Paula Ruth Sheffield Hartman v. Melvin Thomas Hartman, Jr.

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Paula Ruth Sheffield Hartman v. Melvin Thomas Hartman, Jr.

Court of Appeals of Tennessee·Decided August 17, 2004·No. 03A01-9608-CV-00249·Published

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

PAULA RUTH SHEFFI ELD HARTMAN ) HAM LTON COUNTY I ) 03A01- 9608- CV- 00249 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l e e ) ) ) v. ) HON. SAMUEL H. PAYNE, ) J UDGE ) MELVI N THOMAS HARTMAN, J R. ) ) VACATED I N PART De f e nda nt - Appe l l a nt ) a nd REMANDED

BARRY L. GOLD OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLANT

CHARLES D. PATY OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLEE

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

M l vi n Thoma s Ha r t ma n, J r . , a ppe a l s a di vor c e j udgme n t e

r e n d e r e d by t he Ci r c ui t Cour t f or Ha mi l t on Count y. On a ppe a l h e

i ns i s t s t ha t t he Tr i a l Cour t e r r e d i n i t s a wa r d of c e r t a i n

j e we l r y t o h i s wi f e , Pa ul a Rut h She f f i e l d Ha r t ma n, a s s e pa r a t e

p r o p e r t y whi c h wa s i n f a c t ma r i t a l pr ope r t y. M . Ha r t ma n a l s o r

i ns i s t s t ha t t he Tr i a l Cour t ma de a n i ne qui t a bl e di vi s i on of t he

ma r i t a l e s t a t e s i nc e t he Tr i a l Cour t r e f us e d t o c ons i de r t he t a x c on s e qu e nc e s o f a wa r di ng M . Ha r t ma n c e r t a i n r e t i r e me nt f unds i n r

e x c h a n g e f or M . Ha r t ma n r e c e i vi ng t he e qui t y i n t he i r home a nd s

o t h e r r e a l pr ope r t y.

The pa r t i e s we r e ma r r i e d on M r c h 9, 1979. a Bot h ha d

b e e n p r e vi ous l y ma r r i e d. The y ha d one c hi l d, who wa s a mi nor a t

t he t i me o f t he h e a r i ng. At t he t i me of t he ma r r i a ge , M . s

Ha r t ma n owne d a Si gna l Mount a i n hous e wi t h $5, 000 i n e qui t y. At

t h e t i me of t he di vor c e , t he i r e qui t y ha d i nc r e a s e d t o

a p p r o x i ma t e l y $48, 500, i nc l udi ng t he e qui t y i n a n a dj a c e nt l ot o f

a p p r o x i ma t e l y $19, 750. M . Ha r t ma n f i l e d f or di vor c e i n J ul y o f s

1 9 9 4 a l l e gi ng i na ppr opr i a t e ma r i t a l c onduc t a nd i r r e c onc i l a bl e

d i f f e r e nc e s . M . Ha r t ma n c ount e r c l a i me d f or di vor c e , a l l e gi ng r

t ha t M . Ha r t ma n c ommi t t e d a dul t e r y. s The Tr i a l Cour t r e nde r e d a

j u d g me n t on Oc t obe r 24, 1995, a wa r di ng M . Ha r t ma n t he di vor c e r

b a s e d o n M . Ha r t ma n’ s s t i pul a t i on of he r i na ppr opr i a t e ma r i t a l s

c onduc t . The Tr i a l Cour t or de r e d t ha t t he t wo pa r t i e s woul d b e

g r a n t e d j oi nt l e ga l a nd phys i c a l c us t ody of t he i r mi nor da ught e r

a n d o r d e r e d a pa yme nt s c he dul e f or he r e xpe ns e s a nd i ns ur a nc e .

Ho we v e r , t he Tr i a l Cour t di d not e nt i r e l y r e s ol ve t hi s c a s e i n

t h e Oc t obe r 1995 j udgme nt ; i t i ns t e a d r e f e r r e d t he i s s ue of t he 1 d i vi s i on o f t he ma r i t a l a s s e t s t o a Spe c i a l M s t e r . a

Af t e r a h e a r i ng wi t h t he t wo pa r t i e s , t h e Spe c i a l

M s t e r i s s ue d a l e ngt hy r e por t whi c h r e s ol ve d t he di vi s i on of t h e a

ma r i t a l a s s e t s . M . Ha r t ma n f i l e d a numbe r of obj e c t i ons t o t he r

1 M . Ha r t ma n f i l e d a mo t i o n f o r r e f e r e n c e t o a S p e c i a l r M st er a due t o t h e “ c o mp l e x v a l u a t i o n a n d c a t e g o r i z a t i o n i s s u e s . ”

2 Sp e c i a l M s t e r ’ s r e por t , a nd r e que s t e d a he a r i ng on t he s e a

o b j e c t i ons wi t h t he Tr i a l Cour t . Af t e r a he a r i ng i n t he Tr i a l

Co u r t o n Fe br ua r y 19, 1996, on t he Spe c i a l M s t e r ’ s r e por t , t h e a

