Marriage of Norman v. Norman

604 S.W.2d 680, 26 A.L.R. 4th 1208, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2958
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 4, 1980
Docket11098, 11149 and 11160
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 604 S.W.2d 680 (Marriage of Norman v. Norman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marriage of Norman v. Norman, 604 S.W.2d 680, 26 A.L.R. 4th 1208, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2958 (Mo. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

HOGAN, Judge.

In this dissolution of marriage case, the petitioner (husband) appeals from the order awarding temporary maintenance and child support to the respondent (wife); both parties appeal from the final order apportioning marital property, and the wife appeals from the final award of child support, contending the amount is grossly inadequate. The appeals were consolidated in this court for purposes of argument.

By way of general background, the record indicates the parties were married May 19, 1963, and were finally separated December 31, 1977. They are the parents of two children. The elder child is a female, 11 years of age; the younger child is a male, 8 years old. It would serve no useful purpose to recite all the evidence indicating the marriage is irretrievably broken. The husband testified that his wife had become an alcohol abuser; the wife testified her husband had become cold and indifferent to her and indicated she believed he was guilty of adultery. The parties’ efforts to reconcile their differences were duly recited and we cordially agree with the trial court’s finding that the marriage is irretrievably broken within the meaning of § 452.320, RSMo 1978.

By consent, the action was tried in Webster County although the parties resided at Ava, in Douglas County. Ordinarily, fixing of venue confers a mere personal privilege which may be waived by the party entitled to assert it. State ex rel. Union *682 Electric Company v. Scott, 470 S.W.2d 1, 3[1] (Mo.App. 1971). In our view, the husband, by commencing the action in Webster County, waived any issue of proper venue as did the wife by her failure to object by motion. See In re Marriage of Bradford, 557 S.W.2d 720, 729-730 (Mo.App. 1977). We hold the trial court acquired full jurisdiction of the parties and the subject matter.

Appeal No. 11098 deals with temporary allowances made by the trial court. The action was instituted January 19, 1978, and some order of hearing concerning temporary allowances was had on May 24 and 25. Nevertheless on May 30,1978, the wife filed a written motion praying temporary custody of the children, temporary support for the children, temporary maintenance and an award of attorneys’ fees pendente lite.

A hearing was had on the written motion on June 5. The wife presented a sanguine estimate of the amount she would need; the husband offered a very conservative estimate of the amount he could afford. On the same day, the trial court entered an order directing the husband to pay the sum of $300 per month as temporary maintenance, $300 per month as temporary child support and $750 to the wife’s attorneys as fees pendente lite. The wife was awarded temporary custody of the children, subject to the husband’s right to custody on weekends.

The wife contends that Appeal No. 11098 should be dismissed because no timely notice of appeal was filed. We think counsel is confused; our record, at least, indicates the order appealed from in No. 11098 was entered June 5, 1978. No after-trial motions were filed. On July 6, 1978, the husband filed notice of appeal with the circuit clerk, and on July 10, the clerk of this court acknowledged receipt of the notice of appeal and the proper docket fee. Under Mo.R.Civ.P. 81.05(a), the order appealed from became final 30 days after it was entered, or on July 5,1978. As provided by Mo.R.Civ.P. 81.04, the husband then had 10 days to appeal. The notice of appeal was timely. The wife also argues that the order granting temporary allowances was not appealable. After the briefs were filed in these appeals, this court decided such orders are appealable, In re Marriage of Deatherage, 595 S.W.2d 36, 37-38[1-4] (Mo.App.1980), and we see no reason to reconsider that ruling.

The husband has appealed only from that part of the order allowing temporary maintenance and temporary child support. In the past, our courts have observed that such awards are reviewed only to determine whether there has been an abuse of sound judicial discretion. See, e. g., Bryan v. Bryan, 452 S.W.2d 293, 295[2] (Mo.App.1970); McCann v. McCann, 448 S.W.2d 323, 325[1] (Mo.App.1969). The scope of review remains the same under the Dissolution of Marriage Act of 1973. In re Marriage of Deatherage, supra, 595 S.W.2d at 40[9]; In re Marriage of Duboc, 559 S.W.2d 250, 252-253 (Mo.App. 1977). In this case, the wife estimated her living expenses and arrived at the conclusion that she would require about $900 per month. The husband testified that his “take-home” pay was only $1,064 per month. Nevertheless, the husband also testified that “over the last three years” he had had a taxable income of $20,000 to $22,000 per year, and he himself estimated that his wife “ought to be able to get by on $600.00 [per month].” The trial court awarded $300 per month as temporary maintenance and $300 per month as temporary child support. We find no abuse of discretion.

Appeals No. 11149 and 11160, as noted, are focused upon the valuation and apportionment of marital property: The husband’s position is, in essence, that the trial court erroneously valued nonmarital property and abused its discretion in awarding the wife a money judgment in lieu of marital property based on that erroneous valuation. The wife asserts that the trial court erroneously classified some property as non-marital property and that the amount awarded as child support is insufficient. These assignments of error require some recital of the facts, bearing in mind that resolution of disputed factual issues was for the trial court.

*683 The asset which is the principal subject of controversy is the husband’s interest in the Ava Drug Company, a closely held family corporation. In deciding whether or not the husband’s interest in the Ava Drug Company is marital or nonmarital property, some general principles must be borne in mind. Section 452.330(2)(1), RSMo 1978, specifically provides that property acquired (by either spouse) by gift, bequest, devise or descent is nonmarital property, and it is generally agreed that the status of property as marital or nonmarital is fixed as of the time the property is acquired. Cain v. Cain, 536 S.W.2d 866, 871, and authorities cited n.5 (Mo.App. 1976). These considerations are to some extent offset in this case by the principle that under the provisions of original § 307 of the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act, from which § 452.330(2) was taken, any accumulation of income from the husband’s nonmarital property constitutes marital property to be divided by the court under § 452.330(1). Brunson v. Brunson, 569 S.W.2d 173, 178 (Ky.App.

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Bluebook (online)
604 S.W.2d 680, 26 A.L.R. 4th 1208, 1980 Mo. App. LEXIS 2958, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marriage-of-norman-v-norman-moctapp-1980.