In Re the Marriage of Lorge

675 P.2d 115, 207 Mont. 423, 1984 Mont. LEXIS 781
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 6, 1984
Docket83-322
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 675 P.2d 115 (In Re the Marriage of Lorge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re the Marriage of Lorge, 675 P.2d 115, 207 Mont. 423, 1984 Mont. LEXIS 781 (Mo. 1984).

Opinions

MR. JUSTICE WEBER

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Roger William Lorge (the husband) appeals from an order of the District Court of Flathead County, requiring him to convey certain real property free of all liens to Ann Marie Lorge (the wife), awarding attorney fees to the wife, and stating that the parties’ property settlement agreement would be set aside and a hearing held to determine division of the marital assets if the husband failed to convey the property and pay the attorney fees. We reverse in part the order of the District Court.

The wife petitioned for dissolution of the marriage in Jan[425]*425uary, 1979. On July 30, 1981, the parties executed a property settlement agreement which stated that they had separated in 1977. The agreement purported to make a final settlement of all claims either party might have against the other.

Paragraph 6 of the agreement sets forth the division of marital property. Subparagraph 6(g) provides that a certain tract of jointly-owned real property in Flathead County was to be conveyed to the wife within 90 days of the date of the agreement free of any liens and encumbrances. There was no provision in the agreement regarding enforcement or attorney fees.

The Decree of Dissolution of Marriage was entered the following day. The court approved the agreement in the July 31, 1981 decree:

“[T]he parties having resolved all property and custody disputes on the morning of trial and having represented to the Court, on the record, the nature of such resolution . . . and the Court having duly considered the custody and property settlement agreement previously filed herewith and finding it reasonable, not unconscionable and approving same; . . .”

No further reference is made to the agreement. The court did not specifically incorporate the provisions of the agreement into the decree. A $10,350 mechanic’s lien dated August 28, 1979 encumbered title to the property that was to be conveyed to the wife. Summons and complaint for foreclosure of the mechanic’s lien were served on the husband by the lienholder on August 5, 1981. The 90 days within which the husband had agreed to convey clear title to the property to the wife expired in October, 1981.

On December 21,1981, the wife petitioned the court to enforce the settlement agreement by compelling the husband to convey clear title to the property to her. She also asked for reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred in the enforcement action. On May 27, 1983, approximately 17 months after the date on which the enforcement petition [426]*426was filed and 19 months after the agreed date on which the husband was to have conveyed clear title to the property, the court issued the following order:

“It is hereby ordered that Respondent shall, before June 1, 1983, convey unto Petitioner herein Tract 2J in the Northeast Quarter of the Southwest Quarter of Section 11, Township 28 North, Range 22 West, M.P.M., according to his agreement in the Marital Property Agreement executed between the parties on July 31,1981 and made a part of the original Decree of Dissolution herein on June 31, [sic] 1981. When conveyed, said property shall be free and clear of any and all liens whatsoever.
“It is hereby further ordered, that Respondent shall, before June 1, 1983, pay to E. Eugene Atherton, P. O. Box 1796, Kalispell, Montana, the sum of $580.00, as and for attorney fees incurred by Petitioner in bringing her action to enforce the Property Settlement Agreement.
“If Respondent shall fail to comply with either or both of the above orders by June 1, 1983 then, in such event, this Court will thereupon promptly order the Decree of Dissolution previously rendered herein on July 31, 1381 to be set aside as it relates to the unconscionability of the Property Settlement Agreement that was attached thereto and incorporated therein by reference and shall thereupon set a further hearing to determine the division of the marital assets between the parties.”

From this order, the husband appeals the provisions pertaining to attorney fees and conscionability of the settlement agreement. The first part of the order, which enforces paragraph 6(g) of the agreement, is not challenged on appeal.

Two issues are presented:

1. Did the District Court err in awarding the wife attorney fees incurred in bringing an action to enforce the property settlement agreement?

2. Did the District Court abuse its discretion by ordering the property settlement agreement to be set aside if hus[427]*427band failed to comply with its order to convey the property free and clear of liens?

I.

The husband argues that because the agreement is a private contract, was not incorporated into the decree, and contains no provision for enforcement or fees, the court’s award of attorney fees to the wife is without basis and clearly erroneous. Paragraph 10 of the settlement agreement provides that the “agreement may be submitted to the Court in the proceedings for dissolution of marriage ... for approval, and that the same may be incorporated in any decree of dissolution given by said Court with the provisions of this Agreement made on order in said decree, to be performed by the parties.” Neither party appealed the decree, which specifically approved but did not incorporate the provisions of the agreement.

Section 40-4-201(4), MCA provides:

“(4) If the court finds that the separation agreement is not unconscionable as to disposition of property or maintenance and not unsatisfactory as to support:
“(a) unless the separation agreement provides to the contrary, its terms shall be set forth in the decree of dissolution or legal separation and the parties shall be ordered to perform them; or
“(b) if the separation agreement provides that its terms shall not be set forth in the decree, the decree shall identify the separation agreement and state that the court has found the terms not unconscionable.”

Section 40-4-201(4), MCA permits parties to choose whether the terms of their agreement shall be set forth in the decree. If this is done, the agreement is enforceable as a judgment as well as a contract, and attorney fees are statutorily authorized. Sections 40-4-201(5), 40-1-110, MCA; Jensen v. Jensen (Mont. 1981), 629 P.2d 765, 769, 38 St.Rep. 927, 931-32.

Here the court identified the separation agreement and [428]*428stated that its terms were not unconscionable. The agreement did not provide “that its terms shall not be set forth in the decree,” but the parties did not request that it be incorporated into the decree. The court followed the procedure prescribed in Subsection 40-4-201(4) (b), MCA. It identified the agreement and stated that the court found the terms to be “reasonable, not unconscionable.” It did not set forth the terms of the agreement in the dissolution decree.

At the May 3, 1983 enforcement hearing, the court reiterated that the agreement had not been incorporated into the 1981 decree:

“THE COURT; I don’t think that was made part of the decree ... It [the separation agreement] is not incorporated. It is approved.” Transcript at 17-18.

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In Re the Marriage of Lorge
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
675 P.2d 115, 207 Mont. 423, 1984 Mont. LEXIS 781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-marriage-of-lorge-mont-1984.