Smith v. Smith

270 P.2d 613, 125 Cal. App. 2d 154, 1954 Cal. App. LEXIS 1858
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 13, 1954
DocketCiv. 19836
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 270 P.2d 613 (Smith v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Smith, 270 P.2d 613, 125 Cal. App. 2d 154, 1954 Cal. App. LEXIS 1858 (Cal. Ct. App. 1954).

Opinion

VALLÉE, J.

Appeal by defendant from an order in a proceeding brought under the “Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Law.” (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 1650-1681.) Defendant also appeals from an order denying his motion for a new trial. Since the latter order is nonappealable the appeal therefrom will be dismissed.

The “Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Law” was enacted in 1951. (Stats. 1951, ch. 694.) It was amended in 1953. (Stats. 1953, ch. 1290.) This proceeding is governed by the law as originally enacted. The support law is designed to enable a dependent in one state to secure money for support from a person residing in another state who is legally liable for the support of the dependent. Its purposes are to improve and extend by reciprocal legislation the enforcement of duties of support. The dependent—or in case of a minor, its guardian—may commence proceedings in a court of the state in which she or he resides, called the initiating state, by filing a complaint and causing a summons to be *157 issued. If the summons is returned “not found,” the court determines whether the defendant owes a duty of support and whether a court of the state in which the defendant resides, called the responding state, may obtain jurisdiction of the defendant or his property. If it so determines, it certifies accordingly and causes certified copies of the complaint, the certificate, and an authenticated copy of the support law of the state to be transmitted to the court of the responding state. When this state is the responding state, upon receipt of the copies from the court of the initiating state the court dockets the cause, notifies the county counsel or district attorney of the county, sets a time and place for hearing, and takes such action as is necessary in accordance with the laws of this state to obtain jurisdiction. If on the hearing the court finds a duty of support, it may order the defendant to furnish support or reimbursement therefor and subject his property to such order. The court then transmits to the court of the initiating state a copy of all orders of support or reimbursement. Security may be required; payments may be ordered to be made to the probation officer of the county; and violation of any order is punishable by contempt.

On November 20, 1945, plaintiff, Anita C. Smith, filed a complaint for divorce from defendant in the Court of Common Pleas, Litchfield County, Connecticut, in which she alleged jurisdictional facts, that she married defendant on August 19, 1944, grounds for divorce, and that there was one child, Carol, the issue of her marriage with defendant, born April 10, 1945. She prayed for a divorce, for custody of the child, and for support for herself and the child. Defendant was served with the complaint and on December 5, 1945, appeared in the action. On February 27, 1946, plaintiff moved the court to place the action on the uncontested list. The motion was granted on March 8, 1946. On March 15,1946, judgment was rendered granting plaintiff a divorce, decreeing that the parties had one minor child the issue of the marriage, Carol, granting plaintiff custody of the child, and ordering defendant to pay plaintiff $15 a week for the support of Carol.

On April 7, 1952, plaintiff filed a petition for support of Carol in the Connecticut court in which she alleged that the child is in need of and entitled to support from defendant under Connecticut law; about December 1, 1946, and subsequent thereto, defendant refused and neglected to provide fair *158 and reasonable support for Carol according to his means and earning capacity; on information and belief, that defendant was residing or domiciled in Burbank, California; and that California has enacted a law similar to Connecticut’s reciprocal support law. 1 The prayer was for an order of support directed to defendant. At the same time plaintiff filed with the Connecticut court an “Election to Proceed” which stated in effect that she understood that the filing of the petition of April 7, 1952, “might be interpreted by a Court of competent jurisdiction as an election by her to submit to the jurisdiction of the Court of the responding State where her” former husband resides. A summons issued ordering defendant to show cause why the order for support should not be made. The sheriff made a return that he could not with due diligence locate or serve defendant with the summons in Connecticut. A judge of the court then made a certificate which recited the above facts; stated he had examined plaintiff under oath and she had reaffirmed the allegations of the petition; stated that according to her testimony the needs of Carol for support from defendant are $15 a week; that defendant should be compelled to answer the petition; and ordered that the certificate together with exemplified copies of the petition and summons be transmitted to the superior court of Los Angeles County, California.

The documents were filed with the clerk of the superior court of Los Angeles County on May 6, 1952. Thereafter an order to show cause issued out of the superior court commanding defendant to show cause why an order should not be made on the basis of the petition, directing him to pay to plaintiff such sum as the court might determine for the support of Carol.

Defendant appeared in response to the order to show cause and a trial was had. The court found: the facts alleged in the petition are true; Carol is the minor child of plaintiff and defendant; Carol is living with plaintiff in Connecticut and is partially dependent on defendant for support; defendant owes a duty of support of Carol; $10 a week is a reasonable sum to be contributed to her support; defendant has the present ability to pay said amount. An order followed commanding defendant to pay $10 a week to the probation officer of Los Angeles County for the support of Carol and ordering the probation officer to send all monies received to the clerk of the Connecticut court. Defendant appeals.

*159 The assignments of error are: 1. The initiating papers filed by plaintiff do not contain sufficient facts to constitute a claim or cause of action against defendant and do not comply with the statutory requirements. 2. The court erred in denying defendant the right to prove that the original Connecticut decree ordering him to support Carol was obtained by extrinsic fraud, and in refusing to permit him to prove that he is not the father of Carol and therefore he owed no duty of support. 3. The “Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Law” is unconstitutional.

At the time in question section 1674 of the Code of Civil Procedure provided: “If the court of this State acting as an initiating state finds that the complaint sets forth facts from which it may be determined that the defendant owes a duty of support and that a court of the responding state may obtain jurisdiction of the defendant or his property, he shall so certify and shall cause certified copies of the complaint, the certificate and an authenticated copy of this law to be transmitted to the court of the responding state.” Section 1675 provided that when the court of this state, acting as the responding state, receives from the court of an initiating state the aforesaid copies, it shall docket the cause and proceed.

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Bluebook (online)
270 P.2d 613, 125 Cal. App. 2d 154, 1954 Cal. App. LEXIS 1858, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-smith-calctapp-1954.