Whitaker v. Whitaker

3 N.E.2d 667, 52 Ohio App. 223, 21 Ohio Law. Abs. 599, 6 Ohio Op. 316, 1936 Ohio App. LEXIS 473
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 20, 1936
DocketNo 15157
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 3 N.E.2d 667 (Whitaker v. Whitaker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Whitaker v. Whitaker, 3 N.E.2d 667, 52 Ohio App. 223, 21 Ohio Law. Abs. 599, 6 Ohio Op. 316, 1936 Ohio App. LEXIS 473 (Ohio Ct. App. 1936).

Opinions

*600 OPINION

By LIEGHLEY, PJ.

One question is definitely settled in this state. The plaintiff could not maintain an action for abmony after her divorce in Oregon in January, 1928.

“Where a wife obtains a divorce from her husband in this state without a decree for alimony, he. being personally served with process, she can not thereafter maintain a separate action against him for alimony.”

Weidman v Weidman, 57 Oh St 101.

The order of the Common Pleas Court in February, 1924, is obviously an order for current support and separate maintenance for wife and child by its very terms. It in no sense undertakes a permanent division of their property rights. It is a command to him to perform his marital and statutory duty to them to the end that they receive proper comforts and necessities and the state be not charged therewith. It is an order and does not possess the essentials of a judgment. This is conceded by the form of this proceeding. Certainly this order became a nullity from and after January, 1928, so far as the wife is concerned. To the extent that it pertained to the child, may it be made the basis of a judgment under the circumstances of this case now?

The authorities cited by counsel and a few additional examined seem to support two propositions.

When relief subsequent to decree of divorce is sought the petition or motion therefor is addressed to the court that entered the final decree. Illustrative of this is:

Morrill v Morrill, 83 Conn. 479.

Griffith v Griffith, 95 Ore. 78.

Gilbert v Gilbert, 83 Oh St 265.

Gibson v Gibson, 143 N. Y. S. 37.

The other is that whenever and wherever the dependents may be in need, the court will take jurisdiction to compel those responsible to discharge their moral and legal obligations of support, but these cases deal with situations wherein those in need are within the jurisdiction of the court whose aid is petitioned. The relief is limited'.to *601 the present and prospective and not retroactive. Proceedings to enforce the terms of the final decree may be maintained.

White v White, 65 N. J. Equity 741.

It is my opinion that the court did not acquire jurisdiction of the defendant by the attempted service in this case. No personal judgment may be rendered otherwise than upon personal or resident service or duly authorized mail service within the state. Service by publication or constructive service upon a non-resident is effective for specified purposes, but jurisdiction to enter a personal judgment is not one of them. The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution does not sanction or comprehend a judgment obtained upon such service. The very purpose of this litigation to obtain a lump sum judgment is obviously to lay the foundation for invoking the sup-port of this clause.

Also it is my opinion that when the parties hereto voluntarily submitted their marital status and relations, their property rights and custody of child to the Oregon courts in 1928 for final decree and final determination of their respective rights as to divorce, property and custody of the child, the courts of this county lost jurisdiction theretofore acquired for want of a party with legal capacity to prosecute, and particularly so in this case inasmuch as neither husband, wife nor child has been within its jurisdiction for the entire period. Although the court below retained a continuing jurisdiction over the child in theory, the custodian by conferring final jurisdiction of her ward by her prayer for absolute divorce upon the Oregon courts in 1928, waived her right to invoke the activity or interest of the court here unless and until the ward is within the jurisdiction of the Common Pleas Court and its protection and guidance is sought or needed. The ward has no right it may assert except through its custcdian or guardian. As bearing on the question of waiver in divorce proceedings, see Weidman v Weidman, 57 Oh St page 104.

Both parties were in court in Oregon in 1928. In the absence of fraud or concealment, with full disclosure of property available, with full knowledge on her part of her needs for support and maintenance for herself and child, and his past defaults in these respects, all of which were or might have been before the court at her instance for final decree, the final decree of divorce granted to her in 1928 concluded her rights. Any unpaid temporary alimony installments arc presumed to have been adjusted by the final decree. If she failed to present her claims, she is deemed to have waived them. That final decree of divorce with the defendant in court and'no fraud claimed, forever fixed their marital and property status.

If the final decree of the Oregon court had provided an award of alimony payable in installments, the courts of Ohio would entertain jurisdiction to aid in collecting same upon proper service upon defendant. However, that is unlike this case. Armstrong v Armstrong, 117 Oh St 566.

It is the duty of the defendant to contribute to the support of his child. If the plaintiff has a legal claim against the defendant for support and care provided their child during the intervening years, that claim may well be asserted in Chicago where the defendant resides and where his property is located. The courts of that state are ever open for the redress of grievances. The courts of that state will readily lend their aid to compel the defendant fully to perform his natural and legal duty to his child. The courts of this state ought to have other more serviceable work to do than countenance this roundabout plan to revivify a long since dormant order in favor of persons non-resident for years and whose affairs have since been fully adjudicated by courts of another state at their behest. There is a proper forum wherein to procure a full recognition of the present rights and needs of the child.

It may be contended that the Gilbert case is in conflict with the conclusions reached herein. The contrary is the. fact. The facts in that case are remarkably similar to the facts in this case ali hough there are decisively distinguishing features.

Nellie A. Gilbert brought suit against Frederick G. Gilbert in the Common Pleas Court of this county in 189,9 for alimony only, both parties being then residents. A temporary order of $7.00 a week was made and in February, 1901, the defendant was ordered to pay as alimony $50.00 per month for and during her natural life. Only $80.00 or $90.00 was paid by defendant to plaintiff upon this order.

During said period the defendant moved to South Dakota and became a resident of said state. In May, 1903, he brought an action for divorce against plaintiff in South Dakota. Personal service of summons and copy of the complaint was made on plaintiff at Cleveland, Ohio, and service by publication was also'made in accordance with the laws of South Dakota. The wife appeared in the case in South Dakota with counsel and contested the action for divorce and prayed for permanent alimony. *602 A divorce was granted to the husband and the wife allowed alimony of $30.00 per month until further ordef.

Some time prior to 1911 the plaintiff, Nellie A.

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3 N.E.2d 667, 52 Ohio App. 223, 21 Ohio Law. Abs. 599, 6 Ohio Op. 316, 1936 Ohio App. LEXIS 473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whitaker-v-whitaker-ohioctapp-1936.