Raney v. Matney

278 P. 26, 128 Kan. 426, 1929 Kan. LEXIS 345
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJune 8, 1929
DocketNo. 28,812
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 278 P. 26 (Raney v. Matney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Raney v. Matney, 278 P. 26, 128 Kan. 426, 1929 Kan. LEXIS 345 (kan 1929).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Burch, J.:

The action was one to require specific performance of a contract to convey land. The question was whether the vendor could give good title. The cause was submitted to the court on an agreed statement of facts. From a judgment in favor of plaintiff defendant appeals. The agreed statement of facts is appended hereto.

The principal contention may be stated as follows: The deed referred to in paragraph 5 of the agreed statement of facts constituted a gift of the land to D.ora Raney from her husband; R. S. 60-1511 required that when divorce' was granted for fault of the wife, the land should be given to her as land separately acquired and owned by her after marriage; therefore the court was without jurisdiction to award the land to the husband.

It is true that R. S. 60-1511 provides that, if a divorce shall be granted for fault of the wife, the court shall restore to her all property separately acquired by her before or after marriage. It is also [427]*427true the provision applies to gifts made by husband to wife. (Davison v. Dawson, 125 Kan. 807, 266 Pac. 650.) The section, however, provides further as follows:

“And to such property, whether real or personal, as shall have been acquired' by the parties jointly during their marriage, whether the title thereto be in either or both of said parties, the court shall make such division between the-parties respectively as may appear just and reasonable, by a division of the property in kind, or by setting the same, apart to one of the parties, and requiring the other thereof to pay such sum as may be just and proper to effect, a fair and just division thereof.” (R. S. 60-1511.)

The statute clearly contemplates that in adjusting property rights the divorce court may inquire into and determine property origins. In this instance the court made an investigation and found the land was acquired by the husband and wife out of their joint earnings after marriage. The statute provides that no matter in which party title stands the court may give property so acquired to either one. The question before the court was whether this provision becomes inoperative if, after joint acquisition, the husband deeds to the wife. Prima facie, the distinction in the statute is between property originally acquired separately by one spouse, and property originally acquired jointly by both, and when divorce is granted for fault of the wife it is not material whether title of property originally acquired with joint funds stands in one or the other, or both. In any event the question before the court was one of statutory interpretation. Manifestly the court had power to make a decision, and whether the decision was sound or unsound it was not void for want of jurisdiction. If the judgment was erroneous it could be corrected only by appeal. No appeal was taken, and the judgment is a final adjudication both as to marital status and property interests of the-parties.

The fact that the petition for divorce did not allege insanity and accrual of cause of action for divorce before insanity, did not vitiate it. It stated a good cause of action. Service was duly made on the defendant, she was represented by a guardian for the suit, and the-court’s express finding that plaintiff was entitled to a divorce was a general finding of all facts essential to a valid decree. In the opinion of the district court the provision made for the insane wife was fair, just and reasonable, as the statute required, and the court so found. The finding was not subject to review by the district court in this action, and is not subject to review here.

The judgment of the district court is affirmed.

[428]*428APPENDIX.

AGREED STATEMENT OP PACTS.

It is hereby agreed by and between the plaintiff and defendant that the controversy involved in the above-entitled cause of action be submitted to the court'-on the following agreed facts:

1. That the contract, a copy of which is attached to plaintiff’s petition, was duly executed by plaintiff and defendant.

2. That plaintiff furnished abstract of title as agreed.

3. That the defendant paid the sum of $100 as earnest money.

4. That the property described in said contract was acquired out of the joint earnings of O. E. Raney and his wife, Dora Raney, and was conveyed' by warranty deed made and executed by E. R. Barnes, a single man, to O. E. Raney, September 15, 1899, a copy of said deed recorded at page 162 of vol. 273 of the records of Shawnee county, state of Kansas.

5. That on the 28th day of July, 1902, the said property was conveyed by warranty deed by O. E. Raney to Dora Raney, his wife, and deed recorded July 28, 1902, in vol. 290, page 322, records of Shawnee county, Kansas.

6. That in 1903 plaintiff entered into a contract with the Topeka Iron Co. for the purchase of a tract of land in North Topeka, and known as street number 301 East Curtis street, for a homestead, made all payments' for same, and received a deed to same from the Topeka Iron Co. July 19, 1911, which said property has been the homestead of plaintiff from the date of contract, and is at this time the homestead of plaintiff.

8. That on the 3d day of March, 1924, in case- No. 2251 in the probate court of Shawnee county, Kansas, Dora M. Raney, the wife of the plaintiff herein, was found to be insane and a proper person for care and treatment in some institution for the insane, and was committed to the state hospital for the insane in Topeka, where she is at this time.

9. That on October 28, 1927, this plaintiff filed suit for divorce against his wife, Dora Raney, being the same person as Dora M. Raney, the insane person; the petition setting out that no children have been born to this plaintiff and the said Dora Raney; that the defendant has been guilty of extreme cruelty toward plaintiff; that she has repeatedly and continuously ridiculed and belittled the plaintiff in his religious beliefs for a number of years.

10. That there is no allegation in the petition that the defendant therein was an insane person, or that the cruelty complained of took place before the defendant, Dora Raney, was adjudged insane.

11. That no guardian at any time has been appointed by the probate court of Shawnee county aforesaid, either of her person or property.

12. That no application has been made in the probate court aforesaid for the appointment of a guardian of either the person or property of the said Dora Raney; neither has an application been made to the said court for permission to sell real estate of the said Dora Raney for her support.

13. That in the said divorce action personal service of summons was had on the said Dora Raney on November 1, 1927, after which a motion was filed [429]*429asking for the appointment of a guardian ad litem, who'on December 12, 1927, filed a general denial of all allegations in the petition, except those relating to the residence of the parties, the marriage, and no children, which allegations are admitted in the answer of said guardian ad litem.

14. That on March 3, 1928, the cause came on for trial, the plaintiff appearing in person and by attorney, and the guardian ad litem appearing for the defendant.

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Related

Dikeman v. Dikeman
379 P.2d 314 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1963)
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254 P.2d 301 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1953)
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114 P.2d 823 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1941)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
278 P. 26, 128 Kan. 426, 1929 Kan. LEXIS 345, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/raney-v-matney-kan-1929.