Wilson v. Wilson

70 N.W. 154, 67 Minn. 444, 1897 Minn. LEXIS 188
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 11, 1897
DocketNos. 10,261—(204)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 70 N.W. 154 (Wilson v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Wilson, 70 N.W. 154, 67 Minn. 444, 1897 Minn. LEXIS 188 (Mich. 1897).

Opinion

BUCK, J.

On January 2, 1895, George W. Wilson, one of the plaintiffs, brought an action against his wife, the defendant Lillie J. Wilson, for divorce, upon the ground of willful desertion. The wife answered, denying desertion of her husband, and in her answer also alleged various statutory grounds for divorce as against her husband, and she also asked affirmative relief in this: that she be granted a divorce from her husband, and that she be allowed alimony and a share of her husband’s property. The answer also charged the plaintiff with having conveyed a large amount of his property to Ed-win O. Wilson, his son by a. former marriage, and that he had also furnished the consideration for a large amount of property standing in Edwin O. Wilson’s name, but which was colorable and apparent, [445]*445and not in fact Ms property, and that the same was held for the use and benefit of her husband, and that such transactions were done for the purpose of defrauding this defendant, both as a creditor and as the wife of George W. Wilson. The plaintiff Edwin 0. Wilson, after the service of the answer, was made a party to the action. The cause was tried in three sections, viz.: (1) As to who was entitled to a. divorce; (2) as to dealing between the parties; (3) as to the amount of alimony, if any, which should be awarded to the defendant, and what amount, if any, of defendant’s money, should be restored to her as due from George W. Wilson, and what sum per month should be allowed defendant for the support of two minor children, issue of said marriage.

It appeared that the parties were residents 6f Nobles county, in this state; that plaintiff was 50 years old; that defendant was 35 years old; that they were married on April 24, 1875; that the issue of said marriage was Irma Wilson, born November 8, 1878, and •Blanche Wilson, born July 20, 1880. Edwin 0. Wilson, a, son of George W. Wilson by a previous marriage, was 24 years old at the time of the trial of this action.

Upon the trial of the first section of the case, without a jury, the court found that plaintiff was not entitled to a decree of divorce, and plaintiff George W. Wilson then conceded that defendant was entitled to a decree of divorce against him, upon the ground of desertion. A jury was then impaneled to try the second section of the case, and, after trial had, the jury returned a verdict that George W. Wilson has received moneys of the defendant amounting to $2,800, and that he had paid her all except a note of $312.60, and there had been paid upon said note $360, including interest. After trial of the third section of the case, the court, in its findings of fact, adopted the verdict of the jury as its own, and found other facts, and ordered a decree of divorce on behalf of defendant, with certain other relief, which will be subsequently referred to in this opinion.

The note of $312.60, referred to by the jury, was dated December 10, 1879, made in the state of Kansas, and upon its face does not purport to draw interest; but plaintiff, in Ms reply, alleges that it was to draw interest from its date, at the rate of 12 per cent, .per annum. It did not appear what was the legal rate of interest in the state of Kansas at the time of maMng said note, and, upon the evi[446]*446deuce of payments and the time of making the same, the trial court found that there was still due from the plaintiff George W. Wilson to the defendant, for moneys belonging to her, and intrusted to him by her since their marriage, and before the bringing of this action, the sum of $286.99. The evidence upon this matter is not of such character as to justify us in holding that it was error for the trial court so to find, and we refuse to disturh its finding upon this point.

Other findings of fact by the trial court are as follows:

“(6) The plaintiff George W. Wilson was at the time of the bringing of this action, and at the time of its trial, and is now, the owner of the following described tracts of land, with others: Lots 20, 21, and 22 in block -18 in the village of Worthington, in said county and state, the legal title to which is in George W. Wilson. Lots 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 in block 2 in Butler’js addition to the village of Ellsworth, in said county and state. An undivided one-half interest in the northwest quarter of section 14, town 105, range 38, and an undivided one-half interest in the northeast quarter of section 24, said town and range, both in Cottonwood county, said state. Lots 1.6 and 17 in block 18 in the said village of Worthington. The west half of the southeast quarter of section 10, town 103, range 40, said Nobles county. The legal title to all said tracts of land above described other than said lots 20, 21, and 22 is in said plaintiff Edwin Ó. Wilson, in trust for said George W. W'ilson, the equitable title being in George W. Wilson; and said Edwin O. Wilson has no interest in the same whatever, as against this defendant, except as a naked trustee for said George W. Wilson. An equitable interest in lots 10 and 11 and an alley and a half, all in block 14, in said village of Worthington, the legal title to which tract is in the Minnesota Loan and Investment Company, and the equitable title in said Edwin C. Wilson; and said equitable title is held by said Edwin C. Wilson in trust for said George W. Wilson, in the same manner as the tract next hereinabove described, and, as against the defendant, said Edwin C. Wilson has no interest in the same. (7) Said George W. Wilson was at the time of the bringing of this action, at the time of its trial, the owner of property, real and personal, of the value of $7,722. (8) This defendant has no property, real, personal, or mixed, and is in ill health, and has been for many years last past. (9) The plaintiff George W. Wilson is an attorney at law, engaged in active practice, and has now, and for more than three years last past has had, an average annual income of upward of twenty-five hundred dollars per annum, over and above all expenses, except his and his family’s personal expenses and living.”

Conclusions of law:

“The defendant is entitled to judgment in this action that the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing between herself and plaintiff [447]*447George W. Wilson be dissolved to tbe same extent as if tbe same had never existed, and- awarding to her the sole care, custody, and control of Irma and Blanche Wilson, the infant children of the parties; also, that she have judgment against said plaintiff George W. Wilson for the sum of $280.99, and the further sum of $75, both above mentioned; also, that she have judgment against the plaintiff George W. Wilson for the sum of $2,000; awarded her as alimony, out of his estate, the same to be payable in four instalments of five hundred dollars each, the first of said instalments to be payable on January 1, 1897, and the others on the first day of each succeeding January until paid, all to bear interest at seven per cent, per annum, provided that the same may be all paid at any time at the plaintiff George W. Wilson’s option, said judgment for said two thousand dollars to be a specific lien on said lots 20, 21, and 22 in block 18 in the village of Worthington, in said county and state; also, that the plaintiff George W. Wilson pay to the defendant the further sum of three hundred and sixty dollars per annum, in instalments, one hundred and eighty dollars thereof payable on the first day of May and December of the present year, and of each year hereafter, which said sums are awarded defendant for her support and maintenance.”'

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
70 N.W. 154, 67 Minn. 444, 1897 Minn. LEXIS 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-wilson-minn-1897.