Micelli v. Micelli

195 N.E.2d 233, 45 Ill. App. 2d 159, 1963 Ill. App. LEXIS 544
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 20, 1963
DocketGen. 49,063
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 195 N.E.2d 233 (Micelli v. Micelli) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Micelli v. Micelli, 195 N.E.2d 233, 45 Ill. App. 2d 159, 1963 Ill. App. LEXIS 544 (Ill. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE McCORMICK

delivered the opinion of the court.

This appeal is taken from orders of the Superior Court of Cook County awarding temporary alimony and child support to Barbara Micelli, hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff. On December 10, 1962 plaintiff filed a complaint for separate maintenance alleging, among other things, that the parties were married on September 27, 1962; that a child, Jennifer Lynn, was born of the marriage; that the parties separated on November 9, 1962 through no fault of the plaintiff. The complaint further alleges that John Micelli, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment and of nonsupport, and that he wilfully deserted plaintiff on November 9, 1962. Plaintiff contended that defendant was in receipt of substantial income, and prayed for temporary alimony and child support and also for attorney’s fees.

The plaintiff filed a motion asking for temporary alimony, child support and attorney’s fees, and served a notice of the filing of said motion upon the defendant. On the same day, December 14, 1962, the trial court entered an order that the defendant pay $30 a week to the plaintiff for temporary alimony and child support, and that he pay the rent for the apartment occupied by the plaintiff. The order further provided that the matter of temporary attorney’s fees is reserved for the future consideration of the court.

Defendant filed his answer to the complaint on December 21, 1962. In that answer he alleged that it was “possible and probable” that he was not the father of the child Jennifer Lynn. He denied all the material grounds alleged in the complaint. On December 26th defendant filed a sworn petition asking the court to set aside the alimony and support order of December 14, 1962, or, in the alternative, to modify the order. Among other things it was alleged in the petition that the monthly rental of plaintiff’s apartment was $115 and that this amount, combined with the $30 per week alimony and support ordered by the court, was an intolerable financial burden in the light of his earnings, which he alleged to be $70 per week gross, and that under the order of the court the defendant would have less than $10 per month for his own livelihood. The defendant also filed an affidavit stating that he had found it impossible to comply with the order of the court and that a friend of his, one DeFily, had loaned the defendant $115 a month to pay the sums of money ordered by the court. An affidavit of DeFily to the same effect was also filed.

On December 26, 1962 the court entered an order reciting that both parties were present in open court with their respective counsel, “and the court having heard arguments of respective counsel, and the court having been fully advised, and it appearing to the court that defendant has testified that his net take-home pay as an apprentice barber is in the sum of $53.57 as shown in the accountant’s payroll record exhibited in open court; and that in addition thereto he makes an average of $5 per week as tips in a neighborhood barber shop, and the court indicating his belief that the tips average $10 per week,” and it was ordered that the previous order of December 14th should be modified so that the defendant should pay the plaintiff for temporary alimony and child support $25 per week and should pay the rental for plaintiff’s apartment of $115 per month.

The defendant appeals both, from the order of December 14, 1962 and the order of December 26, 1962, and in this court urges that the said orders be reversed or in the alternative that they be reversed and the cause remanded with directions that the trial court enter an appropriate order modifying the amount of alimony and child support.

In this court the plaintiff contends that the orders from which the appeal is prosecuted are not appealable by virtue of section 50(2) of the Illinois Civil Practice Act (Ill Rev Stats c 110, § 50(2)). Section 50(2) provides as follows:

“If multiple parties or multiple claims for relief are involved in an action, the court may enter a final order, judgment or decree as to one or more but fewer than all of the parties or claims only upon an express finding that there is no just reason for delaying enforcement or appeal. In the absence of that finding, any order, judgment or decree which adjudicates fewer than all the claims or the rights and liabilities of fewer than all the parties does not terminate the action, is not enforceable or appealable, and is subject to revision at any time before the entry of an order, judgment or decree adjudicating all the claims, rights and liabilities of all the parties.” (Italics ours.)

This section of the statute, which became effective January 1, 1956, has been fully interpreted in several cases in the Illinois Supreme Court. The leading case is Ariola v. Nigro, 13 Ill2d 200, 148 NE2d 787 (opinion filed March 20, 1958). Also see Smith v. Hodge, 13 Ill2d 197, 148 NE2d 793; Hanley v. Hanley, 13 Ill2d 209, 148 NE2d 792; Peterson v. Gwin, 17 Ill2d 261, 161 NE2d 123; O’Hara v. Carrillo, 18 Ill App2d 106, 151 NE2d 449; Hawthorn-Melody Farms Dairy, Inc., v. Elgin, J. & E. Ry. Co., 18 Ill App2d 154, 151 NE2d 393; Brodsky v. Brodsky, 20 Ill App2d 587, 156 NE2d 608; Henson v. Renshaw, 25 Ill App2d 178, 166 NE2d 166; Johnson v. City of Rockford, 26 Ill App2d 133, 169 NE2d 534; Brenner v. Neu, 26 Ill App2d 319, 168 NE2d 449; Cannon v. Thompson, 28 Ill App2d 69, 170 NE2d 174; Barrow v. Robinson, 28 Ill App2d 358, 171 NE2d 663; McGee v. McGee, 36 Ill App2d 105,183 NE2d 545; Weidler v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., 37 Ill App2d 95, 185 NE2d 100; Simon v. Simon, 37 Ill App2d 100, 185 NE2d 111; Vogel v. Melish, 37 Ill App2d 471, 185 NE2d 724; Neukranz v. Neukranz, 38 Ill App2d 89, 186 NE2d 114.

In the instant case no order was entered in the trial court that there was no just reason for delaying enforcement or appeal.

The action in the case before us is one of separate maintenance. It is a purely statutory action and was unknown to the common law. Plotnitsky v. Plotnitsky, 241 Ill App 166; Reifschneider v. Reifschneider, 144 Ill App 119, affirmed 241 Ill 92, 89 NE 255. Paragraphs 22, 23 and 23.2 of chapter 68 deal with the action of separate maintenance. Paragraph 22 provides that the court may allow “temporary alimony, attorney’s fees, and suit money as may appear just and equitable, as in cases of divorce.” Paragraph 23.2 provides that the process, practice and proceedings shall be the same as provided for in the Divorce Act. The Divorce Act is chapter 40 of the Illinois Revised Statutes. Section 6 (par 7) of that Act provides that the process, practice and proceedings under the Act shall be the same as in other civil cases except as otherwise provided by this Act or by any law or rule of court. Section 15 (par 16) provides that the court may require the payment of temporary alimony either by the wife or the husband during the pendency of the suit. It further provides that the court may in its discretion reserve the question of allowance of attorney’s fees and suit money until the final hearing of the case.

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Bluebook (online)
195 N.E.2d 233, 45 Ill. App. 2d 159, 1963 Ill. App. LEXIS 544, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/micelli-v-micelli-illappct-1963.