Sharkey v. Sharkey

137 N.E.2d 575, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 321, 1955 Ohio App. LEXIS 681
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 8, 1955
DocketNo. 2352
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 137 N.E.2d 575 (Sharkey v. Sharkey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sharkey v. Sharkey, 137 N.E.2d 575, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 321, 1955 Ohio App. LEXIS 681 (Ohio Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

OPINION

By MILLER, PJ.

This is a law appeal from a judgment of the Common Pleas Court awarding a decree of divorce and alimony to the plaintiff-appellee, Thomas P. Sharkey. The defendant-appellant is the wife. Mary Eugenia Sharkey, and for convenience we shall refer to the parties hereafter as plaintiff and defendant.

The record reveals that the case came on for hearing on the petition, the amended answer and cross-petition, and reply to the same. The grounds for the divorce were based upon gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty.

The amended answer was a general denial, and for a second defense condonation was pleaded. By way of cross-petition the defendant alleged that at all times she conducted herself as a dutiful wife, but that [323]*323the plaintiff has been guilty of gross neglect of duty and extreme c-ruelty in certain particulars. She asked that she be awarded alimony and such other relief to which she may be entitled by law.

The reply was a general denial to the' new matter set forth in the answer and also to the cross-petition.

A request for a separate finding of facts and conclusions of law was seasonably filed, and this request was granted by the court. It not only stated its conclusions of fact, but also included in its findings the facts upon which it based its conclusions; hence it is of considerable length, covering some eight pages. A sufficient summary of the same is contained in the court’s conclusions of law in order for us to determine the correctness of the divorce decree, as well as the alimony award. These questions are raised in the fourth and fifth assignments of error. We shall therefore quote the court’s legal conclusions with reference to the same.

“The petition of the plaintiff asks for divorce upon the grounds of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty.

“The amended answer and cross-petition of the defendant contains two defenses; (1) a general denial and (21 condonation. The cross petition asks for alimony alone, upon two grounds, (1) gross neglect of duty and (2) extreme cruelty. As to the latter ground for alimony, there is no such ground set forth in §3195.17 R. C., but the Court considers this pleading to mean ‘A separation in consequence of the ill treatment of the adverse party,’ since it is not necessary to plead in the exact words of the Code.

“To this amended answer and cross petition, the plaintiff filed a reply, denying the allegations respecting condonation and generally denying the allegations of the cross petition.

“Upon the issues joined by these pleadings, the Court finds that the jurisdictional requirements of residence, and service, have been admitted or proved.

“There are certain legal questions involved herein. Taking the plaintiff’s petition, we must determine:

“FIRST: The grounds for divorce are extreme cruelty and gross neglect of duty.

“There was a time when extreme cruelty was considered to mean personal physical violence inflicted by one upon another, but for many years it has been understood to include any act, which ‘is calculated permanently to destroy the peace of mind and happiness of the other so as utterly to destroy the objects of matrimony.’ 27 Corpus Juris Secundum, 552, Section 28.

“This definition has been adopted by the Courts of Ohio.

“ ‘The term “extreme cruelty,” as used in §11979 GC, is not limited in scope to acts of physical violence or the reasonable apprehension thereof, but is sufficiently broad to encompass acts and conduct, the effect of which is calculated to permanently destroy the peace of mind and happiness of one of the parties to the marriage and thereby render the marital union intolerable.’ Buess v. Buess, 89 Oh Ap 37; 45 O. O. 331.

“The Court finds that defendant has committed acts of aggression [324]*324against plaintiff by nagging and accusing the plaintiff of improper interest in another woman, of speaking falsely of her to their mutual acquaintances and friends, which accusations of the defendant and the denials of the plaintiff often continued until very late hours of the night and early morning, causing the plaintiff to lose sleep, which directly affected his ability to work. The Court finds that this course of conduct, and the hostility of the defendant toward the plaintiff was very much aggravated when she was under the influence of intoxicants and that its deleterious effect upon the plaintiff after he became ill in 1953 and 1954, was such as to affect directly the health and peace of mind of the plaintiff, to such an extent as to ‘permanently destroy the peace of mind,’ the happiness and the health of the plaintiff. The plaintiff has established this ground by a preponderance of evidence.

“SECOND: We pass now to a consideration of the ground for divorce, gross neglect of duty.

“This ground for divorce has been said to be ‘elusive of concrete definition.’ Among the duties and obligations of married people and, perhaps the guiding star to a proper relation, stands the duty of mutual fidelity and respect, see §3103.01 R. C.:

“ ‘The term “any gross neglect of duty” made one of the causes for divorce under §11979 GC is elusive of definition and its application as a cause for granting a divorce must depend upon the circumstances of the particular case.’ Porter v. Lerch, 129 Oh St 47; 1 O. O. 356.

“The Court in determining the circumstances of each case and determining whether they amount to ‘gross neglect of duty’ in any given case, must use its sound discretion.

“ T. In a divorce action what constitutes gross neglect of duty or extreme cruelty in any given case must be left to the sound discretion of the Court.’ Coleman v. Coleman, 68 Abs 410.

“The Buess case has stated it in the following words:

“ ‘1. The term “gross neglect of duty,” one of the grounds named in §11979 GC, is not possible of precise definition, and where such ground is asserted the trial court has broad discretion in interpreting the term.’ Buess v. Buess, 89 Oh Ap 37; 45 O. O. 331.

“In this case the evidence of the plaintiff that the defendant quarreled with him without just cause, that she cursed and vilified him in the presence of mutual friends and domestic help, that she also called his daughter, by a former marriage, an improper name and spoke disparagingly of her, is certain and clear to the point that it shows a lack of respect, amounting to a disregard of the plaintiff’s feelings toward the defendant and toward his only daughter.

“The evidence of the defendant’s excessive drinking, corroborated again by the testimony of mutual friends, domestics and admitted by the defendant to Dr. Goldman, her phychiatrist, who appeared as a witness for the defendant, seems to place this fact beyond serious doubt.

“The plaintiff supplied the defendant with domestic help, adequate housing, prepared his own breakfasts, purchased many of their evening meals in restaurants, so that there were few of the normal household duties for the defendant to perform. Generally, however, the defendant made the household purchases, handled the finances and kept the ac[325]

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Bluebook (online)
137 N.E.2d 575, 73 Ohio Law. Abs. 321, 1955 Ohio App. LEXIS 681, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharkey-v-sharkey-ohioctapp-1955.