Tr i a l Cour t a dopt e d t he Spe c i a l M s t e r ’ s r e por t a nd or de r e d t h a t a

t h e p r o pos e d di vi s i on of a s s e t s a nd l i a bi l i t i e s be a dopt e d a s

p a r t o f t he pr e vi ous j udgme nt , i nc l udi ng a n a wa r d of c e r t a i n

j e we l r y t o t he wi f e a s s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y. The or de r a l s o

i n c l u d e d a n a wa r d of t he e qui t y i n t he hous e a nd a dj a c e nt l ot t o

M . Ha r t ma n a nd a n a wa r d of a l mos t e qua l va l ue i n t he f or m of s

r e t i r e me nt mone y t o M . Ha r t ma n t o a c c ount f or M . Ha r t ma n’ s r s

r e t a i n i ng t he e qui t y i n t he hous e .

M . Ha r t ma n’ s f i r s t i s s ue on a ppe a l i s t ha t t he Tr i a l r

Co u r t i nc or r e c t l y c ha r a c t e r i z e d c e r t a i n i t e ms of t he j e we l r y a s

g i f t s , a nd t hus a s s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y a nd i nc or r e c t l y a wa r de d t h e m

t o M . Ha r t ma n. s M . Ha r t ma n ba s e s hi s i ns i s t e nc e on t he f a c t r

t h a t M . Ha r t ma n di d not c a r r y he r bur de n of pr ovi ng t ha t t he s

i t e ms o f j e we l r y we r e g i f t s . M . Ha r t ma n r e l i e s on t he ma r i t a l r

a s s e t a nd l i a bi l i t y l i s t s t ha t e a c h pa r t y s ubmi t t e d t o t he

Sp e c i a l M s t e r . a M . Ha r t ma n’ s l i s t c l a s s i f i e d $33, 0 00 wor t h o f r 2 j e we l r y a s ma r i t a l , whi l e M . Ha r t ma n’ s l i s t of " St a t e me nt of s

As s e t s a nd Li a bi l i t i e s " i t e mi z e d e a c h i t e m of j e we l r y a nd va l u e d

t h e j e we l r y a t a ppr oxi ma t e l y $16, 000, wi t hout i ndi c a t i ng whe t h e r

t h e j e we l r y wa s ma r i t a l o r s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y. M . Ha r t ma n a l s o s

f i l e d a n e xhi bi t whi c h wa s t i t l e d " W f e ’ s Se pa r a t e Pr ope r t y, " i

wh i c h d i d not i nc l ude a ny of t he j e we l r y a t i s s ue on a ppe a l ,

2 M . Ha r t ma n ’ s l i s t i n d i c a t e d t h a t $ 8 , 0 0 0 o f t h e j e we l r y wa s i n h i s r p o s s e s s i o n wh i l e $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 wa s i n M . Ha r t ma n ’ s p o s s e s s i o n . s

3 wh i l e i t di d i nc l ude ot he r j e we l r y whi c h wa s r e f e r r e d t o a s be i n g

a c qu i r e d " b e f or e " t he ma r r i a ge . Bot h pa r t i e s a dmi t t ha t t he r e

wa s n o t e s t i mony a t t he Sp e c i a l M s t e r he a r i ng or i n t he Tr i a l a

Co u r t o n t he i s s ue of whe t he r t he i t e ms of j e we l r y we r e gi f t s .

Th e Tr i a l J udge s umma r i l y a f f i r me d t he Spe c i a l M s t e r ’ s f i ndi ng a

t h a t t h e j e we l r y wa s s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y.

The Tr i a l Cour t mus t e qui t a bl y di vi de a l l of t he

" ma r i t a l pr ope r t y. " T. C. A. 36- 4- 121. M r i t a l pr ope r t y i s a

d e f i n e d a s " a l l r e a l a nd pe r s ona l pr ope r t y, bot h t a ngi bl e a nd

i n t a n g i bl e , a c qui r e d by e i t he r or bot h s pous e s dur i ng t he c our s e

o f t h e ma r r i a ge . " T. C. A. 36- 4- 121. Se pa r a t e pr ope r t y, on t he

o t h e r h a nd, i s de f i ne d i n T. C. A. 36- 4- 121( b) ( 2) ( d) a s pr ope r t y

" a c q u i r e d by a s pous e a t a ny t i me by gi f t , be que s t , de vi s e or

de s c e nt . " The r e f or e , a gi f t gi ve n by one s pous e t o t he ot he r

d u r i n g ma r r i a ge i s c ons i de r e d s e pa r a t e pr ope r t y. Ba t s on v.

Ba t s o n, 769 S. W 2d 849 ( Te nn. App. 1988) . . Howe ve r , i t mus t be

p r o v e n t ha t a gi f t a c t ua l l y oc c ur r e d. Thi s Cour t s t a t e d i n

Ha n o v e r v. Ha nove r , 775 S. W 2d 612, 617 ( Te nn. App. 1989) , t ha t : .

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