Sterrett v. Sterrett

228 S.W.2d 341, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1962
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 10, 1950
Docket15119
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 228 S.W.2d 341 (Sterrett v. Sterrett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sterrett v. Sterrett, 228 S.W.2d 341, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1962 (Tex. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

HALL, Justice.

On the 26th day of July, 1949, a district court of Kaufman County, Texas, entered a decree for divorce in favor of plaintiff, who is appellant, Catherine Ster-rett, from appellee, John Sterrett, the defendant; in said decree the trial court entered the following findings:

“The Court further finds that during this marriage certain real estate was purchased by the plaintiff, as follows: (Here follows description of property); that the deed to such real estate was made in the name of both the plaintiff and the defendant; that at the time such real estate was purchased, the defendant was a member of the U. ,S. Armed Forces and that the money with which the real estate was purchased was that of an allotment made out 'by the United States Government to the plaintiff herein; that the plaintiff was a Class A dependent under the Servicemen’s Dependents Allowance Act of 1942, as amended, *342 and that the allotment amounted to $50.00 per month; that upon receipt of this allotment money by plaintiff she deposited it in an account carried in the name of both the plaintiff and the defendant; that no checks were ever drawn on the account by the defendant but that both parties considered that he had the right to draw upon the account; that improvements in the nature of a dwelling were built upon this lot with money secured from the same source, plus 5 windows supplied by the defendant, and that taxes and insurance have been paid by the plaintiff; and that plaintiff supervised the building of the residence; that defendant has spent only one night in the house and that night was after his assumption of relations with another woman, but prior to the date that this came to the knowledge of the plaintiff; that all the improvements were placed upon the real estate after date of the defendant’s pretended marriage to Ezma Leona Starks.

“The court is of the opinion that the said above described real estate is community property and that a receiver should be appointed to make a sale of the property and divide the proceeds equally between the parties hereto.

“The Court finds that no children were born to this marriage.”

Appellant Catherine Sterrett appeals from that portion of the judgment designating the property involved to be community, which subject is composed in her first point. To support such contention she argues that the evidence upon which the court based the above findings clearly shows that the money with which the real estate was purchased and with which improvements were built was that received by her from the Government under the Servicemen’s Dependents Allowance Act of 1942, as amended, and therefore was her separate property.

Such contention places before this court the question of whether governmental allotment to a serviceman’s wife is her separate property or community property. We will therefore not discuss the subsidiary question as to whether the deed having been made in the name of both appellant and appellee would support the judgment of the trial court, and neither will we undertake to write upon the subject of whether or not the money in question placed in a joint bank account between appellee and appellant will support the judgment, since we. are under the thorough conviction that the fund from which the property in question was purchased will support the trial court’s judgment to the effect that said, property was community rather than appellant’s separate property.

Appellant relies mainly upon the theory that fhe Government allotment sent to her by her Federal Government was a gift and therefore under Article 4614, Vernon’s R.. C.S., became her separate property. She admits, however, that her problem is in. determining the nature of the allowance-made by the Government, having been found by the court to be Class A dependent under the Servicemen’s Dependents Allowance Act of 1942, as amended, Title 37 U.S.C.A. §§ 201 to 221, which at this time -shows to have been repealed. Portions of the Act upon which she relies are as follows:

“The monthly family allowance payable * * * to the dependent or dependents of any such -enlisted man shall consist of the Government’s contribution to such allowance and the reduction in or charge to the pay of such enlisted man, ‘except as to the initial family allowance provided by Section 107(a) hereof.’ (Sec. 207(a) of this title).” 56 Stat. 381, § 102, as amended 57 Stat. 577, § 2.

“Entitlement to and payment of any family allowance authorized under provisions of this title (sections 201 to 221 of this title) to the dependent or dependents of any enlisted man shall not be contingent upon pay accruing to such enlisted man or upon the monthly pay of such man being reduced by or charged with any amount.” 56 Stat. 381, § 110(a), is amended 57 Stat. 580, § 10.

“The monthly family allowances payable under the provisions of this title (sections-201 to 221 of this title) shall not be assignable; shall not be subject to the claims of creditors of any person to whom or on behalf of whom they art paid; and shall not *343 be liable to attachment, levy, or seizure by or under any legal or equitable process whatever.” 56 Stat. 385, § 115.

Appellant also cites for authority Moore v. Moore, Tex.Civ.App., 192 S.W.2d 929. She gives the following definition of “pension,” as stated in 32 Tex.Jur-., p. 769:

“A regular allowance paid to an individual by a government in consideration or recognition of services rendered or of loss or damage sustained in the public service. Grant * * * does not impose a con-tractural obligation; the allowance is gratuitous and in its continuance the pensioner has no vested right.”

Appellee contends the court was correct in holding the property to be community because the allowance received by appellant was made up of money from appellee’s wages matched by government money and was considered compensation earned by appellee. , He cites for authority Sherburne’s Adm’r v. U. S., 16 Ct.Cl. 491, thus: “Pay is a fixed and direct amount given by law to persons in military service, in consideration of and as compensation for their personal service. Allowances, as they are now called, or emoluments, as they were formerly termed, are indirect or contingent remuneration, which may or may not be earned, and which is sometimes in the nature of compensation, and sometimes in the nature of reimbursement. Both pay and allowances are compensation for services while in service * * * ”, and also Kircher v. Murray, C.C., 54 F. 617, affirmed 5 Cir., 60 F. 48, which holds in substance that land given to volunteers in consideration of entering military service of Texas in her war of independence was held community property and was not a donation for services performed but was part consideration for such services. He further cites Wilkinson’s Heirs v. Wilkinson, 20 Tex. 237, which held in substance that land granted to a husband under the law for the purpose of inducing him to volunteer for service in defense of Texas became community property. See also Barrett v. Spence, 28 Tex.Civ.App. 344, 67 S.W. 921.

Neither party cites us a case in determining the nature of the allowance made by the Government to a serviceman’s dependent under Class A. However, we note the case of Kipping v. Kipping, by the Supreme Court of Tennessee, 186 Tenn.

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228 S.W.2d 341, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1962, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sterrett-v-sterrett-texapp-1950.