GLENN R. WORRELL VS. JUNE KINGMAN (FM-13-0229-05, MONMOUTH COUNTY AND STATWIDE)

CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedSeptember 28, 2018
DocketA-3990-16T1
StatusUnpublished

This text of GLENN R. WORRELL VS. JUNE KINGMAN (FM-13-0229-05, MONMOUTH COUNTY AND STATWIDE) (GLENN R. WORRELL VS. JUNE KINGMAN (FM-13-0229-05, MONMOUTH COUNTY AND STATWIDE)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
GLENN R. WORRELL VS. JUNE KINGMAN (FM-13-0229-05, MONMOUTH COUNTY AND STATWIDE), (N.J. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited . R. 1:36-3.

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-3990-16T1

GLENN R. WORRELL,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

JUNE KINGMAN,

Defendant-Respondent. _______________________________

Submitted September 18, 2018 – Decided September 28, 2018

Before Judges Geiger and Firko.

On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Family Part, Monmouth County, Docket No. FM-13-0229-05.

Keith, Winters & Wenning, LLC, attorneys for appellant (Brian D. Winters, on the brief).

June Kingman, respondent pro se.

PER CURIAM

Plaintiff Glenn R. Worrell appeals from a February 24, 2017 order

requiring him to pay defendant June Kingman tax free alimony of $261,949 at the rate of $1000 per week, ordering the Probation Department to intercept any

federal or state tax refunds Worrell may receive, and awarding Kingman $2590

in attorney's fees; and an April 28, 2017 order denying reconsideration and other

relief. For the following reasons, we affirm in part and vacate and remand in

part for further proceedings.

Worrell and Kingman were married in September 1994, and were divorced

on April 15, 2010. While the divorce action was pending, they entered into a

matrimonial settlement agreement (MSA), the terms of which were incorporated

into the dual judgment of divorce (JOD). Pertinent to this appeal, the JOD

required Worrell to pay Kingman $200,000 "tax-free in lieu of support" in five

payments: $10,000 within ninety days, $40,000 by May 27, 2010, $50,000 by

May 27, 2011, $50,000 by May 27, 2012, and $50,000 by May 27, 2013; with

five percent simple interest thereon. Upon satisfaction of that obligation,

Kingman was required to transfer her interest in an office building in Wall, New

Jersey to Worrell.

The JOD also contained the following contingent waiver of alimony

provision:

14. Each party shall waive alimony from the other party. However, defendant's waiver of alimony is conditioned upon plaintiff's full compliance with the terms of this Judgment. If for any reason, including

A-3990-16T1 2 bankruptcy by plaintiff, that plaintiff does not comply with the terms of this Judgment in full defendant shall receive alimony to the extent necessary to make sure she receives 100 percent of what she is entitled to pursuant to this Judgment. . . .

The JOD also addressed responsibility for counsel fees:

15. Each party shall be responsible for their own counsel fees up to this date the agreement was placed on the record. If either party violates the terms of this Judgment and the other party is successful in court in enforcing this Judgment, then the party found in violation shall be responsible for the other party's counsel fees and costs that were the result of having to go to court to enforce the Judgment.

A subsequent order secured the alimony to be paid to Kingman by a

$200,000 mortgage on the Wall office building and a lien on a pending lawsuit.

The order also denied the parties' reciprocal counsel fee applications.

Worrell failed to make any of the required payments to Kingman. As a

result, Kingman moved to enforce the JOD, and sought an order requiring

Worrell to pay her $275,000 (inclusive of interest) by wage execution through

the probation department at the rate of $1000 per week. The motion also sought

enforcement through intercepts of Worrell's federal and state income tax

refunds, the issuance of a bench warrant for Worrell's arrest in the event he

missed two payments, and an award of $3000 in counsel fees and costs for the

motion.

A-3990-16T1 3 Worrell was ordered to pay her $300 per week pendente lite support but

did not comply. He fell almost $30,000 in arrears. She also alleged Worrell

cancelled her health insurance and destroyed her personal property. She

contended the MSA was structured to ensure she received the settlement, and

"would survive any changes in [Worrell's] financial status, including bankruptcy

on his part." Kingman stated she was forced to file bankruptcy due to "Hurricane

Sandy and an overwhelming onslaught of litigation." 1

Worrell opposed the motion, alleging he suffered a significant adverse

change in his financial circumstances affecting his real estate business and other

assets. He blamed the failure of his business and the loss of the building that

housed it largely on Kingman's alleged "outward interference with the business

and building."

Claiming he was unable to make the mortgage payments on his home since

2009, a mortgage foreclosure judgment was entered against him in the amount

of $1,287,000 with a sheriff's sale scheduled for March 6, 2017. Other property

in Manasquan was also foreclosed upon. He contended he earned $16,521.11 in

1 Kingman filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 31, 2013, listing estimated assets of $16,325 and unsecured liabilities of $744,114.55. Her bankruptcy schedules stated she was unemployed, earned no income, and listed a monthly budget of $1,135. A-3990-16T1 4 2013, $17,000 in 2014, $18,600 in 2015, and $19,620 in 2016, and also rented

out rooms in his house for an unspecified amount.

Worrell also claimed Kingman failed to return his personal property worth

$250,000 in violation of a court order. Kingman denies she was obligated by

the JOD to turnover any such property. Worrell also claimed a court -ordered

income evaluation concluded Kingman had the potential to earn $60,000

annually, but she chose to do volunteer work and sail yachts instead.

Worrell did not file any current or prior family case information statement

(CIS) or submit any income tax returns, pay stubs, or other financial information

to the trial court. Nor did he disclose he had an ownership interest in a real

estate brokerage firm named Synergy International Real Estate in which he was

broker of record.

After hearing oral argument, the trial court issued an order and twelve-

page statement of reasons granting the motion. The judge denied the request to

issue a bench warrant for Worrell's arrest if he missed two payments, but

otherwise granted the relief Kingman sought, except for reducing the counsel

fee award to $2950.

The trial court found Worrell did not offer a compelling reason to warrant

modification of the JOD and, therefore, his alimony obligation should be

A-3990-16T1 5 enforced. With regard to Worrell's claim he is unable to afford the alimony

obligation, the court found he had not provided any proof his income decreased,

noting he had not submitted any tax returns, W-2s, or other documentation

substantiating any reduction in income.

With regard to Worrell's claim he is unable to satisfy the obligation

because he has suffered financial downturn since 2013, the court noted he would

have satisfied the entire obligation by that time if he had complied with the terms

of the JOD. The court concluded he should not be rewarded by his failure and

refusal to comply.

The trial court was not persuaded by Worrell's claim Kingman obstructed

matters preventing the payments, finding no credible evidence in support of that

claim.

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GLENN R. WORRELL VS. JUNE KINGMAN (FM-13-0229-05, MONMOUTH COUNTY AND STATWIDE), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glenn-r-worrell-vs-june-kingman-fm-13-0229-05-monmouth-county-and-njsuperctappdiv-2018.