Adelman v. Adelman

Citation58 Misc.2d 803,296 N.Y.S.2d 999
PartiesSolomon ADELMAN, Plaintiff, v. Elsa ADELMAN, Defendant.
Decision Date31 January 1969
CourtNew York Supreme Court
MEMORANDUM

LESTER HOLTZMAN, Justice.

This is an action for divorce pursuant to section 170, subdivision 5 of the Domestic Relations Law. The parties were married in 1937 in Vienna, Austria. There is one child of this union, born in 1949. On August 23, 1965, the instant defendant commenced a separation action against the instant plaintiff on the ground of abandonment and a decree granting separation was entered on July 27, 1966. This action for divorce was commenced more than two years after the entry of the separation decree and after the effective date of the new sections to the Domestic Relations Law.

Defendant moves to dismiss the complaint. The section pursuant to which the divorce is being sought provides that such an action may be maintained by a husband or wife on the ground that:

'The husband and wife have lived apart pursuant to a decree or judgment of separation for a period of two years after the granting of such decree or judgment, and satisfactory proof has been submitted by the plaintiff that he or she has substantially performed all the terms and conditions of such decree or judgment.'

Defendant urges (1) that the legislature did not intend to apply the statute retroactively to separation decrees or judgments granted prior to September 1, 1966; (2) that the statute was not intended for use by the 'guilty' spouse in the separation action, and (3) that a retroactive application of the statute renders the statute unconstitutional, as it impairs the obligations of contracts (U.S. Constitution, Art. I, § 10(1)); deprives the defendant of substantial property rights, e.g., inheritance rights, social security rights (U.S. Constitution, Art. XIV, § 1; N.Y. Constitution, Art. I, § 6), and violates the equal protection clause. (U.S. Constitution, Art. XIV, § 1; N.Y. Constitution, Art, I, § 11.)

The first point raised is easily determined. The Joint Legislative Committee on Matrimonial and Family Laws, in its memorandum states:

'The living apart ground for divorce based upon an agreement of separation is being amended to recite that the agreement must be one subscribed and acknowledged on or after August 1, 1966. This language is being added in order to clearly show that there is no legislative intent that this section have retroactive effect.

As originally introduced this bill would also have provided that the separation ground for divorce based upon a judgment or decree of separation must have been one granted on or after September 1, 1966. By amendment, this limitation was deleted. The bill as it now stands, demonstrates a legislative intent to construe that provision as retroactive.' (McKinney's Session Laws 1968, ch. 700, p. 2308; see LeClaire v. LeClaire, 58 Misc.2d 41, 294 N.Y.S.2d 334).

With respect to the second point raised, this court is cognizant of other Special Term decisions to the effect that the legislature did not intend 'to reward with a divorce decree the spouse who has, by prior judicial adjudication been determined to have been the 'guilty' spouse or spouses at fault.' (Church v. Church, Sup. Westchester Co., 58 Misc.2d 753, 756, 296 N.Y.S.2d 716, 719, Galloway, J.; Goldenberg v. Goldenberg, N.Y.L.J., Dec. 4, 1968, p. 17, col. 3, Kings Co., Morrissey, J.) The court, however, does not agree with their interpretation. (See also Frischman v. Frischman, 58 Misc.2d 208, 295 N.Y.S.2d 70.) In construing statutes the legislative intent 'is first to be sought from a literal reading of the act itself * * * and if language thereof is unambiguous and the words plain and clear, there is no occasion to resort to other means of interpretation. But, where, after a reading of the statute, its meaning is still not clear, courts must search for legislative intent in the purpose of the enactment * * *.' (McKinney's Statutes, § 92.)

