Risch v. Risch

395 S.W.2d 709
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 28, 1965
Docket14615
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 395 S.W.2d 709 (Risch v. Risch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Risch v. Risch, 395 S.W.2d 709 (Tex. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

BELL, Chief Justice.

Appellee recovered judgment granting her a divorce from appellant; giving her custody of the two children living with her; fixing child support payments of $350.00 per month; awarding appellee a $1500.00 attorney’s fee, and making a division of the property. The 10 year old son was with appellant in Singapore, Malaysia, and the court made no custodial disposition of him.

Appellee filed her petition on May 22, 1964. Her petition affirmatively alleged appellant was “a resident of Singapore, Malaysia.” There was no allegation that he was domiciled in Texas, though she sufficiently alleged her inhabitancy in Texas and residence in Harris County. She obtained issuance of non-resident notice and the record shows service on appellant in Singapore. The petition also alleged separation on or about March 10, 1962, though proof shows it occurred in August, 1962.

Appellant filed a special appearance under Rule 120a, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, challenging the jurisdiction of the court, and in it asserted he was a nonresident of Texas, was domiciled in Singapore, Malaysia, and that he and his property were not amenable to process issued by Texas courts. The plea was sworn to by appellant’s counsel.

The trial court, after hearing, overruled the plea and appellant excepted to the ruling. He here complains that this action *711 was erroneous and therefore the court had no jurisdiction to fix child support, act on certain personal property in appellant’s possession in Singapore or to award attorney’s fees. There is no question that the court had jurisdiction to grant the divorce, to fix custody of the children who were here and to act on property within the State.

We are of the view that the court erred in holding it had personal jurisdiction so as to award child support and attorney’s fees.

The evidence shows the parties were married in Miami, Oklahoma, in 1954, at which time appellant lived in Oklahoma. The parties lived in Oklahoma until 1957. Then appellant, who worked for an oil company, commenced work for the company in its foreign service. From Oklahoma the parties went to Indonesia for two years. In November, 1959, while on vacation, they stayed a short time in the home of appellee’s parents in Houston and then rented an apartment. In 1960, before February when appellant went to Argentina, they bought a house in Pasadena, Texas. It was never lived in by the parties but was immediately rented to third parties and has continuously been so rented. Ap-pellee went to Argentina in April. She, appellant and the children stayed there until March, 1962, at which time she and the two small girls came to Houston. Appellant and the son followed in June. The trip to Houston was for a vacation. While here on vacation the parties rented an apartment. In August appellant left, ostensibly to go back to Argentina. He took the boy with him. Since this time ap-pellee has had no direct word from appellant, but she learned through friends he was in Singapore with the son. He sends $200.00 per month for support, but it is sent by a New York bank to her bank here. Appellee states as a conclusion that the house in Pasadena was bought as a home but nowhere does there appear anything said or done by appellant with regard to the house except it was bought in early 1960. $3,000.00 was paid down and the rentals have been used to keep up the deferred payments, taxes and insurance. The collection of the rental and the payments are made by some rental agent. Appellee apparently knows nothing more about the property than we have recited. Appellee stated Houston was a “transitory” point for them between assignments because her parents lived here. She did state that at some time before their marriage in Oklahoma appellant had lived in Texas.

We feel, under the evidence contained in the record before us, the last marital domicile of both parties was in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they lived until 1957. Appellee, of course, has since 1962 been a good faith inhabitant and resident of Harris County.

Since appellant was not domiciled in Texas at the time of service, was served out of the State, and properly pled and proved under Rule 120a he is not amenable to service of process in matters in personam, it was error for the court to fix child support and to award attorney’s fees. Grubbs v. Grubbs, Tex.Civ.App., 164 S.W.2d 216, no writ hist.; Woodworth v. Woodworth, Tex.Civ.App., 277 S.W.2d 828, no writ hist.

Appellant also asserts that he had obtained a divorce in Mexico from appellee. Further he asserts that if this is not valid and he and appellee remained husband and wife, the evidence in this record does not support a judgment for divorce.

Appellee’s petition alleges as grounds for divorce “cruel treatment and outrages toward Plaintiff of such a nature as to render living together with defendant intolerable and insupportable.” Specifically appellee also pled that appellant stole the minor son and has the son with him in Malaysia where reportedly appellant is living with another woman to whom he is not married. The assertion that he is living in adultery is made on the basis, first, that *712 the Mexican divorce was invalid, and second, that he never purported to marry his alleged companion.

The evidence shows that while the parties were here on vacation during June and July, 1962, they had “just the usual family arguments.” When asked if appellant struck her as a result of the arguments, appellee answered “yes.” The nature of the arguments and striking is not further characterized. In response to the question, “Now, after that time, Mr. Risch left, and what was your understanding of where he was going and what you were supposed to do when he left, Mrs. Risch,” appellee answered, “It was my intention that Mr. Risch was going back to Argentina where he was to stay * * * two or three months. * * * He was supposed to come back to the States and we were going to Indonesia, and, as I said, the next thing I knew Mr. Risch was in Indonesia, and I had no knowledge of that.” Previously she had testified that through friends she learned that he was in Indonesia living with another woman. She also testified she allowed him to take the boy with him because appellant was to send for her and the other children to join him in Indonesia. Appellee testified she had made two efforts to communicate with him, once when he failed to send the $200.00 support payment. She cabled him at Singapore and learned he was in the States on vacation. She was unable to locate him though she attempted to through Mr. Borlan of the New York office. The other occasion was in 1963 when she heard he had obtained a divorce or was trying to. She wrote him asking that he let her know something. She received no reply. She said she knew nothing definitely about the divorce until about January, 1964, when she received through the mail what she took to be a copy of a judgment of divorce granted appellant in Mexico. The judgment is dated September 8, 1962. Appellee testified she was never served with any notice nor did she ever agree to submit herself to the jurisdiction of the Mexican court. She- never submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court of Mexico.

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Bluebook (online)
395 S.W.2d 709, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/risch-v-risch-texapp-1965.