Jackson v. Jackson

49 N.E.2d 988, 290 N.Y. 512, 147 A.L.R. 668, 1943 N.Y. LEXIS 1071
New York Court of Appeals·Decided June 18, 1943·Published·Cited by 38 cases

Opinion

Desmond, J.

Plaintiff is defendant’s wife. Her complaint sets out two causes of action, one for a separation on the grounds of abandonment and nonsupport, and another for the invalidation of a separation agreement between the parties. The separation agreement, a copy of which is annexed to the complaint, was executed about nine months before this suit was brought, and provides for the payment by the husband to the wife of a lump sum of $5,500, plus an amount for the wife’s Jegal expenses, plus the payment by the husband of certain outstanding debts. It embodies also an arrangement for a division between the parties of certain household effects, etc. In the separation agreement it is stated that the wife " accepts the consideration herein mentioned from the First Party as and for the full, satisfactory, reasonable and sufficient provision for the whole support, maintenance and alimony of the Second Party during her life, and the Second Party agrees that such provision for her support and maintenance is ample * * *.” It is undisputed that the husband has carried out all the engagements undertaken by him in the separation agreement. From 'the complaint, however, we are informed that the plaintiff wife now claims that this separation agreement was obtained from her by duress and by means of representations which were fraudulently false, that the money and property arrangements were inadequate in view of her husband’s *515 income and wealth, and that the whole agreement is null and void under the public policy of this State, as expressed in section 51 of our Domestic Relations Law. The agreement was executed by the parties in New York City. It recites that the parties have been living apart for some months, and describes the wife as a resident of New York City and the husband as residing in Ohio.

Service on the husband of the summons in this action was made personally, but outside New York State, pursuant to an order authorizing such constructive service. Defendant, appearing specially, moved to set aside that service, arguing that the action, taking into account all the allegations of the complaint, is not one “ where the complaint demands judgment * * * for * * * a separation.” (Civ. Prac. Act, § 232, subd. 5.) So much of the complaint, says appellant, as is directed toward the setting aside of the separation agreement, runs in personam, not in rem. Thus, says appellant, the case is not one where constructive service of process may be allowed since plaintiff, by her own theory of action, is seeking relief in personam against her husband, as a preliminary step toward relief in rem in the form of a judgment of separation. Special Term denied the motion to set aside the service. In its memorandum it said that, although the second cause of action is not one within section 232 of the Civil Practice Act, nevertheless the two causes of action are not independent one of the other but are inextricably bound up together. “ In effect, then,” says the Special Term memorandum, only one cause of action need have been alleged.” The Appellate Division affirmed unanimously without opinion, but gave defendant leave to appeal to this court.

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Jackson v. Jackson, 49 N.E.2d 988, 290 N.Y. 512, 147 A.L.R. 668, 1943 N.Y. LEXIS 1071 (N.Y. 1943).

49 N.E.2d 988 (Jackson v. Jackson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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