Vives v. Fortier

221 So. 2d 653, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5344
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 7, 1969
DocketNo. 3406
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 221 So. 2d 653 (Vives v. Fortier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vives v. Fortier, 221 So. 2d 653, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5344 (La. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

REGAN, Judge.

This case is before us on appeal for the second time. The subject matter of the present litigation involves the partition of the community of acquets and gains which formerly existed between the litigants herein.

After the initial trial in the lower court, the case was appealed to us and we rendered an opinion reversing the lower court’s judgment in part and remanding the matter for determination of three specific issues. In order to properly understand this case, our original opinion should be read in detail in 200 So.2d 901. Writs were applied for by the plaintiff, Yvonne Fortier, but they were refused on the hypothesis that the judgment of this court was not final since it involved a remand. However, the Supreme Court reserved Mrs. Fortier’s rights to reurge the issues presented in her application for writs.1

To reiterate, in our original opinion, we remanded this matter to the district court for the purpose of adducing evidence in connection with three issues. First, the lower court was instructed to hear evidence in order to substantiate or disprove the husband’s claim that he gave his wife one-half U/Í2ths of his 1959 income. The second issue remanded for trial was whether a profit of $2,191.37 earned by Fortier in a j oint real estate venture was included in his calculation of 1959 income. Finally, the third issue which we ordered the lower court to determine was whether Mrs. For-tier received one half of the uA2ths of the profits emanating from her husband’s mortgage business.

The lower court against tried the foregoing issues submitted to it on their merits, and rendered judgment thereon in favor of the husband and against the wife. From that judgment, Mrs. Fortier has prosecuted this appeal.

The trial judge made a thorough analysis of the facts relevant to the three issues remanded to him in his written reasons for judgment, which in our opinion fully encompass both facts and the law posed for our consideration, and the result which we have agreed should be reached. We therefore adopt this opinion as our own.

“This suit to partition the Community existing between Mr. and Mrs. Fortier is the result of a Judgment of Separation from Bed and Board rendered on November 25, 1959 (and a divorce decree rendered on January 27, 1961, based upon the Judgment of Separation).

“This Court tried many of the issues which were presented in connection with the partition of the Community, and rendered Judgment on April 25, 1966, and a ‘final judgment’ in connection therewith on July 15, 1966, at which time a Notary Public was appointed by this Court to affect the partition.

“The Notary Public filed his proces verbal, and it was opposed by Mrs. Fortier. The opposition was dismissed by this Court, and the proces verbal was ordered homol-ogated by Judgment of this Court dated December 2, 1966.

“An appeal was taken by both Mr. and Mrs. Fortier from the Judgment of April [655]*65525, 1966, and July 15, 1966, and/or the Judgment of December 2, 1966. On June 5, 1967, the Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, rendered a Judgment from which Writs to the Supreme Court were subsequently taken and denied by that Court.

“It is the opinion of this Court that all of the issues in connection with the partition were resolved by the Judgment of the Court of Appeal (notwithstanding that there was a dissenting opinion rendered therein), with the exception of the issues referred to as ‘items 2, 3 and 6’. As to these three items, the Court of Appeal distinctly stated:

‘That the trial Court’s rulings on items 2, 3 and 6, discussed in the above opinion, be set aside, and as to those items the case is remanded for further hearing thereon and for the reception of whatever additional evidence the parties see fit to introduce, the trial Court being instructed, after hearing such evidence and considering the evidence already adduced, to render such judgment on each item as is proper.’

“After the remand of the case, and the case having been duly fixed for trial, counsel for Mrs. Fortier has sought to introduce evidence with reference to the matter which the Court of Appeal firstly discussed in its judgment (indicated as (1) in said opinion) and which subject matter also formed the basis of the dissenting opinion. This Court, being of the opinion that the subject matter is res judicata, ruled that such evidence was inadmissible. However, over the objection of counsel for Mr. Fortier, the evidence has been introduced as a proffer and as part of an exception to the Court’s ruling holding that the evidence is inadmissible.

“As pointed out by the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, the 1959 income tax of Mrs. Fortier was not in evidence. The same has now been introduced in evidence, and therefore both of the 1959 income tax returns of Mr. and Mrs. Fortier are now before the Court.

“Counsel for Mr. Fortier argues that since the husband is head and master of the Community he had the right to use Community funds as he saw fit prior to the rendition of the Judgment of Separation, and therefore the husband should not have to account therefor. This Court rejects counsel’s argument. While it is true that during the existence of the Community the husband does not have to actually give any portion of the Community income to his wife, once the Community is dissolved he is required to account to his wife for the Community income in order to show what the Community consists of in order to arrive at the amount which each party should receive from the partition.

“In view of the evidence introduced on the trial of the matter after having been remanded, this Court is convinced that the amount of income shown on the respective returns of both Mr. and Mrs. Fortier does include the profit from the mortgage business and the $2,191.37. Therefore, the issues involved in connection with items ‘3’ and ‘6’ of the Court of Appeal’s opinion are, as far as this court is concerned, now determined.

“The sole question remaining for the determination of this Court is whether Mrs. Fortier actually received the income which she reported as her income for the year 1959. As stated above, Mrs. Fortier’s 1959 separate income tax return is now in evidence. It shows that her taxable income for the year was $22,992.71. Mr. Fortier’s taxable income for the year was $24,237.34 (Mr. Fortier’s return being for twelve months — while Mrs. Fortier had no income for December, 1959, and, hence her return actually covered only the eleven month’s income, during which the Community existed).

“While Mr. Fortier has not conceded the fact, the evidence clearly establishes that Mrs. Fortier did not receive any of the $22,992.71 which she reported as her 1959 income. During the marriage the only monies she received were monies given to [656]*656her by Mr. Fortier for household expenses, and after the divorce proceedings were instituted during the middle of the year all Community funds were frozen by injunction and the only amounts which she received were the alimony payments made to her by Mr. Fortier.

“It was therefore incumbent upon Mr. Fortier to show what was done with the $47,230.05 of income which is the total of the income tax returns of Mr. and Mrs. Fortier.

“It is contended that the filing of the separate returns of Mr. and Mrs.

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Related

Perez v. Perez
334 So. 2d 719 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1976)
Vives v. Fortier
223 So. 2d 412 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
221 So. 2d 653, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5344, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vives-v-fortier-lactapp-1969.