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

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

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

DecidedAugust 17, 2004

Docket03A01-9608-CV-00249

StatusPublished

This text of Paula Ruth Sheffield Hartman v. Melvin Thomas Hartman, Jr. (Paula Ruth Sheffield Hartman v. Melvin Thomas Hartman, Jr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Paula Ruth Sheffield Hartman v. Melvin Thomas Hartman, Jr., (Tenn. Ct. App. 2004).

Pincite

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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