. IB-29 Estate Solberg solely to Mr. Francis.5 A dwelling structure was completed in 1988 which Joan Francis moved into in 2000. At that point, Joan Francis began contributing to the mortgage and the utility bill on a monthly basis until 2006. In January 20.14, Joan Francis resumed making contributions of six hundred dollars ($600.00) per month not including utilities.

No. IB-29 Estate Solberg, is a two (2) level structure and has three (3) units. The upper level has three (3) bedrooms and two (2) bathrooms and the lower level is split into two (2) separate one (1) bedroom, one (1) bathroom units. Dr. Wright-Francis continues to occupy the main level of the marital homestead while Mr. Francis has remained in the one (1) bedroom unit which he previously used as his office. Joan Francis, resides in the other one (1) bedroom apartment on the lower level. Mr. Francis is responsible for the mortgage payments for the property. Dr. Wright-Francis assisted with some maintenance of the property.

In January 2014, Dr. Wright-Francis purchased an apartment at the Towers Condominiums in Estate Contant which she uses for rental purposes.6 The marital homestead has structure problems and has deteriorated throughout the parties’ marriage.7 Notwithstanding the purported poor condition of the home, Mr. Francis would like to retain the marital homestead.

The parties acquired multiple assets throughout their marriage in the form of real property in the Virgin Islands and Georgia; individual retirement accounts; and other investment accounts. Mr. Francis was employed with the U.S. Virgin Islands Government, first as the Executive Director of the Public Finance Authority (PFA), then as the Chief Executive Officer of the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (VINGN). He was later terminated in October of 2011 from VINGN where he received an annual salary of One Hundred Seventy One [19]*19Thousand Dollars ($171,000.00). He challenged his termination but after an employment mediation, the decision was upheld. After being terminated, Mr. Francis, an investment manager, has focused on his wealth management business, known as ACSB Capital Management LLC.

Dr. Wright-Francis, a medical OB-GYN, contracts medical services with the East End Medical Clinic as an OB-GYN for an annual amount of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) and with Schneider Regional Medical Center for about Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) per-week for on-call services.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Julito Francis filed a verified Petition for Divorce on November 4, 2010. On February 3, 2011, Dr. Wright-Francis filed an answer to Mr. Francis’ petition and on March 29, 2011 the Court referred the parties to mediation. The parties mediated but were not able to reach an agreement. During the mediation period, the parties filed motions concerning custody and wasting of marital assets. Consequently, the Court issued an Order on December 22, 2011, prohibiting them from “disrupting” their children and “destroying, removing, concealing or otherwise harming or reducing the value of the property of one or both of the parties.”8 On March 26, 2012, the Court held a final pretrial conference to set deadlines for trial. The Court also maintained the parties’ visitation agreement.9

On July 16, 2012, Dr. Wright-Francis filed an Emergency Motion for Issuance of Show Cause Order, alleging that Mr. Francis violated the Court’s December 22, 2011 Order by withdrawing Two Hundred Twenty Thousand, One Hundred Seventy Nine Dollars and Ninety Three Cents ($220,179.93) from his Fidelity Rollover IRA account. While the Court initially granted Dr. Wright-Francis’ motion on July 17, 2012, that Order was later vacated on July 25, 2012. The Court reasoned that it was not able to make a determination since discovery had not been completed.

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Bluebook (online)
61 V.I. 13, 2014 WL 3543647, 2014 V.I. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/francis-v-wright-francis-visuper-2014.