Morgan v. Morgan

507 P.2d 409, 13 Or. App. 14, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 1098
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedMarch 12, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 507 P.2d 409 (Morgan v. Morgan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morgan v. Morgan, 507 P.2d 409, 13 Or. App. 14, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 1098 (Or. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinions

[16]*16THORNTON, J.

Defendant wife appeals from certain provisions of a divorce decree granted to plaintiff husband.

Defendant contends that the trial court erred:

(1) In applying the provisions of the “old” divorce law, former ORS ch 107, rather than those of the new “no-fault” law, ORS ch 107;

(2) In granting custody of the parties’ minor child to the husband;

(3) In awarding the wife what she believes to be insufficient support;

(4) In dividing the property of the parties; and

(5) In denying costs and attorney’s fees to the wife at trial.

She also seeks costs and attorney’s fees on this appeal.

The history of this marriage, except as relevant to specific assignments of error and set out below, need not be detailed. The parties were married for some 27 years. Two children were born to the marriage, Sharon, age 18, and David, age 23. Apparently the relationship between plaintiff and defendant was frequently strained, and during the last years of the marriage the wife allegedly became interested in another man.

I

The plaintiff filed his complaint in this case on September 23, 1971. The “no-fault” divorce law became effective on October 1, 1971. Oregon Laws 1971, ch 280, § 29.

The defendant sought to invoke the provisions of the new law through a second amended answer and [17]*17counterclaim. The trial court denied the motion to file this pleading. Again, immediately before trial, the defendant urged the court to follow the “no-fault” law, and the court refused, believing the former law to be applicable in the ease.

After an initial amendment to the pleadings, which is allowed of course, ORS 16.370, further amendments sought before trial may be granted if “in furtherance of justice,” ORS 16.390. Certainly, reference to the appropriate law at trial is “in furtherance of justice,” and the amendment should have been allowed if the new divorce law is, in fact, properly applicable to this case. See Perdue v. Pac. Tel. & Tel. Co., 213 Or 596, 326 P2d 1026 (1958).

Two cases previously before this court have involved factual situations parallel to that here, with divorce complaints filed before the effective date of the new law, and trial occurring after that date. In one of those cases the trial court followed the new law. Minovsky v. Minovsky, 10 Or App 540, 543, 500 P2d 1234 (1972). In the other, the trial court applied the former law. Ray v. Ray, 11 Or App 246, 502 P2d 397 (1972). However, in neither case did this court rule on the propriety of the law relied on by the trial court.

In both Minovsky and Ray we noted that our decision would be the same under either the old or the new law. Here the situation is different. At least as to one issue raised on this appeal, the result is clearly dependent on the choice of the properly applicable law. Under the former statute, ORS 107.030, the prevailing party, Mr. Morgan, would be awarded the divorce, while under the new statute, ORS 107.036(4), the court would merely declare the marriage dissolved. Of course this difference could have been involved in [18]*18Minovsky and Ray, as well as in this case. However, in Minovsky and Ray neither party sought to challenge the form of the decree either at trial or on appeal. As noted above, here the defendant wife made that challenge and we must respond to it.

Normally, statutes apply only prospectively. However, procedural and remedial statutes have on occasion been held to apply retrospectively to all actions accrued or pending. See, Spicer v. Benefit Ass’n of Ry. Emp., 142 Or 574, 17 P2d 1107, 21 P2d 187 (1933); Smith v. Clackamas County, 252 Or 230, 448 P2d 512 (1969).

The line between what is procedural, and what substantive, is far from clear. See 23 ALR3d 626 (1969). Twice before the Oregon courts have ruled on the retrospective effect of a change in the divorce statutes. The 1947 legislature amended the statutes governing property division and alimony in a divorce suit. In Siebert v. Siebert, 184 Or 496, 199 P2d 659 (1948), the trial court had applied the new statutes to a divorce suit pending under the former law. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that if the statutory amendments were in force when the divorce decree was entered, then the amendments governed the allowance of alimony and the division of property.

Barone v. Barone, 207 Or 26, 294 P2d 609 (1956), involved a subsequent amendment of the statutes governing property division. The amendments in Barone took effect only three days before the decree was entered, but both the trial court and the Supreme Court applied the amended law to the case.

The statutory changes in Siebert and Barone would, if anything, seem to be of a more substantive nature than those adopted by the 1971 legislature. [19]*19However, in the statutes involved in Siebert and Barone the legislature was silent as to its intention on the retrospective or prospective application of the amendments.

Based upon our reading of the 1971 law, we conclude that it was the intent of the legislature that the “no-fault” divorce law would not become effective and operative until October 1, 1971. The trial judge did not err in applying the provisions of the old law to the case at bar. See, Joseph v. Lowery, 261 Or 545, 495 P2d 273 (1972), holding that the new comparative negligence law was not intended to be applied retroactively.

The 1971 legislature added a savings clause to the amendments which established October 1, 1971, as the effective date of the Act, and provided:

“(3) "When a domestic relations suit is pending on the effective date of this Act, a right accrued under a law repealed hereby is not impaired and the court shall grant to a party seeking to enforce the accrued right the relief to which the party is entitled.” Oregon Laws 1971, ch 280, § 29. (Emphasis supplied.)

What was the legislature intending to accomplish by adding the above provision to the new law?

It is our conclusion that the legislature added this provision simply to make it clear that as to cases “pending on the effective date of this Act” the amendments and repeals of various sections of the old law which were made by the new law were not to be construed retroactively to extinguish rights which had accrued to either litigant under the old law.

Since the legislature did not specially define “right accrued” we look to the usual legal definitions [20]*20for guidance. Both the words “accrued” and “right,” and the phrase “accrued right” suggest the concept of something that is presently legally enforcable. See 1A Words and Phrases 437, 484; 37A Words and Phrases 353. Berry v. Branner, 245 Or 307, 421 P2d 996 (1966); In re Estate of Krachler, 199 Or 448, 263 P2d 769 (1953).

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Garrett v. Garrett
510 P.2d 591 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1973)
Morgan v. Morgan
507 P.2d 409 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1973)

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Bluebook (online)
507 P.2d 409, 13 Or. App. 14, 1973 Ore. App. LEXIS 1098, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morgan-v-morgan-orctapp-1973.