Verdier v. Verdier

284 P.2d 94, 133 Cal. App. 2d 325, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1627
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 31, 1955
DocketCiv. 16086
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 284 P.2d 94 (Verdier v. Verdier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Verdier v. Verdier, 284 P.2d 94, 133 Cal. App. 2d 325, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1627 (Cal. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

DRAPER, J. pro tem. *

Plaintiff and defendant were married in 1918. They executed a separation agreement January 10, 1937, by which “each now agrees from this time forward to live separate and apart from the other, and each agrees not to molest the other. ’ ’ Defendant agreed to pay plaintiff $500 per month and “in case his income increases,” an additional amount of half of such increase.

By 1946, defendant husband was in default in performance of that agreement. By “Agreement Amending Contract” and “Agreement and Receipt,” both executed May 11, 1946, the monthly payments were reduced to $400 from May 1, 1946, and the wife was paid $15,000 in cash in satisfaction of all then due under the 1937 agreement and for traveling expenses, attorneys’ fees and costs.

The present action was commenced October 2, 1948. Plaintiff alleged that the 1946 amendment was procured by false and fraudulent representations of defendant, and that after July of 1948 defendant had failed to pay her any amount, under the agreement or otherwise, despite his financial ability to do so. The allegations of fraud were directed at the 1946 amendment only. The 1937 agreement was not attacked.

By order to show cause, Mrs. Yerdier sought support and other allowances pendente lite. Her request was denied on the ground that, since she did not seek to set aside the original agreement, she was limited to recovery upon it and could not seek relief under Civil Code, section 137.

The Supreme Court, in Verdier v. Verdier, 36 Cal.2d 241 [223 P.2d 214], held that it is performance, rather than mere existence, of a separation agreement which may bar *328 recovery outside the agreement. Thus the complaint, which alleged the husband’s ability to pay and his failure to do so, was “consistent with either an action to enforce the 1937 contract as such or an action for relief under section 137” (p. 248). If she were in fact seeking to maintain both forms of action, she could be compelled to elect. The order denying relief pendente lite was reversed, and the case remanded for further proceedings.

These proceedings were many and varied. By March 4, 1952, at least three appeals and one proceeding in prohibition were pending in the District Court of Appeal. On that date, counsel stipulated for early trial of the present action, and agreed that the several appellate proceedings be vacated or “held in abeyance” until conclusion of trial. They agreed also that plaintiff’s election of remedies could be deferred.

Following a pretrial conference April 3, 1952, trial began April 15 and concluded May 7. The court found that the 1946 amendment was not procured by fraud, that defendant had fully performed the separation agreement as amended in 1946, and that plaintiff had breached the agreement by molestation of defendant. It therefore concluded that plaintiff was not entitled to rescind the 1946 amendment; that since defendant had not breached the agreement plaintiff had shown no failure to provide and could not recover under section 137; that plaintiff’s breach terminated the agreement and that defendant was not obligated to make any further payments thereunder. Defendant had paid into court $400 per month from November 1, 1948, onward. The trial court, upon the theory that Mrs. Verdier’s breach terminated the agreement, ordered these sums returned to defendant. Plaintiff appeals.

Appellant wife asserts that the evidence is insufficient to sustain certain of the findings. In general, it may be observed that there is quite as much conflict in the evidence as in the married life of the parties.

However, we discuss briefly the evidence on the allegation that the 1946 amendment was procured by fraudulent misrepresentation.

The parties agree that to establish her ease, wife must show a material representation which was false, was known by husband to be untrue, was made to induce reliance by wife, and was in fact relied upon by her. (Hobart v. Hobart Estate Co., 26 Cal.2d 412, 422 [159 P.2d 958].)

Appellant emphasizes specific representations of her hus *329 band’s income and expenses, made in 1942. But the evidence shows that, in 1942, the representations as to income were true, and there is no evidence as to the 1942 expenses.

The 1946 negotiations were conducted, for the husband, wholly by J. B. Bearwald, who died in 1947. He stated that husband could not afford to pay $500 per month, and that if wife would not accept the $400 figure, she could sue. The evidence shows that the husband’s income increased substantially in 1945 and 1946 over 1942, but there is at most a conflict as to whether any representation to the contrary was made. Also, husband was critically ill in 1945 and 1946, and incurred large hospital and medical expenses. On the whole record, the trial court could reasonably conclude that the evidence was insufficient to show that Bearwald’s representations were relied upon, that they were untrue, or that they were more than mere expressions of opinion.

It is true that the wife’s allowance under the amended agreement seems disproportionate to husband’s income of 1946 and later years. However, considering all the evidence as to the circumstances in May of 1946, we cannot say that the finding is not sustained.

Appellant wife also urges that the 1946 amendment falls because of husband’s failure to secure an agreed guaranty. Husband agreed that Bearwald and Mrs. de Tessan should give written guaranties of his performance of the amended agreement. No guaranty was ever given by Bearwald. But there is direct evidence of express waiver of this guaranty by Mrs. Verdier. It seems clear that the trial court accepted this testimony as true.

The evidence is also sufficient to sustain the trial court’s finding that Mr. Verdier had performed the agreement on his part.

Thus the trial court found against the wife on both of the grounds which the Supreme Court had held to be stated in her complaint. She could not recover under the 1937 agreement because she could not show the 1946 amendment to have been procured by fraud. Since the husband had fully performed the separation agreement, as amended, there was no wilful failure to provide. This was the only ground discussed by the Supreme Court as a basis for separate maintenance without limitation to the amount provided by the agreement. It follows that the wife’s only remaining right to support is to $400 per month under the amended agreement.

*330 Appellant does not dispute this reasoning if her rights under section 137 are limited to those arising from wilful failure of her husband to provide for her. She asserts, however, that under one of the clauses of section 137 she is entitled, if she can show any ground for divorce, to a decree of separate maintenance, providing for a support allowance not limited by the terms of the separation agreement.

Section 137 allows separate maintenance in two situations.

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Bluebook (online)
284 P.2d 94, 133 Cal. App. 2d 325, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 1627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/verdier-v-verdier-calctapp-1955.