Rienzi v. Rienzi

693 A.2d 129, 300 N.J. Super. 355, 1997 N.J. Super. LEXIS 216
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedApril 29, 1997
StatusPublished

This text of 693 A.2d 129 (Rienzi v. Rienzi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rienzi v. Rienzi, 693 A.2d 129, 300 N.J. Super. 355, 1997 N.J. Super. LEXIS 216 (N.J. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

WECKER, J.S.C. (temporarily assigned).

Defendant Gerald Rienzi appeals from a post-judgment order entered pursuant to a 1986 divorce judgment, requiring him to make certain payments to plaintiff Josephine Rienzi as equitable distribution of her share of his state pension benefits. After a [357]*357plenary hearing, the motion judge concluded that Gerald had not fulfilled his obligation to Josephine with respect to his retirement pension from the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and granted her relief accordingly.

The parties had been married for thirty-seven years when their contested divorce went to trial in 1986. Defendant was still employed by the State at that time. The trial resulted in a judgment that provided, inter alia, for Josephine to receive a percentage of Gerald’s monthly pension benefits once he retired, and to have the option of electing to receive survivor’s benefits under his pension. In the event she so elected, her share of Gerald’s reduced monthly benefits would be further reduced by ten percent.1 The judgment provided that the election was an “option she can make at some later date” without specifying the means by which she was to make the election and without placing any time limit on her right to do so.

Gerald did not retire until July 1, 1993, motivated both by having undergone cancer surgery in May 1993 and the availability of an attractive early-retirement offer that expired on July 1. The Division of Pensions set a deadline for electing a survivor’s benefit and designating an irrevocable beneficiary. The record reflects that only Gerald, not Josephine, had notice of the deadline for the beneficiary designation or that it would be irrevocable once he began to receive his monthly benefits. Upon retirement, Gerald elected the pension option that provided the largest monthly survivor’s benefit in exchange for accepting the lowest monthly benefit to him.2 However, Gerald named his fiancee as the [358]*358beneficiary. When Josephine learned about that designation, she brought a post-judgment motion seeking relief against defendant. Gerald then entered into an agreement with Josephine that resulted in a January 6,1994 consent order modifying Gerald’s monthly payment to Josephine downward to $340 and requiring him to. take the necessary steps to change the beneficiary and to designate Josephine.3 The change was rejected by the Division of Pensions as untimely, and Josephine brought this motion.

After an evidentiary hearing on this motion, the judge concluded that Gerald had no right to name another beneficiary, depriving Josephine of her opportunity to elect to receive survivor’s benefits. As a result, the judge held that Josephine was entitled to compensation, and ordered an increase in Gerald’s monthly payments to Josephine out of his pension benefits; made the increase retroactive to Gerald’s retirement date; and ordered “that the plaintiff is entitled to a judgment for damages in futuro for lost survivor pension benefits, provided the plaintiff survives the defendant.”

Based upon our review of the record and the arguments of counsel, in light of the applicable law, we are satisfied that a resolution of the entire matter depends upon a final determination of the parties’ attempt to have PERS change the beneficiary designation in conformity with the final divorce judgment and the January 6, 1994 consent order. We therefore vacate the order entered by the Chancery Division. We transfer the issue of Gerald’s change-of-beneficiary designation to PERS. See R. 1:13-4. We remand the matter to the Chancery Division and stay further action by the court pending a final determination of Gerald’s request to PERS to amend his beneficiary designation.

[359]*359There is nothing in the record before us to suggest that the matter was pursued administratively through PERS. Unlike the plaintiff in Cleveland v. Bd. of Trustees, Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, 229 N.J.Super. 156, 550 A.2d 1287 (App.Div.1988), neither party here pursued an administrative remedy by appealing the refusal of the Division of Pensions to accede to the parties’ request.4 We note, however, that the Division’s written refusal by letter of January 12,19945 to Gerald’s attorney did not include the required notice of the right to appeal. See N.J.A.C. 17:2-1.7.6 See also N.J.S.A. 52:14B-9. That letter states as the basis for its refusal:

It has been the policy since the Division’s inception that, once a retirement became due and payable, neither the retirement option or the designated beneficiary under the retirement option could be changed even with a court order. I believe that this was implemented in order to protect the financial integrity of our retirement systems.

The letter goes on to say that because Gerald’s benefits “became due and payable around August, 1993” the beneficiary cannot be [360]*360changed. The record therefore shows that there was never a final administrative determination of the change-of-beneficiary issue.

The Chancery Division does not have jurisdiction to order the beneficiary change. Jurisdiction is in the administrative agency, PERS. See N.J.S.A. 43:15A-17. Thus, the motion judge should have transferred that issue by authority of R. 1:13-4(a) to PERS for determination. See, e.g., Kaczmarek v. New Jersey Tpk. Auth., 77 N.J. 329, 343-44, 390 A.2d 597 (1978); Theodore v. Dover Bd. of Educ., 183 N.J.Super. 407, 413, 444 A.2d 60 (App.Div.1982). See also Abbott v. Burke, 100 N.J. 269, 301, 495 A.2d 376 (1985). It appears likely that PERS would comply with the request if given an opportunity to fully consider that request and the circumstances. Cf. Steinmann v. State of New Jersey, Dep’t. of Treasury, Div. of Pensions, 116 N.J. 564, 573, 562 A.2d 791 (1989).

It appears to us that the pension fund would suffer no prejudice and no damage to its “financial integrity” by the requested beneficiary change. Changing the beneficiary appears to affect only one actuarial factor material to the calculation of Gerald’s monthly benefits when he retired. That factor is the age of the beneficiary.7 It is plain from the record that Gerald’s named beneficiary was bom in 1940 and is thus considerably younger than Josephine, who was married to Gerald in 1949. It therefore appears that the pension fund would be burdened only to the extent of a recalculation of Gerald’s current and Josephine’s future benefits as a result of Josephine’s designation as beneficiary. While Gerald’s benefits would have to be recalculated, and proba[361]*361bly increased, the increase would be offset in an actuarial sense by a reduced future liability. In Cleveland v. Bd. Of Trustees, supra,

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Related

Cleveland v. Board of Trustees
550 A.2d 1287 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1988)
Steinmann v. State, Dept. of Treasury
562 A.2d 791 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1989)
Rova Farms Resort, Inc. v. Investors Insurance Co. of America
323 A.2d 495 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1974)
Kaczmarek v. New Jersey Turnpike Authority
390 A.2d 597 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1978)
Abbott v. Burke
495 A.2d 376 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1985)
Theodore v. Dover Bd. of Ed.
444 A.2d 60 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
693 A.2d 129, 300 N.J. Super. 355, 1997 N.J. Super. LEXIS 216, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rienzi-v-rienzi-njsuperctappdiv-1997.