Hardwick v. Hardwick

414 S.W.2d 646, 57 Tenn. App. 32, 1966 Tenn. App. LEXIS 197
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJuly 29, 1966
StatusPublished

This text of 414 S.W.2d 646 (Hardwick v. Hardwick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hardwick v. Hardwick, 414 S.W.2d 646, 57 Tenn. App. 32, 1966 Tenn. App. LEXIS 197 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

SHRIVEB, J.

Complainant, Dorothy Virginia Hard-wick, filed her bill for an absolute divorce in the Chancery Court of Lawrence County, charging that defendant, George Joseph Hardwick, was guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward her as rendered it unsafe and improper for her to cohabit with him and be under his dominion and control. The bill also alleged that, at the time the parties were married, defendant had $40.00 and complainant had one calf but that during the marriage the parties, working together, had been successful in business and had accumulated certain properties, including several tracts of land owned by them as tenants by the entireties, and further that complainant owns an 8 acre tract in the Second Civil District where the parties live which was deeded to her several months ago by the defendant and that defendant owns by himself a 110 acre tract in the Second Civil District and also owns as tenant in common with his deceased brother, James Hardwick, a 230 acre tract of land in the First Civil District. That defendant has been in a sawmill business for the past several years and owns some sawmill equipment and either one or two trucks; that complainant believes that defendant has several promissory notes against him but she does not know how many, or what amounts these notes are.

It appears that the 8 acre tract mentioned above is the homeplace of the parties and in it was located certain [34]*34household goods and furniture ■which was awarded to the complainant in the decree of the Court along with a beauty parlor and its equipment which was operated in the basement of the home.

The defendant filed an answer in which he admits the marriage and other statistical data set out in the bill but denies the charges of cruel and inhuman treatment. Referring to the property of the parties, the answer of the defendant is as follows:

“As to the property of the parties, the proof when heard will show that Respondent has been more than generous with his family and particularly with Complainant. If it becomes necessary under all the facts and all the proof that this home be broken by divorce, then your Respondent is perfectly willing for this Honorable Court to make such disposition of the property of the parties as equity and justice may dictate.”

The divorce decree recites that the cause came on to be heard on the 17th day of March, 1965, before the Honorable John D. Templeton, Chancellor, upon the bill of Dorothy Virginia Hardwick, the answer of the defendant, George Joseph Hardwick, the oral testimony of witnesses examined in open Court and the entire record in the cause. The decree finds that the charges of cruel and inhuman treatment were sustained and, therefore, awards an absolute divorce to the complainant, together with the custody and control of the minor daughter of the parties, Glenda Hardwick, with visitation rights to the defendant. The decree then recites:

“It appears to the Court that there are certain property rights that will be adjudged between the parties and the interest in the property of the complainant and [35]*35• defendant will be held in abeyance until a later date at which time the Court will hear further proof on the division of the property now owned by the parties.”

Thereafter, on October 20, 1965, an additional decree was entered which recites that the cause came on to be further heard concerning the property rig’hts of the parties, a divorce having been awarded complainant at a prior time, and continues as follows:

“It appeared to the Court that the complainant, Dorothy Virginia Hardwick, should retain the property owned by her prior to the time the Bill was filed in this cause, this property being formerly owned by both the complainant and defendant as tenants by the entirety, and it appears to the Court that the defendant George Joseph Hardwick conveyed this property to the complainant, Dorothy Virginia Hardwick, by deed recorded in Deed Book 124, pages 125-26 of the Register’s Office of Lawrence County, Tennessee and which property is described as follows:”
(Here follows a description of the 8 acre homeplace of the parties).

The decree orders, adjudges and decrees that the complainant have and own this property in fee simple and continues:

“That the complainant is also awarded all of the household furniture and fixtures contained in the house located on the above described property and complainant shall also have her automobile, being- a 1963 Pontiac, and all of her beauty shop equipment free from any claims of the defendant, George Joseph Hard-wick. That the complainant is also allowed to keep all of the money that she had prior to the time of this [36]*36hearing, including’ the $1,750.00 that she recently received from the sale of property that was heretofore owned by the parties to this snit as tenants by the entirety. ’ ’

The decree then orders, adjudges and decrees that the property owned by the parties in the Second Civil District of Lawrence County as tenants by the entirety be vested in the defendant, George Joseph Hardwick, and all right, title and interest in the complainant, Dorothy Virginia Hardwick, be divested out of her and into the defendant, said property being described as follows: (Here follows a description of this property containing 70 acres, more or less).

The decree further orders that the property owned by the parties as tenants by the entireties located in the-Civil District of Lawrence County known as the Evers place be vested solely in George Joseph Hardwick and a description of that property is inserted showing that it contains 118 acres, more or less.

It tras further decreed that any other property that may have been owned by the parties as tenants by the entirety or jointly be awarded the defendant, George Joseph Hardwick, and all title to such property is divested out of the complainant and vested in the defendant.

It is ordered and decreed that the defendant pay to the complainant $100.00 per month for child support and alimony, the first payment to be made the 20th of November, 1965, and a like payment to be made on the 20th of each and every month thereafter until further orders of the Court. It is also ordered and decreed that the defendant pay Harwell, Boston & Weatherford, Attorneys [37]*37for the complainant, the sum of $1,250.00 for services to date and will also pay all the costs of the cause and the case be retained in Court for the enforcement of the decree.

Complainant filed a petition to rehear asserting that she was much aggrieved by so much of the decree in the cause as adjudged that defendant was entitled to recover her one-half undivided interest in and to certain property theretofore owned by the parties as tenants by the entirety.

The petition to rehear was dismissed, the Court entering the following decree:

“In this cause the Complainant having this day presented a petition to rehear, and the Chancellor having heard argument, and considered the matters raised by the petition, refused a rehearing. It is, therefore, ordered that the petition be dismissed and that the Petitioner pay all the costs thereof.

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373 S.W.2d 904 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1963)
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259 S.W.2d 521 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1953)
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320 S.W.2d 730 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1958)
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Bluebook (online)
414 S.W.2d 646, 57 Tenn. App. 32, 1966 Tenn. App. LEXIS 197, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hardwick-v-hardwick-tennctapp-1966.