Krusch v. Krusch

6 Pa. D. & C. 639, 1925 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 264
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedAugust 13, 1925
DocketNo. 93
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Pa. D. & C. 639 (Krusch v. Krusch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Krusch v. Krusch, 6 Pa. D. & C. 639, 1925 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 264 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1925).

Opinion

Taulane, J.,

This matter comes before the court on exceptions to the report of the special master recommending that the decree of divorce heretofore entered should be vacated for want of jurisdiction.

The facts are rather simple. Ada Krusch, on Aug. 6, 1919, filed a libel in divorce against August Krusch, her husband, alleging, among other things, that she was a resident of the City of Philadelphia, and charged her husband with cruel and barbarous treatment and desertion.

A subpoena and alias subpoena in divorce was issued and both returned n. e. i.; a pluries subpoena was issued on Dec. 16,1919, and on the same day was served with a copy of the libel by the sheriff on the respondent. The respondent did not enter an appearance or file an answer, and in due course a master was appointed.

The master gave the respondent notice, by mail, of the time and place of the meeting to take testimony, and it is admitted the respondent received the notice. He did not appear at the meeting and was not represented by counsel. The master filed his report, wherein he found that the libellant had been a citizen and resident of this State for more than a year prior to the filing of the libel; that at the time she filed the libel she was a resident of the City of Philadelphia; that the respondent was guilty of desertion, and recommended that a decree of divorce be granted.

The master's report was approved by the court. A copy of the final rule for divorce was mailed to the respondent, which he admits he received. The final decree was entered on July 8, 1920.

The libellant subsequently married Gordon B. Sherwood on Nov. 4, 1921, with whom she cohabited as his wife until her death on Sept. 27, 1922. She left a will, dated July 17, 1918, bequeathing her estate to her mother, and letters of administration c. t. a. were granted to the Franklin Trust Company.

The respondent, on April 16, 1923, filed a petition, alleging that his wife was a resident of Delaware County at the time she filed her libel; that she falsely stated in her libel, and falsely testified before the master, that she was a resident of Philadelphia; that he had just discovered these facts; that her false testimony as to her residence was a fraud on the court; that the court [640]*640was without jurisdiction to enter the decree; that he was still the husband of the libellant; that the decree was a cloud on his interest in his wife’s estate, and prayed that the decree of divorce be vacated.

Answers were filed by Gordon B. Sherwood, the surviving husband, and the Franklin Trust Company, the administrator. The court, being in doubt as to the rights of the parties, referred the matter to a special master to take testimony and report his findings and conclusions. The special master has filed his report, wherein he reports the following conclusions and recommendations:

“Conclusion.

“1. On Aug. 6, 1919, Ada Krusch did not have her residence at 2146 North Twelfth Street, Philadelphia, as alleged in her libel and testified by her in the present case.

“2. Ada Krusch did not live or have her residence in Philadelphia County on Aug. 6, 1919, the date of the filing of the libel in the present case.

“3. Therefore, the court did not have jurisdiction of the cause of divorce in this case.

“4. The decree of divorce entered by the court on July 8, 1920, is, accordingly, not a valid judgment.

“Recommendation.

“The master, therefore, recommends to your honorable court that the rule allowed in the present case be made absolute and your honorable court order and decree that said decree entered by the court on July 8, 1920, divorcing said Ada Krusch from the bonds of matrimony between her and the said August Krusch be opened, revoked, set aside and stricken from the record.”

Exceptions to the special master’s report have been filed by Gordon B. Sherwood, the surviving husband.

The facts of this case raise three questions, viz.:

1. Has August Krusch, the respondent, a standing to contest the decree?

2. Was the court without jurisdiction?

3. Was the false statement of the libellant as to her residence such fraud on the court as to compel the court on its own motion to set aside the decree?

1. Has the respondent a standing to contest the decree?

The respondent was personally served with a copy of the libel, wherein the libellant alleged that she resided at No. 2146 North Twelfth Street, in the City of Philadelphia. He was in Philadelphia trying to locate his wife at the time he was served with a copy of the subpoena and libel, and has testified he was unsuccessful in locating her. The libel gave him an address in Philadelphia where his wife claimed to reside, as well as the name and address of her attorney. He made no inquiry either of his wife’s attorney or at her alleged residence in Philadelphia. When the subpcena and libel were served on him, he returned to New York and apparently took no further interest in the divorce proceedings. He made no inquiries when he received notice from the master or when he received notice of the final rule in divorce. With little effort he could have ascertained the residence of his wife. Had he appeared before the master he would have learned of the residence claimed by his wife, and could have shown that her residence was in Delaware County. At the time he had no interest in the proceedings. He did nothing and the divorce was obtained without contest. It may be that the respondent did not know the actual residence of his wife until he filed his petition; it was his duty, nevertheless, to act promptly if he desired to raise any question as to her residence. He cannot remain silent for more than two years and then, at the [641]*641instance of other persons and after the remarriage and death of his wife, raise the question of her residence for no other apparent reason than to change the devolution of her estate. The respondent says he makes no claim to his wife’s estate. Section 5 of the Intestate Act of June 7, 1917, P. L. 429, would seem to preclude him from claiming any share in her estate.

As the respondent was personally served with process and duly notified of the various steps in the proceedings, we are of opinion that he has no standing to contest the decree. The decree is res judicata, both on the question of jurisdiction and the merits: Crane v. Deacon, 263 S. W. Repr. (Mo.) 1068; Helfenstein’s Estate, 135 Pa. 293, and Field v. Field, 67 Pa. Superior Ct. 355. Moreover, he is barred by his laches. The learned special master demonstrates very convincingly that the respondent’s case has no merit. He says:

“With legal notice and full knowledge of the pending proceedings against him, the petitioner made no defence, and with due information of the entry of the decree, he stood by for practically three years without complaint against it and without bringing to the attention of the court the irregularities now alleged as cause for its vacation. During all this time, apparently, he was content to accept the judgment of the court, and was not impelled by any sense of injury to his .rights to move for its vacation, and he continued in this attitude until, upon the death of the libellant, the distribution of her estate gave him his first concern about the validity of the decree.

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

Related

Fleming v. Fleming
83 Pa. Super. 554 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1923)
Walton v. Walton
84 Pa. Super. 366 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1924)
Boyd's Appeal
38 Pa. 241 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1861)
Estate of Helfenstein
20 A. 151 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1890)
Commonwealth v. Barnett
48 A. 976 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1901)
Simpson's Estate
98 A. 35 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1916)
McEvoy v. Quaker City Cab Co.
110 A. 366 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1920)
English v. English
19 Pa. Super. 586 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1902)
Mauser v. Mauser
59 Pa. Super. 275 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1915)
Field v. Field
67 Pa. Super. 355 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1917)
Nagle v. Nagle
3 Grant 155 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1855)
Holbrook v. Holbrook
114 Mass. 568 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1874)
Zeitlin v. Zeitlin
88 N.E. 762 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1909)
Johnson v. Johnson
75 Ky. 485 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1877)
McElrath v. McElrath
139 N.W. 708 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1913)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Pa. D. & C. 639, 1925 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/krusch-v-krusch-pactcomplphilad-1925.