In Re Marriage of Carini

445 N.E.2d 412, 112 Ill. App. 3d 375, 67 Ill. Dec. 932, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1453
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 21, 1983
Docket82-1023
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 445 N.E.2d 412 (In Re Marriage of Carini) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Marriage of Carini, 445 N.E.2d 412, 112 Ill. App. 3d 375, 67 Ill. Dec. 932, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1453 (Ill. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

JUSTICE MEJDA

delivered the opinion of the court:

Petitioner Helen Carini appeals from those portions of a dissolution of marriage judgment relating to the award of nonmarital property, the division of marital property, and the reservation of maintenance. Respondent Michael Carini appeals from a separate order requiring him to pay petitioner’s attorney fees and costs. We affirm.

The issues raised for review are: (1) whether the court erred in finding one parcel of real estate to be nonmarital property; (2) whether the court erred in failing to value two business interests; (3) whether the unequal division of marital property was an abuse of the court’s discretion; (4) whether in light of the unequal division of property the trial court erred in reserving maintenance; (5) whether the distribution of property should be amended because of an error in calculation; and (6) whether the court erred in requiring respondent to pay petitioner’s attorney fees.

The parties were married on February 14, 1955. One child was born of the marriage on July 21, 1960. Petitioner was employed outside the home for only a short period at the beginning of the marriage and since that time has remained at home. Her formal education ended after the sixth or seventh grade. Petitioner speaks and reads English but cannot write English; she speaks some Italian but cannot read or write it. Petitioner has had various health problems and testified that she is unable to stand or walk for more than an hour at a time.

Respondent worked as a carpenter during most of the marriage despite the fact that he lost four fingers of his right hand in an industrial accident at the age of 15 years. He testified that he is unable to work at the present time because of the hand injury. Respondent is a partner in two family-owned businesses: Carini Construction Company and Garcy Construction Company. He has been actively involved in these businesses for the last 20 years and, in the four years preceding trial, he devoted full time to partnership activities.

During the term of the marriage the parties acquired interests in various parcels of real estate, including a one-sixth interest in property located in Laguna Beach, California. In 1976 respondent’s mother executed a deed conveying an interest in the Laguna Beach property to respondent and his brothers. Respondent’s mother testified that she lived on the property for 16 years, that she is the sole owner of said property, that she receives all of the income from the property, that although the deed recites consideration of $100,000 she received no payment for the property, and that the deed was prepared solely to avoid probate upon her death. Respondent and his brothers corroborated her testimony. Other property acquired by the parties include the marital home, held in joint tenancy, and fractional interests in various income-producing properties held as tenants in common with members of respondent’s family and others.

The trial court found that the total value of the real estate which was marital property amounted to approximately $541,000 and that the annual cash flow from these properties is $17,500. On July 28, 1980, the court entered a judgment for dissolution of marriage awarding petitioner the marital home and three-fourths of respondent’s interest in property located in Elmwood Park, Illinois. This award represented equity of approximately $208,000 with an annual cash flow of $9,200. Petitioner was also awarded the furniture and personal property contained in the marital home. The court found that the Laguna Beach property was nonmarital property and awarded the interest in that property to respondent. The court also awarded respondent the remaining real property having a total equity of approximately $333,000 and an annual cash flow of $8,300. The court reserved the questions of maintenance and attorney fees. On October 23, 1980, the court entered an order requiring respondent to pay petitioner’s attorney fees.

Petitioner previously appealed from the judgment insofar as it apportioned the property and reserved the question of maintenance. Respondent cross-appealed from the order requiring him to pay petitioner’s attorney fees (appeal No. 80 — 2333). We found nothing in the record to indicate “whether the apportionment is in lieu of or in addition to maintenance” as provided by section 503(c)(9) of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (the Act) (111. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 40, par. 101 et seq.\ par. 503(c)(9)). We therefore concluded that the property disposition portion of the judgment was not final and thus not subject to appeal, and further that the cross-appeal could not be considered until a final property disposition had been made. The appeal was dismissed on February 26, 1982 (In re Marriage of Carini (1982), 104 Ill. App. 3d 1199, 437 N.E.2d 942) by an order entered pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 23 (73 Ill. 2d R. 23).

Thereafter, the trial court in further proceedings entered a memorandum opinion wherein it set forth that the property division was in addition to maintenance; that petitioner’s prospects for increased income are poor but that respondent, because of his demonstrated business ability, may enjoy substantial earnings and income in the future; and that in view of respondent’s present income, an award of maintenance was reserved for future determination should the parties’ circumstances change.

The parties now again appeal the court’s original judgment and order and raise the identical issues and arguments contained in the first appeal.

Opinion

The first issue raised by petitioner is whether the court erred in its finding that the Laguna Beach property was nonmarital property. Section 503(a) of the Act provides that all property acquired by either spouse subsequent to the marriage is marital property unless it comes within one of the specific exceptions listed in that section. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 40, par. 503(a).) One such exception is “property acquired by gift, bequest, devise or descent.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 40, par. 503(a)(1).) The record shows that the subject property was the marital home of respondent’s parents and that respondent’s mother receives all the income from the property. Although the deed conveying an interest in the property to respondent and his brothers shows consideration of $100,000, there was testimony that such consideration was never paid. It is our opinion, therefore, that the record supports the finding that respondent’s interest in the property at Laguna Beach is within the foregoing exception and is nonmarital property.

Petitioner’s second contention is that the trial court erred in failing to assign appropriate value to the two partnership business interests of respondent. The Act does not require the court to place a specific value on each item of property (In re Marriage of Thompson (1979), 79 Ill. App. 3d 310, 398 N.E.2d 17), but only that there be competent evidence of the value and that the court’s division of the property be supported by the evidence (In re Marriage of Hyland (1981), 95 Ill. App. 3d 31, 419 N.E.2d 662).

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Bluebook (online)
445 N.E.2d 412, 112 Ill. App. 3d 375, 67 Ill. Dec. 932, 1983 Ill. App. LEXIS 1453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-marriage-of-carini-illappct-1983.