Phillips v. Phillips, 2006-A-0037 (6-29-2007)

2007 Ohio 3368
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 29, 2007
DocketNo. 2006-A-0037.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 2007 Ohio 3368 (Phillips v. Phillips, 2006-A-0037 (6-29-2007)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Phillips v. Phillips, 2006-A-0037 (6-29-2007), 2007 Ohio 3368 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Steven L. Phillips ("Steve"), appeals the judgment decree of divorce issued by the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas on June 5, 2006. Phillips challenges the trial court's division of property and its award of custody of Daniel C Phillips, to plaintiff-appellee, Sandra K. Phillips ("Sandy"). We reverse the decision of the trial court, and remand for proceedings consistent with our opinion.

{¶ 2} Steve and Sandy were married on June 22, 1985, in Geneva, Ohio. One child, Daniel (d.o.b. 2/9/1989) was born as issue of the marriage. *Page 2

{¶ 3} At the time the parties were married, Sandy was employed by the Ashtabula County Department of Job and Family Services (ACDJFS). In February of 1991, Steve and Sandy mutually agreed that she would remain at home to care for Daniel. Steve, a welder by trade, first worked for Ayrshire Construction, and then, for Bentley Excavating. In 1990, Steve began working full time at Phillips Son Welding Fabricating, the business started by his grandfather in 1937. Phillips Son, located at 6720 South Ridge Road, West, in Harpersfield Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, is a welding and steel fabrication business. The business assets consist of a 10,000 square foot building located on ten acres of property, various steel fabricating and welding machines and trucks.

{¶ 4} When Steve took over operations of Phillips Son in 1990, the business was faltering due to his father, Richard's, failing health. In order to aid her husband, Sandy began working in the office at Phillips Son, primarily as a secretary and bookkeeper, for which she received no salary. In addition, Sandy would occasionally work other part-time jobs, both paid and unpaid, to assist financially and to gain bookkeeping skills. As a result of one of her jobs, her employer, in lieu of cash payment, gave her a computer which was used in the business for billing and recordkeeping. Besides Steve, the only other full-time employee is Ed Powell, a certified welder, who has worked for Phillips Son since 1994.

{¶ 5} On June 5, 1992, Steve's father, Richard, who was in ill health, transferred the business, along with an approximately 6 acre parcel on which the building was situated, to Steve and Sandy via a bill of sale and a joint and survivorship deed, respectively. Later, Richard transferred an additional 4 acre parcel, adjacent to the *Page 3 business to Steve and Sandy, which was merged with the aforementioned 6 acre property. At trial, the parties stipulated that the appraised value of the business, exclusive of the real property, was $48,000.

{¶ 6} When Daniel started school and as the business grew, Sandy increased her hours at Phillips Son to approximately 25 per week. Steve, on the other hand, typically worked 80-90 hours per week.

{¶ 7} On July 28, 1998, the couple purchased a 36 acre farm, located at 6630 South Ridge Road, West, in Harpersfield Township, Ohio, for $199,800. The farm was purchased largely with the proceeds from the sale of their prior home, which was purchased jointly in 1982, prior to the marriage. Currently, the farm carries a mortgage balance between $45,000 and $55,000, with a monthly payment of $650.00, not including taxes or insurance. The parties stipulated that the current appraised value of the farm is $218,000.

{¶ 8} In addition to the aforementioned assets, the couple held two savings accounts with A.G. Edwards Company in the name of Phillips Son and Steve and Sandra Phillips, respectively (the A.G. Edwards accounts). The couple also held two joint checking accounts at Andover Bank, one in the name of Phillips Son and one in the name of Steve and Sandy Phillips. Both Steve and Sandy had access to all of the aforementioned accounts at all relevant times.

{¶ 9} Over the ensuing years, the marriage began to deteriorate. Steve's long hours at work and his drinking became an issue. Sandy maintained, and it was not disputed by Steve, that part of his time spent at the shop was spent drinking beer with his friends. In November, 2001, Steve was arrested for and convicted of Driving Under *Page 4 the Influence. Eventually a dispute arose between them regarding the finances of the business.

{¶ 10} On February 25, 2002, Sandy returned to work at the ACDJFS, at an approximate salary of $25,000 per year.

{¶ 11} Between February and March of 2002, Sandy made a series of withdrawals from the aforementioned A.G. Edwards accounts, withdrawing $63,726.41 from the Phillips Son account and $9,369.87 from the couple's joint savings account. The proceeds from these accounts, with the exception of the remaining balances of approximately $500 in each, were subsequently transferred to the couple's joint bank account at Andover Bank, along with the proceeds from one of Sandy's paychecks with ACDJFS, in the amount of $1,189.90.

{¶ 12} In turn, Sandy made a series of withdrawals from the Andover Bank account, from March 16, 2002, through April 8, 2002, totaling $53,536.18. These withdrawals were converted into a series of cashier's checks, which Sandy held in her possession, one of which was cashed and deposited into an account at FirstMerit Bank in Sandy's name.

{¶ 13} In March, 2002, Sandy removed the computer containing the business records from the office at Phillips Son and relocated it to the marital home.

{¶ 14} On April 5, 2002, Sandy filed a complaint for divorce in the Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas, alleging Incompatibility, Gross Neglect of Duty, and Extreme Cruelty. On the same date, Sandy filed a motion for a restraining order against Steve preventing him from disposing of marital assets, a motion for temporary custody of Daniel, and a motion for spousal and child support pendente lite. On the same date, *Page 5 the trial court granted the restraining order against Steve, subsequently causing him to move from the marital home to his mother's home, located at 6748 South Ridge Road, West, in Harpersfield Township.

{¶ 15} On April 18, 2002, Steve filed his answer and counterclaim, alleging Incompatibility, and seeking an equitable division of the marital property and custody of Daniel. On the same date, Steve filed a motion for immediate ex parte restraining orders against Sandy, and an order requesting an immediate accounting of the funds removed from the A.G. Edwards accounts, and an order requiring Sandy to physically return the computer and the books and records of Phillips Son to the business. These orders were granted by the trial court on April 23, 2002.

{¶ 16} On July 24, 2002, the parties entered into an Agreed Judgment Entry regarding temporary matters relative to parental rights, support obligations, and the operation of Phillips Son. The agreement provided, in relevant part, as follows:

{¶ 17} "1. That the parties will employ for bookkeeping record maintenance, billing and other accounting purposes for Phillips and Sons [sic] Welding and Fabricating the office of Paul Demshar, CPA, of Ashtabula, Ohio.

{¶ 18} "2.

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Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 3368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phillips-v-phillips-2006-a-0037-6-29-2007-ohioctapp-2007.