Oliver v. Oliver

741 S.W.2d 225, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 9117, 1987 WL 25072
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 3, 1987
Docket2-87-014-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 741 S.W.2d 225 (Oliver v. Oliver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oliver v. Oliver, 741 S.W.2d 225, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 9117, 1987 WL 25072 (Tex. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

FENDER, Chief Justice.

Appellant, George Joseph Oliver, appeals from a Decree of Divorce granting a divorce and dividing the estate of the parties. The central issue on appeal is the division of the estate.

We affirm.

Appellant’s brief sets out the procedural history to this cause to which appellee agrees. Appellant’s brief stated a final divorce decree was entered on June 2,1986. Appellant moved for a new trial which was granted, and the June 2, 1986 divorce decree was set aside. The cause went to trial on November 13 and 14, 1986. The jury recommended that the division of the community estate be eighty percent (80%) to appellee and twenty percent (20%) to appellant. The court signed the final Decree of Divorce on December 17, 1986 from which appellant appeals.

In his first point of error appellant challenges the trial court’s finding which states, “the real property located at 8704 Ontario, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas is not a community asset, nor is it owned by either of the parties.... ”

*227 Appellant claims the first divorce decree entered on June 2, 1986, ordered that the Ontario property be transferred to Randy and Gwen Wood. Appellant testified that he involuntarily signed a warranty deed transferring the property to the Woods in accordance with “Court orders.” We note at this point that the record before us contains no proceedings in the statement of facts prior to the December 17, 1986 Decree of Divorce. However, even if we accept as true appellant’s statements as to what the first decree allegedly ordered, the record before us shows that the warranty deed was signed on May 23,1986, ten days prior to the entry of the first decree. Hence, we do not see appellant’s actions as being involuntary as a direct result of a court order or final decree. Inasmuch as the record before us reflects only a warranty deed which appellant and appellee both properly executed, transferring the property to the Woods, we find that the trial court correctly found the Ontario property neither a community asset, nor owned by either of the parties. Appellant’s first point of error is overruled.

Appellant’s second point of error generally contends that TEX.FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63(a) (Vernon Supp.1987) is unconstitutional. 1 Appellant asserts three grounds in support of his contention: (1) TEX.FAM. CODE ANN. see. 3.63(a) creates a new type of separate property which exceeds the definition of separate property set out in the Texas Constitution; (2) the section is vague and indefinite; and (3) the section gives the trial court authority to divest a person of property rights which in turn violates a person’s rights to substantive due process.

Appellant has mischaracterized the nature of the trial court’s action under TEX.FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63(a). In making a division of the community estate in accordance with TEX.FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63(a), the trial court is not divesting one spouse of his community property and making it the separate property of the other spouse, thereby impermissibly enlarging the constitutional definition of separate property. We view the court’s action not as creating separate property but rather as dividing community property which is well within the scope of the trial court’s power. See Cameron v. Cameron, 641 S.W.2d 210, 215 (Tex.1982). Appellant’s repeated reliance on Cameron, 641 S.W.2d 210 and Eggemeyer v. Eggemeyer, 554 S.W.2d 137 (Tex.1977) to support his argument on the unconstitutionality of TEX.FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63(a) is misplaced. Both of these cases address only the unconstitutionality of the court’s action in divesting a spouse of his or her separate property by awarding the separate property to the other spouse. See id. The present case deals with the division, not the divesture, of community property rather than separate property.

As for appellant’s contention that TEX.FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63 is unconstitutionally vague, we believe there is ample case law which gives the section consistent and specific meaning. See Cameron, 641 S.W.2d 210; Eggemeyer, 554 S.W. 2d 137.

Appellant’s argument that TEX. FAM.CODE ANN. sec. 3.63 deprives him of a vested property right without due process must also fail. The essential prerequisites of due process are notice and hearing. Martinez v. Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, 476 S.W.2d 400, 405 (Tex.Civ. App.—San Antonio 1972, writ ref’d n.r.e.). The record does not reflect that appellant was not afforded adequate notice or a fair hearing. Appellant’s allegations of the court’s action constituting a taking of property without due compensation has previously been held to have no merit. See Hopkins v. Hopkins, 540 S.W.2d 783, 787 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1976, no writ). Appellant’s point of error two is overruled.

*228 In his third and fourth points of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred and abused its discretion by refusing to submit a special issue on certain reimbursements to appellant’s separate estate for funds expended by his separate estate on behalf of the community estate.

The evidence presented at trial indicated that appellant did in fact receive some money from his mother’s estate back in 1981. Moreover, the record reflects that the attorneys for the respective parties stipulated that appellant received $30,-800.31 in the sale of his mother’s property, that appellant received $6,000.00 for the sale of his antique automobile and that the combined amount was appellant’s separate property. Further, the parties stipulated that appellant was entitled to $3,000.00 as reimbursement for contributions made to the community estate by his separate estate. However, there is also uneontrovert-ed evidence indicating that all of the separate funds received by appellant from his inheritance and the sale of his separate personal property, with the exception of $3,000.00, went to pay family living expenses such as food, utilities and credit card bills. These expenses had accrued because appellant had been unemployed for some length of time. In other words, appellant was compelled to use his separate property funds for the community living expense because of the unavailability of other community assets. It is well established in Texas that if no community funds are available then the parties are obligated to use their separate funds to support their family with no future right of reimbursement for the expended funds. Norris v. Vaughan, 152 Tex. 491, 260 S.W.2d 676, 683 (1953); see also Trevino v. Trevino, 555 S.W.2d 792, 802 (Tex.Civ.App. — Corpus Christi 1977, no writ).

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Bluebook (online)
741 S.W.2d 225, 1987 Tex. App. LEXIS 9117, 1987 WL 25072, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oliver-v-oliver-texapp-1987.