Lawrenz v. Lawrenz

65 Misc. 2d 627, 318 N.Y.S.2d 610, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1850
CourtNew York Family Court
DecidedFebruary 11, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 65 Misc. 2d 627 (Lawrenz v. Lawrenz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lawrenz v. Lawrenz, 65 Misc. 2d 627, 318 N.Y.S.2d 610, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1850 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

Evans V. Bbewsteb, J.

The petitioner former wife herein has initiated this proceeding pursuant to article 4 of the Family Court Act seeking the enforcement of a divorce decree dated September 19,1968 of the First Civil Court, District of Bravos, State of Chihuahua, Republic of Mexico. Further, pursuant to section 429 of the Family Court Act, petitioner seeks an order of sequestration attaching certain real property located in the Town of Yorktowm Heights, State of New York, held by the parties as tenants in common. Petitioner resides in the County of Westchester, State of New York, and respondent lives and is employed in the State of Colorado.

On November 13, 1970, petitioner served a copy of her enforcement petition upon respondent by mail at his last known address in Denver, Colorado. On November 18,1970, petitioner served upon respondent, by air mail at the foregoing Denver address and to respondent’s place of business in Denver, an order to show cause dated November 16, 1970, returnable November 30, 1970. The order compelled respondent to show cause why said real property should not be sequestered, why the execution of a deed to the same should not be authorized, and why a sequestrator should not be appointed to hold respond[628]*628ent’s share of the proceeds of such sale pending further order of court.

On November 30, respondent appeared by counsel who entered a special appearance to contest the jurisdiction of this court in the enforcement proceeding. The matter was adjourned for submissions as to the issue of jurisdiction and for arraignment of the respondent upon the enforcement petition. Full submissions having been made, the court now proceeds to a decision on the question of jurisdiction.

Respondent contends that he is domiciled in the ¡State of Colorado and, therefore, is not subject to the service of New York Family Court process. Respondent bases his contention upon section 154 of the Family Court Act. Petitioner strenuously asserts that respondent has not proven his domicile in Colorado. The court finds that respondent lives in Colorado, Avorks in that State, has evinced an intention to remain therein and has no intention of returning to New York. He therefore is a domiciliary of the State of Colorado.

Section 154 of the Family Court Act states: 1 1 The family court may send process or other mandates in any matter in which it has jurisdiction into any county of the state for service or execution in like manner and with the same force and effect as similar process or mandates of county courts as provided by law.”

Section 154 is inapplicable to the instant proceeding as intrastate process is not available to petitioner. However, petitioner is not denied the process procedures of this court by reason of the inapplicability of section 154. The petitioner must look to section 165 of the Family Court Act for authority to invoke the process of this court. Section 165 provides as follows:

‘ ‘ Where the method of procedure in any proceeding in which the family court has jurisdiction is not prescribed by this act, the procedure shall be in accord with rules adopted by the administrative board of the judicial conference or, if none has been adopted, with the provisions of the civil practice act to the extent they are suitable to the proceeding involved. Upon the effective date of the CPLR, where the method of procedure in any proceeding in which the family court has jurisdiction is not prescribed, the provisions of the civil practice law and rules shall apply to the extent that they are appropriate to the proceedings involved. ’ ’

Perhaps anticipating a finding that respondent is a domiciliary of Colorado and that section 165 vests the court with the rules and procedures of the CPLR upon a determination [629]*629of the applicability of that section, petitioner bases her assertion of jurisdiction upon CPLB 302 (subd. [a], par. 1) which provides as follows: ‘ ‘ Acts which are the basis of jurisdiction. As to a cause of action arising from any of the acts enumerated in this section, a court may exercise personal jurisdiction over any nondomiciliary, or his executor or administrator, who in person or through an agent:

“1. transacts any business within the state; or”. (As amd. by L. 1966, ch. 590, eff. Sept. 1, 1966.)

On September 11, 1968, the parties herein, who at that time were both domiciled in the State of New York, executed a 13-page separation agreement within this State covering, inter aUa, the questions of personal and real property, custody of the two minor issue of the marriage, visitation, support and maintenance of the wife and children, tax treatment and medical and life insurance policies. It was this agreement which was incorporated, but not merged, in the decree of divorce dated September 19, 1968.

The two fundamental questions for determination may be summarized as follows:

First: Is CPLB 302 applicable to the Family Court?; and

Second: Does the execution of a separation agreement within the State of New York constitute a “ transact (ion) of business ” within CPLB 302 sufficient to vest jurisdiction in New York courts?

Although the question of the applicability of CPLB 302 to proceedings before the Family Court appears to be one of first impression in this jurisdiction, such application is mandated by section 165 of the Family Court Act upon compliance with the requirements of section 165. The court finds that CPLB 302 is available to litigants in the Family Court. The court having found the governance of section 165 in the instant proceeding, the court holds that litigants in the Family Court may avail themselves of the ‘ ‘ long-arm ’ ’ provisions of CPLB 302.

Before the benefits and protection of the “ long-arm ” provisions of CPLB 302 can be invoked, the transaction of business within the State must be a purposeful activity. (Longines-Wittnauer v. Barnes & Reinecke, 15 N Y 2d 443.)

Unlike a single transaction contract which imposes no duties and responsibilities upon the parties to be performed in the future, the separation agreement executed by the petitioner and respondent on September 11, 1968, imposes present and future requirements upon each party with respect to custody, visitation, maintenance of medical and life insurance policies, [630]*630support and other continuing obligations. Although not unique in its future and continuing provisions, the separation agreement executed by the parties does alert the parties to the possibility of future court interpretation. The execution of such an agreement is of such magnitude as to constitute a “ purposeful activity ”.

In Willis v. Willis (42 Misc 2d 473, 475) the Supreme Court, New York County, held that it was “ not persuaded that the word ‘ business ’ as used in 302 can be construed to encompass the execution of a separation agreement, but, rather, that the intendment and contemplation of the verbiage was in respect of transactions being a business — a commercial aspect ’ ’. However, this view of CPLB. 302 has subsequently been rejected by other courts. In Todd v. Todd (51 Misc 2d 94, 96) the Nassau County Supreme Court found, in dictum, that “There may well be a basis for maintaining the action in New York, for the separation agreement was apparently entered into in New York

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Bluebook (online)
65 Misc. 2d 627, 318 N.Y.S.2d 610, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1850, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawrenz-v-lawrenz-nyfamct-1971.