The statute contains no express limitation to the 'innocent' spouse of a right of action for divorce founded on a separation decree. To minimize the absence of such a limitation is to do violence to legislative intent. The subsections of section 170 of the Domestic Relations Law authorizing a 'conversion' divorce based on either a separation agreement or a separation decree were specifically designed to enable persons to extricate themselves from a perpetual state of marital limbo. The question of fault is not involved. Were 'fault' an important factor in the granting of a conversion divorce then in such an action based upon a separation agreement, the court might be forced to go beyond the agreement to first establish 'fault' and then bar the faulting party. Such an approach, however, cannot be seriously suggested. In every separation agreement or decree there is undoubtedly some element of fault. However, it is generally a failure to agree upon ancillary matters, e.g., financial and property rights, custody and visitation rights, etc., which precipitates court proceedings. A finding of fault by a court in such a proceeding should not forever bar the faulting party from obtaining a divorce.

Subdivision 5 also contains the proviso that in order to secure the divorce satisfactory proof of substantial performance of all the terms and conditions of the separation decree must be submitted by the plaintiff. This language not only envisions, in the case of a successful wife, remaining separated, and in some cases complying with visitation privileges, but also an unsuccessful husband's concomitant obligations, including the payment of alimony. There is nothing repugnant to the public policy of our State in permitting the unsuccessful spouse in a separation action to obtain a 'conversion' divorce. To hold otherwise might only serve to force such unsuccessful spouse to seek relief in some other jurisdiction and to continue one of the very evils which the divorce reform law intended and attempted to eliminate.

Although Special Term should ordinarily avoid constitutional questions, avoidance here is impossible. It should be noted at the outset that there is a strong presumption of validity attaching to a statute which the one challenging it must overcome beyond a reasonable doubt. (See Fenster v. Leary, 20 N.Y.2d 309, 314, 282 N.Y.S.2d 739, 743, 229 N.E.2d 426, 429.) Further, a court of original jurisdiction will not declare a statute unconstitutional unless the violation is patent. (Matter of Wood v. Freeman, 43 Misc.2d 616, 251 N.Y.S.2d 996, affd. 24 A.D.2d 704, 262 N.Y.S.2d 431; National Psychological Assn. for Psychoanalysis, Inc. v. University of the State of N.Y., 18 Misc.2d 722, 188 N.Y.S.2d 151, affd. 10 A.D.2d 688, 199 N.Y.S.2d 151, affd. 8 N.Y.2d 197, 203 N.Y.S.2d 821.) It is the opinion of this court that the statute is not patently unconstitutional. Since, however, retroactive application of this legislation will have such a farreaching effect on the lives and property of so many persons, a discussion of the constitutional issues is merited. With the exception of the United States Constitution's proscription of bills of attainder and ex post facto laws, there is no provision in either the Federal or State Constitutions expressly concerned with retroactive legislation. Thus a statute is not rendered unconstitutional merely because it has retroactive effect. The chief restriction upon retroactive remedial legislation is that vested rights cannot be impaired or destroyed.

Does the retroactive application of the instant legislation destroy any vested rights? A vested right has been defined in many ways: as 'an immediate right of present or future enjoyment' (Pearsall v. Great Northern R. Co., 161 U.S. 646, 16 S.Ct. 705, 40 L.Ed. 838; see 16 American Jurisprudence Constitutional Law 2d 421); as a 'property interest so substantial in character that its destruction or deprivation cannot be justified by the objectives in view'. (See 9 N.Y.Jur. Constitutional Law, § 246.) Negatively defined, a right is not vested unless it is something more than a mere expectation based upon an anticipated continuation of the present general laws. Nor are rights vested if they are qualified by contingencies (see Addiss v. Selig, 147 Misc. 731, 264 N.Y.S. 816, affd. 240 App.Div. 829, 266 N.Y.S. 1008, ...

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    ... ... of the parties but of society itself will be furthered by enabling them 'to extricate themselves from a perpetual state of marital limbo.' (Adelman v. Adelman, 58 Misc.2d 803, 805, ... Page 352 ... 296 N.Y.S.2d 999, 1003; see, also. [26 N.Y.2d 36] Wadlington, Divorce Without Fault Without ... ...
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