Kirk v. Regents of University of California

273 Cal. App. 2d 430, 78 Cal. Rptr. 260, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2184
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 28, 1969
DocketCiv. 25734
StatusPublished
Cited by61 cases

This text of 273 Cal. App. 2d 430 (Kirk v. Regents of University of California) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kirk v. Regents of University of California, 273 Cal. App. 2d 430, 78 Cal. Rptr. 260, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2184 (Cal. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

TAYLOR, J.

Petitioner, Deborah D. Kirk, appeals from a judgment of dismissal entered on an order sustaining the demurrer of respondent; The Board of Regents of the University of California (hereafter referred to as The Regents), to her petition for a writ of mandate demanding her reclassi *433 fication from a “nonresident” to a “resident” student. She contends that as the wife of a resident, she qualifies as a “resident student” and is being deprived of certain constitutional rights because in the fall of 1967, she was charged a nonresident rather than a resident tuition fee, pursuant to a requirement that a person must have been a bona fide resident of the state for more than one year immediately preceding the opening day of the semester in question. The case is one of first impression. 1

The facts were stipulated as follows: On July 1, 1967. petitioner, then a resident of Ohio, married Charles R. B. Kirk, a resident of the State of California since June 23, 1966. She arrived in California with her husband on July 13, 1967, presently lives with him in Berkeley, California, and has stated her intent to continue to cohabit with her husband and to be and remain a California resident. In the fall of 1967, petitioner enrolled as a student at the University of California, was classified as a “nonresident” student, and paid, on September 26, 1967, tuition of $324 more per quarter than persons classified as resident students. Her husband paid California income taxes for the 1966 tax year, is a member of the State Bar of California, and has been employed by the office of the Attorney General since August 29, 1966.

The classification of petitioner as a nonresident was made pursuant to The Regents’ Standing Orders, chapter VI section 8(b), which provides, so far as pertinent: “ [T]he residence of each student shall be determined in general accordance with the rules for determining residence prescribed by the provisions of Sections 23054, 23055, 23057 and 23059 of the Education Code and Sections 243 and 244 of the Government Code of California, ...”

Education Code section 23054 provides, so far as pertinent:

“ ‘A resident student' means any person who has been a bona fide resident of the State for more than one year immediately preceding the opening day of a semester during which he proposes to attend the university.
“The residence of each student shall be determined in accordance with the rules for determining residence prescribed by Sections 243 and 244 of the Government Code.
*434 “ (b) Any person who qualifies for residence status . . . under Sections 243 and 244 of the Government Code shall not lose such residence status by virtue of his marriage to a nonresident who lives in California nor shall such person he required to reestablish residency upon reaching his or her majority.” (Italics added.) 2
Section 243 of the Government Code provides: “Every persoh has, in law, a residence. ”
Section 244 of .the Government Code provides, so far as pertinent: “In determining the place of residence the following rules are to be observed:
‘‘ (a) It is the place where one remains when not called elsewhere for labor or other special or temporary purpose, and to which he returns in seasons of repose.
‘‘ (b) There can only be one residence.
“(c) A residence cannot be lost until another is gained. i C
(e) The residence of the husband is the residence of the wife, provided that a married woman who is separated from her husband may establish her own residence. [Italics added.] ((
“(g) The residence can be changed only by the union of act and inteht. ’ ’

As we recently pointed out in Whittell v. Franchise Tax Board, 231 Cal.App.2d 278, 284 [41 Cal.Rptr. 673], with reference to Government Code sections 243 and 244, despite the fact that the terms residence and domicile 3 are often used synonymously, residence is not a synonym for domicile, and *435 its meaning in particular statutes is subject to differing construction, depending’on the context and purpose of the statute in which it is used. The parties agree that in the applicable sections of the Education Code, as in the Government Code sections therein cited, the term is used to mean domicile. In construing former Political Code section 1394% (the predecessor of the pertinent portions of Education Code section 23054), in Bryan v. Regents of the University of Cal., 188 Cal. 559 [206 P. 1071], 4 our Supreme Court held that the purpose of the statute was to ascertain the good faith of a person’s intention to remain a permanent resident of the state and that he was not temporarily residing within the state for the mere purpose of securing the advantages of the university.

Preliminarily, we turn to petitioner’s argument that she qualifies as a “resident” student, because she became a resident of California by operation of law by her marriage to a California resident on July 1, 1967. She contends that she should be allowed to take advantage of her husband’s period of residence (June 23, 1966 to July 1, 1967) prior to the marriage and, therefore, be classified as a resident for one year preceding the first day of the fall semester of 1967.

Petitioner first argues that since-her residence, like that of a minor, is derivative, she should be allowed the same privileges as are made specifically available by the statute to minors. 5

*436 Petitioner’s contention overlooks the fact that a minor is not capable of establishing his residence and his residence at all times is derived from that of his parent, guardian or person with whom he resides. Petitioner, on the other hand, prior to her marriage and as a single adult, was capable of and had established a residence in Ohio. Thus, while a minor does not have a legal residence separate and apart from his parent (Gov. Code, §244, subd. (d)), petitioner, until her marriage, had a separate and distinct residence. Both a minor child and a married woman are treated equally in that the person from whom they derived their residence status may establish the legal residence of the child or married woman, regardless of their physical presence or intent. When petitioner married a California resident, she became a California resident from the date of the marriage, in spite of the fact that she was not physically present in California.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Doe v. The Leland Stanford Junior University CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2024
Martinez v. Regents of University of California
166 Cal. App. 4th 1121 (California Court of Appeal, 2008)
Milton H. Greene Archives, Inc. v. CMG Worldwide, Inc.
568 F. Supp. 2d 1152 (C.D. California, 2008)
Niedle v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board
104 Cal. Rptr. 2d 534 (California Court of Appeal, 2001)
Mitchell v. Steffen
504 N.W.2d 198 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1993)
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Texas Attorney General Reports, 1985
Opinion No.
Texas Attorney General Reports, 1985
Gurfinkel v. Los Angeles Community College District
121 Cal. App. 3d 1 (California Court of Appeal, 1981)
Williams v. Zobel
619 P.2d 422 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1980)
Ostrager v. State Board of Control
99 Cal. App. 3d 1 (California Court of Appeal, 1979)
Lorenz v. Logue
481 F. Supp. 173 (D. Connecticut, 1979)
Cramer v. Tyars
588 P.2d 793 (California Supreme Court, 1979)
Podgor v. Indiana University
381 N.E.2d 1274 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1978)
FLA. BD. OF REG. OF DEPT. OF ED. v. Harris
338 So. 2d 215 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1976)
People Ex Rel. Holland v. Bleigh Construction Co.
335 N.E.2d 469 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1975)
Lynden Transport, Inc. v. State
532 P.2d 700 (Alaska Supreme Court, 1975)
Weitzel v. State
306 So. 2d 188 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
273 Cal. App. 2d 430, 78 Cal. Rptr. 260, 1969 Cal. App. LEXIS 2184, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kirk-v-regents-of-university-of-california-calctapp-1969.