Stuart v. Stuart

1967 OK 136, 433 P.2d 951, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 465
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 6, 1967
Docket41557
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1967 OK 136 (Stuart v. Stuart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stuart v. Stuart, 1967 OK 136, 433 P.2d 951, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 465 (Okla. 1967).

Opinions

BERRY, Justice.

On December 24, 1964, Audree Ann Stuart sued James L. Stuart for divorce. The-petition, after alleging jurisdictional requirements, marriage in 1951 and birth of a son in 1959, charged defendant with extreme cruelty and gross neglect of duty, resulting in the parties complete incompatibility. Plaintiff also alleged the joint acquisition of described real property in the-state of Kansas, as well as the parties’’ home outside the city of Bartlesville, together with household goods, two automobiles and other personal property. Plaintiff asked custody of their child, temporary support money for herself and child, award of the home as her separate property, and the household goods and one described automobile. A restraining order against defendant’s harassment or molestation of plaintiff also was sought. Motion for temporary support was granted, and defendant further was ordered not to go about plaintiff during pendency of the action.

Defendant answered by general denial of the petition, other than admission of the facts of marriage, and specific denial of the allegations of cruelty and gross neglect,, and asked that plaintiff be denied a divorce.. By cross-petition defendant asked for divorce upon grounds of plaintiff’s extreme-cruelty resulting in total incompatibility,, and that he be granted custody of the-minor child and equitable division of property acquired by joint industry.

Upon trial judgment was rendered granting divorce to both parties upon grounds, of incompatibility. Custody of the child' was placed in plaintiff and so far as pertinent herein, a division of property was decreed that: plaintiff was given the Kansas property and a boat and motor, furnishings and household goods in the home, a 1958' Chevrolet automobile and $20,000.00 payable before March 10, 1965. Defendant was awarded all monies impounded in the Employer’s Thrift Plan, Savings Plan and the Credit Union, a pickup truck and all his sporting goods and hunting dogs.

[953]*953After this judgment was entered de-fendant’s original counsel withdrew from the case, and present counsel filed a Motion for New Trial and/or To Modify, to which plaintiff filed reply. The Motion was based upon the claim that certain property awarded plaintiff was not acquired by the parties •during coverture, and the decree did not provide for an equitable division of property. Additional testimony was introduced at the hearing upon this Motion, and the trial court heard extensive arguments. The ■overruling of defendant’s Motion provides the basis for the issues on appeal, which involves an attack upon the property settlement ordered, and the alleged abuse of discretion in rendition of such decree. Considering such issues in an equitable proceeding requires that we examine the record and weigh the evidence upon which the judgment was based.

The record shows both parties were employed by a large corporation in Bartles-ville at the time of marriage. This employer extended the benefits of a Thrift Plan, Retirement Plan, and opportunity to accumulate additional savings in the company credit union. Each party participated in the plans. From the time of marriage plaintiff contributed $100.00 monthly to the savings account until her employment was terminated.

In 1948 the defendant held title to a ten acre tract of land outside Bartlesville, upon which there was a small house. The property was purchased for $5,000.00, and the mortgage indebtedness required $43.00 monthly payment. Prior to marriage defendant had installed a bathroom and some ■“built ins.” After their marriage the parties remodeled the house extensively' by addition and enlargement of rooms, installation of built in fixtures, carpeting, wall paneling, and construction of a fire place. The improvements cost approximately $8,000.00, and were accomplished on a cash basis, with occasional withdrawals from savings. Plaintiff was gainfully employed for more than nine years after marriage. During this time she contributed toward the indebtedness, in addition to making savings deposits. Plaintiff ceased employment upon a one year’s leave of absence, during which period she made additional contributions to the thrift and retirement plans. Upon termination of employment this money was withdrawn, and used to pay off the mortgage debt, the balance being taken in company stock. Plaintiff testified the improved home property was worth $30,000.00, although there was housing development both north and south of the property. Defendant placed a $40,000.00 valuation upon this property, which still was assessed for taxation as farm land on (February 12, 1965) the date of trial.

The other real property was a lake cabin located in Kansas, valued at $2,000.00. The parties acquired the original property for approximately $300.00, by giving $25.00 cash and a used automobile, and thereafter made some improvements which increased the value. Plaintiff’s parents thereafter purchased a better cabin which they desired these parties to purchase. The parents found a buyer who paid $2,000.00 for the original cabin. This money was paid over to plaintiff’s parents, who then deeded the lake property to these parties.

The evidence established that property of a total value of $61,270.00 was accumulated by these parties. However, the court concluded that although defendant had acquired title to the home property prior to marriage, in reality the property had been acquired by joint industry of the parties. Upon conclusion of the hearing both the court and the parties’ counsel discussed the matter of an equal division of the property as amounting to an equitable division. All parties were in reasonable agreement as to the values to be placed upon the various items, and defendant participated to some extent in the discussion with reference to property values and what would amount to an equal division. After having the matter under advisement, the trial court entered judgment which set over to plaintiff: the Kansas property ($2,000.00), household [954]*954goods, furnishings and equipment ($700.00), automobile ($500.00), a boat and motor without fixing value; the sum of $20,000.00 in cash, in lieu of trying to divide the home property in kind.

The property division granted defendant the home place ($40,000.00) ; Thrift Plan ($11,245.00); Credit Union savings ($3,-918.00); Retirement Plan ($3,219.00) ; guns, sporting equipment and a pickup truck ($625.00). No controversy arises over provisions of the divorce decree as concerns custody of the child, support payments or requirements that defendant provide for the minor’s hospitalization insurance and an education fund, hence it is unnecessary to notice other requirements of the decree rendered. The home property was set over to defendant because of his expressed desire to have this property.

The appeal simply argues that the trial court committed reversible error in failing to grant a new trial, in view of many errors alleged therein, and particularly because of the trial court’s clear abuse of discretion in making the division of property. The general argument advanced in support of this claim may be summarized in the following manner for purposes of discussion. Defendant insists there was no competent testimony to permit granting of a divorce. And further, there was neither evidence disclosing defendant’s treatment of plaintiff was such as to warrant punitive or exaggerated allowance of alimony, nor any showing which could provide a legal reason for allowance of such a large sum as permanent alimony. It is at this point that argument relating to alimony, hereafter discussed, is first raised.

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Stuart v. Stuart
1967 OK 136 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
1967 OK 136, 433 P.2d 951, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 465, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stuart-v-stuart-okla-1967.