Swanson v. Swanson

229 S.W.2d 843, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2238
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 30, 1949
DocketNo. 4661
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 229 S.W.2d 843 (Swanson v. Swanson) 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
Swanson v. Swanson, 229 S.W.2d 843, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2238 (Tex. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

PRICE, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from the judgment of the district court of Ector County; The trial was before the court without a jury, and resulted in a judgment in favor of [845]*845plaintiff, Pearl E. Swanson, granting her a divorce and decreeing a division of the community property; also awarding to plaintiff the custody of the minor child horn of the marriage. We heretofore dismissed this case on the ground that the transcript showed no notice of appeal. On motion of appellant attaching certified copy of notice of appeal given in the trial court we reinstated same.

On the trial of this case defendant withdrew his cross action and insofar as the grounds of divorce stated in plaintiff’s petition did not testify. He was called to the stand by plaintiff and cross examined as to issues arising as to the property rights of the parties. He was briefly examined by the court, but only in regard to property -rights. The transcript fails to show that defendant took any exception to the judgment entered. He made demand that the court make and file findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court complied with this demand. Appellant in the trial court made no exceptions to these findings and did not move for different or additional findings. There does not appear in the transcript a motion for á new trial, and we presume no such motion was filed.

Plaintiff’s pleadings as to being an actual bona fide inhabitant of the State for a period of twelve months and as to residence in Ector County was as follows: “That plaintiff is a bona fide inhabitant of the State of Texas and has resided in Ector County in said State.for more than one year next prior ,to the filing of this petition.”

Article 4631, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. provides in part as follows: “No suit for divorce shall be maintained in the Courts of this State unless the petitioner for such divorce shall at the time of exhibiting his or her petition, be an actual bona fide inhabitant of this State for a period of twelve (12) months, and shall have resided in the county where such suit is filed for six (6) months next preceding the filing of same.”

The only evidence as to this allegation is given by the plaintiff and is as follows:

“Q. Where do you reside? A. 107 North Jackson St., Odessa, Texas.
“Q. How long have you resided in Odessa? A. All together?
“Q. Yes. A. Around ten years.
“Q. Is that the last ten years?. A. Yes.”

She further stated that the last time she and appellant were married was June 6, 1948. She likewise introduced in evidence a judgment of the District Court of Ector County dated the 13th day of February, 1948, granting her a divorce from appellant. The only evidence as to her bona fide in-habitancy in the state was her testimony that she had resided m Odessa for the ten years last past. This testimony in and of itself did not establish bona fide inhabitancy. The decree of divorce dated the 13th day of February, 1948, may have been sufficient to establish that she was a bona fide inhabitant of Ector County at the time of the rendition of said divorce and had been such for a year prior thereto. The divorce decree of February 1948 so introduced by her would hardly have been granted unless she has proved'she was a bona fide inhabitant of Ector County. If she had resided in Ector County for the ten years last past and was a bona fide inhabitant thereof for the year next preceding before February 13, 1948, she had been a bona fide inhabitant of Ector County for more than-a year next prior to the granting of the decree herein. In its judgment the court finds that the material allegations of plaintiff’s petition are true and correct and .that she is entitled to a divorce.

. In regard to the grounds of divorce alleged by plaintiff the court found as follows: “That defendant is guilty of cruelty and excesses toward plaintiff.”

1 There appears in the conclusions of law the following: “That the plaintiff is entitled to a divorce from defendant.”

The remainder of the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law are as to the character of the property on hand at the time of the trial. All was found to be community property. It is thought that the evidence is sufficient to show that plaintiff was qualified to obtain a divorce in Ector County. There can be no question that under the provisions of Article 4631, V. A. [846]*846C. S. that she must have been an actual bona fide inhabitant of this State for a period of twelve months at the time of exhibiting her petition. The lack of this averment has been held by our Supreme Court not to be jurisdictional but prescribes qualifications of plaintiff in order to obtain divorce. Aucutt v. Aucutt, 122 Tex. 518, 62 S.W.2d 77, 89 A.L.R. 1198. Before the new Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect the lack of this allegation in plaintiff’s petition was held to be fatal to the judgment. Motes v. Motes, Tex.Cr.R., 229 S.W. 342; Strunc v. Strunc, Tex.Civ.App., 28 S.W.2d 211.

Rule 90 is as to defects in pleading, and provides: “General demurrers shall not be used. Every defect, omission or fault in a pleading either of form or of substance, which is not specifically pointed out by motion or exception in writing and brought to the attention of the' Judge in the trial court before the instruction or charge to the jury or, in a non-jury case, before the rendition of judgment, shall be deemed to have been waived by the party seeking reversal on such account; provided that this rule shall not apply as to any party against whom default judgment is rendered.”' Rule 67 may have some logical bearing here. It provides as to issues not set forth in the pleading nor tried by implied consent.

In the case of Finn v. Finn, Tex.Civ.App., 185 S.W.2d 579, Judge Bond of the Dallas court of Civil Appeals says in effect that in divorce cases defects in the pleading and insufficient allegations are not waived as against general demurrer as prescribed by Rule 90, T.R.C.P. in other cases. In the case of Harris v. Harris, Tex.Civ.App., 190 S.W.2d 489, by the Galveston Court, said Rule 90 is cited with reférence to defective allegations as to residential and domiciliary qualifications. However, it was held that the allegations in the petition were sufficient compliance with the statute. In our opinion said Rule 90 does apply to the pleading in a divorce suit. In the instant case appellant filed a cross action in which he plead as follows: “Plaintiff is and has been for more than twelve months immediately before exhibiting this petition an actual bona fide inhabitant of the State of Texas and has resided in said Ector County for more than ' six months next preceding the filing of this cross 'complaint.” This allegation in appellant’s cross action, although same was dismissed, was sufficient to give the court power to act on the marital status of the parties. It was sufficient to bring the marital status before the court.

As has been stated, the record shows no exceptions by appellant to the judgment rendered; no exceptions to the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law, no request for additional findings of fact.

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Bluebook (online)
229 S.W.2d 843, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 2238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swanson-v-swanson-texapp-1949.