Goeller v. Goeller

346 S.W.2d 545, 1961 Mo. App. LEXIS 617
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 16, 1961
DocketNo. 30509
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 346 S.W.2d 545 (Goeller v. Goeller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goeller v. Goeller, 346 S.W.2d 545, 1961 Mo. App. LEXIS 617 (Mo. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

RUDDY, Judge.

This is an appeal by appellant (wife) from an order sustaining respondent’s (husband’s) motion to quash a garnishment issued in aid of an execution.

On October 19, 1951, respondent filed a petition for divorce. On November 15, 1951, appellant filed her answer to said petition and a cross-bill in which she sought a decree of divorce. Thereafter, respondent dismissed his petition and after a hearing appellant was granted a decree of divorce on her cross bill. In the decree appellant was awarded the care, custody and control of the two minor children of the parties and said decree ordered respondent to pay to appellant as and for the support and maintenance of each of said minor children the sum of $12.50 per week.

On October 20, 1959, appellant filed an “Affidavit for Execution” in which she alleged that there was now due and owing from respondent, pursuant to the terms of the decree of divorce, the sum of $2,050 and alleged that this default began in December of 1951, and continued to October 16, 1959. Appellant further alleged that plaintiff was employed by the Merchants Exchange of [546]*546St. Louis and concluded said affidavit with a prayer for an execution and a writ of garnishment, directed to the said Merchants Exchange of St. Louis, in aid of said execution.

Pursuant to said affidavit an execution was issued and a notice and a summons of garnishment were served upon the Merchants Exchange of St. Louis. On November 4, 1959, respondent filed a “Motion to Quash the Garnishment.” In said motion respondent admitted that since the granting of the divorce on November 4, 1951, he has paid to appellant “by money order the sum of twenty-dollars weekly for care and support of said children.” Respondent then alleged that, in addition to the payments of $20 weekly for the care- and support of said children, he has “purchased necessary clothing for said children * * * and in addition has paid surgeons’ bills, hospital bills, doctors’ bills, and purchased medicine for the care and health of said minor children.”

He next alleged that he paid for the school supplies of said children. He further alleged that the payments made through the years for these items have averaged approximately $500 yearly. He alleged that he has provided for care and custody of said minor children from Friday at 4 P.M. to the following Monday at 8 A.M. for approximately 48 weeks of each year at the request of the appellant and, also, at her request, has for at least three weeks each year accepted the care and custody of said minor children during vacation periods. Other allegations are contained in said motion to quash the garnishment which we omit because we deem them irrelevant to the issues presented.

At the hearing on respondent’s motion to quash the garnishment he testified that he was employed at the Merchants Exchange of St. Louis. In the course of his testimony he was asked, “Did you make your support payments to your former wife?” and he answered “Yes.” He was then asked how much he paid his wife and he answered, “$20.00,” adding that he “couldn’t pay no more” because of other bills. He was further asked why he continued to make payments of $20 a week and not $25 a week as the decree ordered, after the other bills were paid up, and he answered, “She said they needed clothes.”

He further testified that his wife would bring the children down on Friday and they would stay until Monday morning. He added that this occurred “very near every week.” He said that he purchased nearly all of the clothes for the children and when asked why he did so, he answered, “Because they would come up with their shoes out and clothes ragged. Somebody had to buy them.” 'He estimated that he spent approximately $300 per year for clothes for both of the children. When asked what happened when the children got sick, he answered, “She brought them to me to take care of.” He said he would take the children to the family doctor who would administer to their medical needs. On one occasion when both of the children had measles he (respondent) took care of them. When asked how he obtained custody of them, he answered, “She brought them up.” He further testified that he took care of them when they had other childhood diseases, such as mumps, scarlet fever and chickenpox. He said that he took them to the doctor for these diseases. When asked if they had polio shots, he admitted that his wife took them to the doctor for these shots. A few days before appellant’s affidavit for execution was filed, one of the children left the appellant’s home and since that time the child has been in the custody of the respondent. Respondent admitted he sent no money to his former wife (appellant) during the three weeks prior to the hearing, for the reason, as he testified, he had both of the children in his custody during that period.

In his cross-examination respondent admitted that he never did pay appellant $25 per week as called for in the court’s decree. He never paid more than $20 per week. He further admitted that shortly after the decree of divorce was entered he tried to have [547]*547the trial court reduce the weekly payment to $20 per week. He failed in that attempt.

The following questions were asked and the following answers were given in the course of the cross-examination of respondent:

“Q. Did she ever agree to accept this clothing and medical care in lieu of the $25.00 a week ? A. What do you mean, in lieu of?
“Q. Did she ever agree to accept this clothing and medical care rather than the $5.00 a week? A. She always sent them up there when they needed clothes and shoes.”

One of the children testified that she and her brother stayed with respondent “usually” every week “from Thursday to Monday.” She further testified that her father bought her clothes, with some exceptions, during the “last several years,” and that her father took care of her when she was ill. Other matters testified to by respondent are omitted from our statement of the testimony for the reason they were irrelevant and immaterial to the issue raised by respondent’s motion to quash the garnishment.

Before considering the contentions asserted by appellant, it is necessary to dispose of one advanced by respondent. He contends that the issues raised by appellant’s points are not reviewable in this court because she failed to lodge an exception to the ruling and order of the trial court sustaining respondent’s motion to quash the garnishment. Under the provisions of § 510.210 RSMo 1959, 31 V.A.M.S., it was unnecessary for appellant to lodge a formal exception to the court’s order. Williams v. Ricklemann, Mo., 292 S.W.2d 276, loc. cit. 282.

Appellant contends that the order of the trial court sustaining respondent’s motion to quash the garnishment is not supported by the evidence. We think the appellant is correct in this contention. It is the position of respondent that the payments made by him for the direct benefit of the health and welfare of the minor children of the parties are well in excess of the amount claimed by appellant to be due her under the terms of the decree of divorce. He further contends that these funds, expended by him, should be credited as payments on the judgment in favor of appellant for the children’s support.

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Bluebook (online)
346 S.W.2d 545, 1961 Mo. App. LEXIS 617, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goeller-v-goeller-moctapp-1961.