Visini v. Visini

212 Cal. App. 2d 183, 27 Cal. Rptr. 782, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2830
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 22, 1963
DocketCiv. 20357
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 212 Cal. App. 2d 183 (Visini v. Visini) 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
Visini v. Visini, 212 Cal. App. 2d 183, 27 Cal. Rptr. 782, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2830 (Cal. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

SHOEMAKER, J.

Plaintiff Donata Visini brought this action to obtain a divorce upon the ground of extreme cruelty. Defendant Antonio Visini cross-complained for a divorce upon the same ground. After trial the court rendered its interlocutory judgment granting defendant the divorce; awarding custody of the parties’ two minor children to plaintiff, with defendant being ordered to pay $75 per month for the support of each child; and assigning to defendant practically all of the community property. This appeal is by plaintiff from said interlocutory decree.

Appellant first contends that the trial court committed prejudicial error (1) by admitting evidence of acts which occurred subsequent to the filing of the complaint and answer, and (2) by permitting counsel for respondent to ask “hearsay questions” and “impeaching questions” of his own witness.

We do not consider it necessary to discuss in detail these assignments of error. In Keating v. Basich Bros. Constr. Co. (1944) 66 Cal.App.2d 258, 263 [151 P.2d 892] , the court stated: “The general rule prevailing in California on this subject is this: Where there is competent independent evidence in the record which supports the judgment without recourse to the testimony erroneously admitted, generally the *186 error is not prejudicial as it will be presumed on appeal that the trial judge considered and relied upon the competent evidence in making his findings and rendering the judgment. (Evans v. Gibson, 220 Cal. 476 [31 P.2d 389] ; Roy v. Salisbury, 21 Cal.2d 176 [130 P.2d 706] • Frasure v. Fitzpatrick, 21 Cal.2d 851 [136 P.2d 566] ; Ford v. Lou Kum Shu, supra, [26 Cal.App. 203 (146 P. 199)] ; Watt v. Copeland, 92 Cal. App. 161 [267 P. 928]; Cordi v. Garcia, 56 Cal.App.2d 584 [132 P.2d 887].)” (See also Pollard v. Pollard (1959) 166 Cal.App.2d 698, 705 [333 P.2d 356], and Southern Cal. Jockey Club, Inc. v. California Horse Racing Board (1950) 36 Cal. 2d 167, 176 [223 P.2d 1].)

In the instant case, we have examined the record and found there was ample competent evidence in support of the finding that appellant treated respondent with extreme cruelty during the marriage.

There is similarly no merit to appellant’s contention that the remarks of the trial judge indicated a reliance upon evidence which had been ordered stricken. It is the established rule that an oral opinion or other antecedent expression of a trial judge may not be used to modify or impeach his findings. (Strudthoff v. Yates (1946) 28 Cal.2d 602, 615-616 [170 P.2d 873] ; City of Daly City v. Smith (1952) 110 Cal. App.2d 524, 529-530 [243 P.2d 46] ; McCracken v. Teets (1953) 41 Cal.2d 648, 651-652 [262 P.2d 561].)

Appellant also contends that the court erred in excluding testimony intended to establish that the witness Fontanoni “was interested in another lady.” This evidence was immaterial, and the ruling was correct.

Appellant next asserts that the evidence of respondent’s extreme cruelty was uncontradicted and that the court was compelled, at the very least, to award both parties a divorce. This contention is untenable.

Where a divorce is sought upon the ground of extreme cruelty, the infliction of grievous mental suffering is a question of fact to be determined from the circumstances of the case, and the decision reached by the trial court will not be disturbed unless the evidence is so slight as to indicate an abuse of discretion. (MacDonald v. MacDonald (1909) 155 Cal. 665, 670 [102 P. 927, 25 L.R.A. N.S. 45] ; Wasserstrom v. Wasserstrom (1956) 139 Cal.App.2d 798, 800 [294 P.2d 497].) In this case, the evidence was sharply conflicting, and it clearly cannot be said that the trial court erred in finding that appel *187 lant’s conduct amounted to extreme cruelty, but respondent’s did not.

Appellant next raises numerous objections to the property award: (1) that the trial court abused its discretion in awarding the majority of the property to respondent; (2) that the court erroneously awarded appellant’s separate property (the 1955 Chevrolet automobile) to respondent; (3) that the court had no power to make its award effective at the time of the interlocutory decree; (4) that the court failed to determine the debts of the parties; and (5) that the court failed to make findings on the value of the community property.

Respondent concedes that the 1955 automobile was and is the separate property of appellant, that such award was the result of inadvertence, and agrees that it should be modified.

The court found that the community property of the parties consisted of a parcel of real property located on Albion Street in San Francisco; household furniture and furnishings located at that address; a 1953 Chevrolet automobile; a 1955 Chevrolet automobile upon which an unspecified balance was due and unpaid (referred to above) ; three savings accounts containing funds in the total amount of $7,575.15; and certain contributions in an unstated amount which had been withheld from respondent’s wages and contributed toward his civil service retirement pension.

The court awarded appellant the household furniture and furnishings, exclusive of personal items belonging to respondent. It further granted her the right to occupy the residential unit in the Albion Street property which had been the family home until such time as she remarried, or the youngest of her two minor children attained majority, or her right to the physical custody of the minor children terminated. The remainder of the community property was awarded to respondent.

Appellant argues that the awarding of virtually all of the community property to respondent was an abuse of discretion and completely disregarded the circumstances of the parties, and further asserts that she was entitled to an alimony award.

Appellant’s contentions are of little merit. Since the divorce was granted to respondent on the ground of appellant’s extreme cruelty, the court was without jurisdiction to award appellant alimony. (McLaughlin v. Superior Court

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Bluebook (online)
212 Cal. App. 2d 183, 27 Cal. Rptr. 782, 1963 Cal. App. LEXIS 2830, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/visini-v-visini-calctapp-1963.