Thompson v. Thompson

340 So. 2d 596, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4055
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Thompson v. Thompson. Read the opinion of the Court — 1979 La. App. LEXIS 3843
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided November 15, 1976·No. No. 10949·Published

Opinion

SARTAIN, Judge.

In this domestic relations case, William Walter Thompson, Sr., appeals from the judgment of the Family Court granting his wife, Catherine Castille Thompson, a judgment of separation on the grounds of constructive abandonment, denying him a separation on the grounds of abandonment, and cruel treatment, and awarding to his wife the sum of $250.00 per month as alimony pendente lite. Appellant also asserts the uneonstitutionality of C.C. Arts. 119, 120 and 148. We affirm.

We are not favored with oral or written reasons for judgment. However, by virtue of the judgment rendered it must be assumed that the trial judge declined to hold the parties mutually at fault, in which case the relief sought by both parties would have been rejected. Callahan v. Callais, 224 La. 901, 71 So.2d 320 (1954).

The record reflects that this couple was married on July 27, 1974, in the City of Baton Rouge, where their matrimonial domicile continued to remain. There are no children issue of this marriage; however, appellee had the custody of a young girl, age ten, and a young boy, age eight, issue of her previous marriage.

We will not detail here nor respond to the various allegations of fault asserted in these parties’ respective pleadings because a perusal of the testimony satisfies us that neither bore the burden of proving that the cruelties complained of were sufficient to warrant a judgment of separation in either instance. The only two witnesses to testify were the parties themselves. Appellee’s sister did testify but her testimony related solely to the issue of constructive abandonment on the part of appellant.

There are two significant dates, namely: September 19, 1975 and October 12, 1975.

In July of 1975 appellant applied to his employer for work in Florida. His request was accepted and he, his wife and her two children moved to and resided in an apartment in Florida. His reason for doing so was that the young daughter had qualified for a beauty contest at Disneyworld and he felt like it would be an opportunity for the family to go. Later, appellant complained that it \yas this sojourn in Florida that was one of the factors precipitating their difficulties. He claims that shortly after the conclusion of the beauty contest the children became insistent on returning “home” and that because of their insistence he suggested to appellee that she and the children return to Baton Rouge. Appellee’s version is that without justification appellant informed her that the marriage would not work, etc. His testimony in his regard better explains the circumstances:

“Q You admit that before Mrs. Thompson left, you told her to pack up and go back to Baton Rouge?
A Right.
Q You told her that the marriage wasn’t going to work out?
A I told her it don’t look like it was going to work out.
Q And for her to pack up and go back to Baton Rouge?
A Right.
[598]*598Q And that happened — -You told her that around four or five o’clock in the morning before you went to work one morning, is that right? Or
A No. I told it to her one day — one evening in the week and then I told her one morning.
Q About five-thirty one morning? O*
A When I was going to work. <1
Q When you were going to work? O*
A Yes, sir. <1
* * * * * *
Q And you gave her that check that morning about five-thirty and told her to pack up and go home and it wasn’t going to work out. Gf
A Right.
jfc :{: s}: sjc s|« sfc
A She didn’t leave until the next day. I asked her to leave.
Q What was her reaction when you told her to pack up and go home that morning? <y
A ‘I don’t want to.’ I said, ‘Well, are you sick?’ T don’t want to.’ ‘The kids say they want to go home.’ T don’t want to.’ That was that.
Q She didn’t want to go home? <y
A That was her answer. She said, T don’t want to.’ But still she went on and was packing when she said that. «,
Q And you told her it wasn’t going to work out and pack up and go home. .©
A I said it didn’t look like it was going to work; but we had already separated one time before over the same thing.
* * * * * *
Q And when you- — let me ask you. After you told her that you didn’t think it was going to work out, for her and the kids to go back to Baton Rouge, did she ever call you down in Florida? G?
A Every evening. I had sixty — She’s got the telephone bill. I had something like sixty-five dollars worth of telephone bills in Florida plus forty dollars worth of telephone bills in Baton Rouge. She called me every day and she called all of my children and everybody in the country.
Q She wanted you to try to come back and try to work it out, didn’t she?
A There was no way for me to come back until — No. She didn’t say nothing about working it out. She just— All she would say is, T love you.’
Q She just called you to tell you she loved you.
A That’s right.”

Appellant’s testimony with respect to his reasons for insisting that his wife leave does not justify his doing so.

On or about September 20, 1975, the wife returned to Baton rouge and to the matrimonial domicile. She went to this residence rather than one she had acquired during her previous marriage because the latter was occupied and not available to her.

We now turn to the events surrounding October 12, 1975, on this occasion plaintiff had concluded his work in Florida and returned unannounced to Baton Rouge. He went to the matrimonial domicile occupied by his wife and the children. When asked what his intentions were he explained that he was tired, wanted a bath, and some sleep. Appellee explained to him that if he persisted in remaining at the home she and the children would have to leave. Appellant then left and went to a camp he owned at False River. Appellant contends that his wife’s conduct on this occasion constituted abandonment on her part because she refused to remain in the same house with him.

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Thompson v. Thompson, 340 So. 2d 596, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 4055 (La. Ct. App. 1976).

340 So. 2d 596 (Thompson v. Thompson) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Williams v. Williams
331 So. 2d 438 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1976)
Callahan v. Callais
71 So. 2d 320 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1954)