Rozan v. Rozan

129 N.W.2d 694, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 118
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 1, 1964
Docket7951
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 129 N.W.2d 694 (Rozan v. Rozan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rozan v. Rozan, 129 N.W.2d 694, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 118 (N.D. 1964).

Opinions

DOUGLAS B. HEEN, District Judge.

Plaintiff instituted this action upon a judgment and decree of divorce rendered by the courts of California, and Herbert T. Silverberg, the intervenor, is a judgment creditor of defendant Rozan and by way of intervention in the instant suit seeks to enforce a money judgment obtained in the State of California.

Being considered and determined in this opinion are two separate appeals, plaintiff Alice F. Rozan and intervenor Silverberg both having appealed from a judgment of the District Court of Williams County, North Dakota, and from an order of that court denying a motion for a new trial, and both1 appellants in this Court demand trial de novo.

Plaintiff Alice F. Rozan, sometimes referred to as A. F. Rozan, and defendant Maxwell M. Rozan, also known as M. M. Rozan and M. R. Maxwell (designated hereafter as “Rozan” for purposes of this opinion), were married at Monroe, Michigan, in 1927, subsequently residing for varying periods of time in Colorado and in at least one other State. One child, John Elias Rozan, was born to their marriage.

In August of 1948, plaintiff and Rozan rented a dwelling in California, and it is apparent from the record that these parties then did not own other property of consequence. The Rozans in July, 1949, entered into a contract for the purchase of a [699]*699home in California. In the same year, Rozan was a patient in a Veteran’s Administration hospital in California, and subsequently, because of disability, need and lack of resources, made application for a veteran’s pension with the Veteran’s Administration.

Rozan in 1951, using borrowed money came to North Dakota and acquired by deed or lease certain mineral interests, receiving such largely in his name although certain acreage was taken in the name of the plaintiff. Among such properties so acquired was certain mineral acreage which for the purposes of this action are referred to as the “Kvam” properties. In the same year, the “Kvam” acreage was transferred by Rozan to his nephew, Sanford Rollins, however, it is evident that Rozan retained the actual and beneficial interest thereof. Subsequently, the “Kvam” properties developed considerable value and much of the •controversy in this case centers around this particular property.

Differences arose in the marriage relationship, and plaintiff and Rozan separated in April of 1953, plaintiff instituting an action for divorce in California. Almost immediately following the separation, Ro-zan, commencing in June, 1953, transferred and conveyed, without plaintiff’s knowledge or consent, the North Dakota mineral interests to defendants, Eugene D. Rosen, individually, and as trustee for John Elias Rozan, and to defendant McCormick.

On July 12, 1955, plaintiff was granted an interlocutory decree of divorce in California, and upon appeal such decree was modified and affirmed, the final decree subsequently issuing. The judgment of divorce, among other things, adjudges and determines that the litigants were residents of California for purposes of divorce, and further that all properties accumulated by the parties from and after July, 1948, wherever located, including real property interests in North Dakota, was and is community property of the parties, such interests having been acquired with community property funds and assets. The decree further found that Rozan’s transfers and conveyances to defendant Rosen, individually, and as trustee for John Elias Rozan, and to defendant McCormick, were wash transactions upon simulated considerations, being a scheme attempting to defeat plaintiff’s marital interest, the California court adjudicating all such transfers and conveyances fraudulent as to plaintiff. The judgment further awarded and decreed to plaintiff a 65% interest, Rozan retaining the remaining 35% interest, of all community property, including therein the real property interests situate in North Dakota, plaintiff further being granted alimony, support money and other incidental relief.

The instant action is brought by plaintiff upon the California divorce decree to recover accrued sums under that judgment; to have this Court decree all North Dakota property acquired by Rozan and plaintiff, as described in the complaint, to be community property of plaintiff and Rozan; to establish title to such community properties in the ratio of 65%' to plaintiff and 35% to Rozan, as fixed by the California divorce decree, and that plaintiff’s proportionate interest be decreed to be held trader implied trust for plaintiff’s benefit; to set aside certain alleged fraudulent conveyances; and, plaintiff asks that title to the extent of 65% interest of all real properties so fraudulently conveyed as alleged be quieted in her.

Intervenor Silverberg recovered a judgment of $23,556.00 against Rozan in a tort action in California, and has intervened in the instant action to establish such judgment in this State. For a separate cause of action, the intervenor alleges that the transfers and conveyances of Rozan to Rosen, individually and as trustee, and to McCormick, are fraudulent to such inter-venor as a judgment creditor, and asks that such' transfers be set aside and that the properties so allegedly fraudulently conveyed be decreed to be held in trust for Rozan and his creditors and applied towards satisfaction of intervenor’s judgment.

[700]*700Upon trial in North Dakota, the District Court awarded the plaintiff, and the inter-venor, each, tire money judgment as asked by such claimant upon her or his cause of action based upon foreign judgment as pleaded, but granted no further relief to the plaintiff or the intervenor and dismissed all other claims for relief.

It is. settled in North Dakota that a divorce action is regarded as a proceeding quasi in rem, the res being the marriage status. Schillerstrom v. Schillerstrom, 75 N.D. 667, 32 N.W.2d 106, 2 A.L.R.2d 271. This is in accord with the general rule as found in 17 Am.Jur. Divorce and Separation § 9, page 260;

“In so far as the action is limited to one for a divorce, it is essentially a proceeding in rem or, speaking more accurately, quasi in rem. The res upon which the judgment operates is the status of the parties. But in so far as one seeks incidental relief, such as an award of alimony, the custody of a child, or the judicial determination of property rights, the action is in per-sonam unless there are special circumstances, such as the presence of property or subject matter within the divorce state which enables the court to proceed in rem against the property or subject matter.”

In this respect, defendant Rozan does not question the jurisdiction of the California court to deal with dissolution of the marriage in question, he having appeared personally and defended the action in that court, and the judgment and decree of that court is to be accorded full faith and credit insofar as the California court, acting within its jurisdictional limitations, affected the marital status of the parties to the marriage. Weldy v. Weldy, 74 N.D. 165, 20 N.W.2d 583.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
129 N.W.2d 694, 1964 N.D. LEXIS 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rozan-v-rozan-nd-1964.