Singley v. Singley

846 So. 2d 1004, 2002 WL 31320491
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 17, 2002
Docket1999-CT-00754-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by73 cases

This text of 846 So. 2d 1004 (Singley v. Singley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Singley v. Singley, 846 So. 2d 1004, 2002 WL 31320491 (Mich. 2002).

Opinion

846 So.2d 1004 (2002)

Dan H. SINGLEY, Jr.
v.
Jane K. SINGLEY.

No. 1999-CT-00754-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

October 17, 2002.
Rehearing Denied June 12, 2003.

*1005 Henry Palmer, Meridian, attorney for appellant.

Mark A. Chinn, Jackson, William D. Ketner, Jr., attorneys for appellee.

EN BANC.

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI

SMITH, P.J., for the Court.

¶ 1. The Lauderdale County Chancery Court granted Dan H. Singley (Hank) a divorce from his wife, Jane K. Singley (Jane), on the ground of uncondoned adultery. The chancellor equitably divided the marital estate and awarded Jane rehabilitative alimony. Hank appealed, and the Court of Appeals affirmed as to issues concerning equitable distribution. The Court of Appeals also held: (1) goodwill could be incorporated into the business valuation of Hank's dental practice; (2) the evidence supported an almost even division of marital property; (3) Hank's $70,000 inheritance was commingled and became marital property; and (4) Jane could not be awarded temporary rehabilitative alimony, as the issue was not properly before the court because the pre-trial order did not include the issue of alimony. Hank filed a motion for rehearing with the Court of Appeals, which was denied. Hank then filed a petition for writ of certiorari with this Court, which we granted. Hank asserts the following issues for review:

I. SHOULD MORE WEIGHT BE GIVEN TO MARITAL FAULT IN APPLYING THE FERGUSON FACTORS, PURSUANT TO CARROW I AND CARROW II?

II. SHOULD "GOOD WILL" BE USED IN THE VALUATION OF A SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP FOR PURPOSES OF EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION?

III. WAS HANK'S INHERITED MONEY COMMINGLED, THUS A MARITAL ASSET FOR THE PURPOSE OF EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION?

¶ 2. In her response to Hank's petition for certiorari, Jane asserts an additional issue for review:

IV. WAS THE COURT OF APPEALS INCORRECT IN REVERSING AND RENDERING THE CHANCERY COURT'S DETERMINATION THAT IT COULD AMEND ITS OWN PRETRIAL ORDER?

¶ 3. We hold that the Court of Appeals was correct in reversing the rehabilitative alimony awarded to Jane. We reverse and remand the issue of the $70,000 inheritance Hank received from his mother. We also reverse and remand the issue of marital fault. The chancellor should reconsider the $70,000 and marital fault when determining equitable distribution of the marital property on remand. Regarding the first impression issue of whether goodwill can be incorporated into the business valuation of Hank's dental practice for consideration by the chancellor in determining equitable distribution of property in a divorce action, we hold that it can not and we reverse and render.

FACTS

¶ 4. The following recitation of facts is taken from the Court of Appeals' decision:

*1006 ¶ 2. Hank and Jane Singley were married for twenty-three years and had one son who, at the time of their divorce, was in college on scholarship. Jane admitted to having numerous affairs during her marriage, and Hank was granted a divorce on the ground of uncondoned adultery. He appeals, however, the chancellor's decisions regarding the division of the marital estate, his $70,000 contribution toward the purchase of the marital home which was his inheritance from his mother's estate, and the court's value of Hank's dental practice. Further, Hank asserts that the "Court failed to take into consideration the Ferguson principles of equitable distribution by failing to appropriately consider the costs and tax effect of money and the ability of Dr. Singley to comply with the equitable division ruling," that is, either liquidate assets which would involve tax consequences or borrow money which would involve interest expenses. In addition, Hank challenges the chancellor's award of temporary rehabilitative alimony. Finally, he contests several evidentiary rulings made by the chancellor.
¶ 3. In her opinion and judgment, the chancellor awarded Jane $1,500 a month in periodic rehabilitative alimony for a period of one year. The chancellor divided the marital estate giving each party fifty percent. The chancellor appointed an expert to valuate Hank's dental practice. Additionally, the chancellor considered the testimony of Chuck Rae, Hank's accountant. However, because the court-appointed expert had expertise specific to the valuation of businesses, while Hank's accountant did not, the chancellor chose to accept the court-appointed expert's valuation of Hank's dental practice at $145,000. It is from these decisions of the chancellor that Hank appeals.

Singley v. Singley, 2000 WL 1387961, *1 (Miss.Ct.App. Sept.26, 2000).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 5. "This Court will not interfere with a chancellor's findings of fact unless they are manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous or an erroneous legal standard was applied. However, we review the chancellor's interpretation and application of the law de novo." Marshall v. Gipson Steel, Inc., 806 So.2d 266, 270 (Miss.2002).

DISCUSSION

I. WHETHER MORE WEIGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MARITAL FAULT IN APPLYING THE FERGUSON FACTORS, PURSUANT TO CARROW I AND CARROW II?

¶ 6. Hank argues that the chancellor erred by not giving more weight to the fact that Jane admittedly had numerous affairs during their twenty-three year marriage. Hank further argues that Jane should have been penalized and should not have received 50% of the marital assets as the chancellor so ordered. Hank argues that one of the principles of Ferguson v. Ferguson, 639 So.2d 921, 928 (Miss.1994), is that marital misconduct or fault as a ground for divorce is relevant to equitable distribution if it impacted the harmony and stability of the marriage.

¶ 7. Jane responds that Hank relies solely on his own testimony and minimizes or ignores the contrary testimony that favors her. In fact, Hank does rely on other testimony, particularly the testimony of Jane's mother. As we have often stated: "This Court must examine the entire record and accept that evidence which supports or reasonably tends to support the findings of fact made below, together with all reasonable inferences which may be drawn therefrom and which favor the *1007 lower court's findings of fact." Ezell v. Williams, 724 So.2d 396, 397 (Miss.1998). "The word `manifest,' as defined in this context, means `unmistakable, clear, plain, or indisputable.'" Magee v. Magee, 661 So.2d 1117, 1122 (Miss.1995). "Where evidence is contradictory, this Court `generally must affirm.'" Boatner v. State, 754 So.2d 1184, 1191-92 (Miss.2000).

¶ 8. Hank claims the chancellor's decision is at odds with Carrow I and Carrow II.[1] In Carrow I, 642 So.2d at 903, Jean Carrow was granted a divorce from Jimmie Carrow, her husband of twenty-nine years. The chancellor determined that Jean was not entitled to equitable distribution. Id. at 904. This Court reversed and remanded, stating that the chancellor placed undue emphasis on Jean's three affairs that occurred after the couple were separated and failed to make findings on the record as to how these affairs contributed to the deterioration, if any, of the marriage. Id. at 905. This Court stated:

It is difficult to adjust conventional values of morality when weighing marital misconduct for purposes of a just division of marital property.

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Bluebook (online)
846 So. 2d 1004, 2002 WL 31320491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/singley-v-singley-miss-2002.