Schmidt v. Schmidt

493 S.W.2d 720, 1973 Tenn. LEXIS 509
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedApril 16, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 493 S.W.2d 720 (Schmidt v. Schmidt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schmidt v. Schmidt, 493 S.W.2d 720, 1973 Tenn. LEXIS 509 (Tenn. 1973).

Opinion

OPINION

JOHN W. WILSON, Special Justice.

The parties will be designated as in the trial court: June Emily Schmidt as plaintiff, and William Schmidt as defendant.

On March 14, 1972, the plaintiff filed this action in the Chancery Court of Sumner County, Tennessee, seeking to have established as a foreign judgment in that court a judgment of the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alame-da, divorcing the parties herein, the proceedings in the California court being certified under the Act of Congress.

The proceeding before the Chancellor comes to this Court upon the technical record.

It appears from the allegations in the plaintiff’s complaint, the exhibit thereto, and the answer of the defendant, that the parties formerly resided in California and, after their marriage of over twenty-nine years, the husband sued for divorce and the wife filed a cross-bill, on which she was granted an interlocutory decree of divorce. The parties entered into a property settlement agreement which was approved by the court and made a part of the decree, and each of the parties ordered to comply with the terms thereof. The decree provided, among other things, that the husband would pay the wife $250.00 a month as alimony, one-half on the fifth and twentieth day of each month, commencing on October 20, 1967 until further order of the court. This interlocutory order was made a part of and incorporated in the final judgment of divorce entered on October 11, 1967.

Subsequent to the divorce decree, the defendant established his residence in Sumner County, Tennessee.

The complaint alleged that the defendant was in arrears in the alimony payments, under the California decree, in the amount of $2,750.00; the prayer for the relief sought is in the following language:

“2. That plaintiff have a decree or judgment against the defendant for the amount due and owing to plaintiff from the defendant in the amount of $2,750.00, and • such other amounts as may accrue up until the time of the adjudication of this cause, and for reasonable attorney’s fees.
3. That plaintiff have such further and other relief as her cause will warrant and as Your Honor may deem proper.”

On June 15, 1972, the defendant filed an answer and cross-petition and in the answer admits the delinquency as alleged by the plaintiff, and the prayer to the cross-petition is as follows:

“1. That the cross petitioner incorporates in his cross action any necessary exhibits and allegations as contained in the original petition so as not to be set out here in duplicity.
2. That the cross petitioner have nullified or revoked, or in the alternative modified, the previous decree handed down by the State of California as evidenced by Exhibit F of the original petition for the following reasons:
(a) Due to the change of no fault divorce in California it is contrary to the theory of alimony which is in keeping with California being a community property state.
(b) It is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment as not providing him equal protection under the law.
[722]*722(c) That the cross defendant is now working full time.
(d) That the defendant is now unable to pay the amount as originally decreed.
(e) The Court is within its authority under the present laws to justly abate alimony, without requiring showing of change of circumstances.”

On June 26, 1972, the court ordered as follows:

“THIS CAUSE came on to be heard before the Honorable Edward M. Turner on the 26th day of June, 1972, upon the complaint, the exhibits thereto, and especially the certified judgment from the State of California, the answer and cross-petition of the defendant, the oral motion by counsel for the plaintiff for a summary judgment on the complaint, upon the motions to dismiss by counsel for the plaintiff with regard to the cross-petition of the defendant, and argument of counsel in Open Court, from all of which it appears to the Court as follows:
(1) That the motion by the plaintiff for a summary judgment on the complaint is proper and should be allowed, as hereinafter specifically set forth.
(2) That the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss the cross petition should be overruled and disallowed, to which action of the Court, the plaintiff excepted.
(3) That the portion of the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss relative to the collateral attack on the judgment from the State of California is proper and, therefore, the Court ORDERS that on JULY 28, 1972, only that part of the cross-petition which requests modification of the original judgment relative to future support, be set for hearing at the next term of Court.
IT IS THEREFORE, ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED BY THE COURT, that the plaintiff, JUNE EMILY SCHMIDT, have and recover of the defendant, WILLIAM SCHMIDT, the sum of TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY ($2,750.00) DOLLARS, the arrearage as of March 1, 1972, and the Court further ORDERS that the defendant shall pay this judgment at the rate of FIVE HUNDRED ($500.00) DOLLARS each month until the same has been paid in full, the first payment being due on or before the TENTH (10th) DAY OF JULY, 1972, and the costs, for all of which execution may issue, if necessary.”

From the technical record it appears that on July 26, 1972, the defendant filed a motion for new trial in the following language :

“Now comes the defendant and moves the Court for Motion for New Trial on the following grounds:
1. The summary judgment given was contrary to the Rules of Civil Procedure in that no notice was given nor proper or sufficient notice given.
2. The judgment is rendered contrary to the law.
3. The judgment given was contrary to the facts as stated in the pleadings.
4. That the judgment was not a final judgment in California in which execution could be run and was void or voidable due to subsequent changes of the law in California.
5. The judgment was contrary to the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in that the defendant was not being afforded equal protection under the law.
THEREFORE, now comes the defendant and moves the Court .to set aside the summary judgment in order that he might have a trial on the merits of this cause and a new trial.”

[723]*723Thereafter, in the technical record there appears this order:

“THIS CAUSE came on to be heard before the Honorable Edward M. Turner, Chancellor, on the 15th day of August, 1972, upon the prior pleadings in this matter, the motion for new trial by the defendant, and the oral arguments of counsel in Open Court, from all of which it appears to the Court as follows:
(1) That the motion for a new trial by the Defendant should be overruled and disallowed, to which action of the Court, the defendant excepted, and prays an appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
493 S.W.2d 720, 1973 Tenn. LEXIS 509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schmidt-v-schmidt-tenn-1973.