Tobin v. Tobin

1923 OK 164, 213 P. 884, 89 Okla. 12, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 958
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 13, 1923
Docket13835
StatusPublished
Cited by80 cases

This text of 1923 OK 164 (Tobin v. Tobin) 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
Tobin v. Tobin, 1923 OK 164, 213 P. 884, 89 Okla. 12, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 958 (Okla. 1923).

Opinion

BRANSON, J.

The plaintiff in error in this court was the defendant, and the defendant in error in this court was the plaintiff, in the district court, • and they will be referred to herein as they appeared in the court below.

The plaintiff, Will J. Tobin, sued his wife, (he defendant, Mary C. Tobin, for an absolute decree of divorce and custody of their three minor children, John Tobin, age 15, Sylvan Tobin, age 12, and Redempta Tobin, age five,- and setting asid'e-to him the home, described as lot two (2), block one (1), Winan’s Second Addition to the city of Oklahoma City, and certain items of personal I>roperty described in the petition. Plaintiff pleaded that he was entitled to a divorce on the ground of extreme cruelty and gross neglect of duty, specifying the acts constituting the same.

The defendant in her answer denied plaintiff’s allegations, and by way of cross-petition alleged that the plaintiff had been guilty of extreme cruelty towards her, and on that ground asked that she he given a decree of divorce, and that the property described in plaintiff’s petition be set apart to herself.

On the trial of the cause, the plaintiff and the defendant each produced a large number of witnesses. The testimony given by them covers more than 300 pages of the record. The court entered a decree, which is very lengthy, but the important and controlling parts thereof are these:

“The court further finds that the defendant, for a period of two years prior to the filing of this petition, has repeatedly threatened the life of the plaintiff, and has on occasions without just cause procured his arrest, and that she has during said period of time threatened repeatedly to destroy his business and his earning capacity, and bring him to financial ruin. That she has repeatedly cursed and applied insulting language • towards the plaintiff m the presence of the children of said parcies, and in public, and has during said period «f time induced the children of the said marriage to dislike the plaintiff herein, and has on repeated occasions threatened the plaintiff with divorce proceedings, and has from time to time demanded from the plaintiff all of the money realized from the conduct of his business, and has denied to the plaintiff access to their home, and has refused during said period of time to prepare the meals for plaintiff in their said home, and has refused to permit the servants paid by the plaintiff therein so to do; has denied the plaintiff conjugal devotion and affection: has been cold and indifferent to the plaintiff, and when in sickness has refused to administer to his wants, and during such times has cursed the plaintiff in public; has on many occasions during said period of time declared to the public that the plaintiff was a crook; that he spent his money on women of questionable character; and has accused the plaintiff on many occasions of domestic infidelity ; has on many occasions made threats against the customers of the plaintiff ip his business, and by her public remarks ani utterances driven the customers of the plaintiff away from his business, all to such extent that the plaintiff's business has decreased in volume until the same is now scarcely self-sustaining, driving the plaintiff into a financial condition where his assets and business have been dissipated and wasted and to a condition where the entire property of the plaintiff is scarcely enough to pay his indebtedness. That by reason these-, of plaintiff was greatly humiliated hihong his friends, acquaintances, patrons and customers, and has. become greatly worried and sick, and for a considerable time before and since the filing of the petition confined to the hospitals and under the case of doctors and physicians, and thereupon wholly destroying the peace of mind of the plaintiff to such an extent as to render a further continuation of the marriage relation unbearable, and that the plaintiff is without fault in the premises.”

The court then decrees:

First. “That the plaintiff be divorced from the defendant.” and

Second. “That the plaintiff be, and is hereby awarded said described real estate * * * in his own absolute and exclusive right and title, free from any and all right and claim of the defendant, Mary C. Tobin. *14 therein, and the joint title thereto of record is hereby decreed to be vested in the plaintiff. The defendant is adjudged within 10 days from this date to execute to the plaintiff a quitclaim deed thereto, and that upon her failure so to do, this decree shall stand in lieu thereof, as vesting the full legal and equitable title in and to said premises in the plaintiff. And the plaintiff is adjudged and awarded all. of the household furniture and furnishings and household equipment now and at the time of the filing of the petition in this cause located in said described bungalow and upon said described premises, together with the Wescott automobile now and heretofore owned by the plaintiff. * * *

“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiff have the sole and exclusive custody, care, and education of three said minor children * * * and he is charged with their support, maintenance, care, and education. The plaintiff is required, until further order of this court, lo maintain the said John Tobin and Sylvan Tobin in St. Mary’s Academy at St. Marys, Kan., at the cost and expense of the plaintiff, with the right of visitation of all of said children given to defendant at. all reasonable times, and at such times as are In keening with the rules of said institution.
“It is further, ordered, adjudged, and decreed that plaintiff pay to the defendant the sum of $;10 per month as alimony, payable •monthly in advance into the office of the clerk of this court, until such time as may be further directed by the court.”

To reverse this judgment, the defendant filed in this court- her petition in error on October 5, 1922, and attached thereto a case-made, or a full record of all the proceedings in the cause. The defendant assigns numerous errors, but same may be considered:

First. That the court erred in awarding to the plaintiff the title to and the possession of the homestead belonging to plaintiff and defendant, the same having been accumulated by their joint efforts covering the period of their married life.

Second. lie erred by not giving her the custody of the children.

The defendant contends that the power of court in making disposition of; the property is governed entirely by the statute. And in support of this quotes from the case of Beals v. Ayers (N. M.) 1S5 Pac. 7S0,-where-in it is said:

“Without pursuing this subject further, we think it is well established by the great weight of authority that the power of the courts in matrimonial matters in this country are to be de'ermined entirely up.m me terms of 'the statue conferring the jurisdiction.”

Counsel also further quotes from the case of Maslen v. Anderson (Mich.) 128 N. W. 723, and Baker v. Dayton, 28 Wis. 367, wherein it is said:

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Bluebook (online)
1923 OK 164, 213 P. 884, 89 Okla. 12, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 958, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tobin-v-tobin-okla-1923.