Eugene Harman v. Jason Harman, (CC 588)
| Court | Supreme Court of West Virginia |
| Writing for the Court | HATCHER. |
| Citation | 120 W.Va. 199 |
| Parties | Eugene Harman v. Jason Harman |
| Docket Number | (CC 588) |
| Decision Date | 24 May 1938 |
120 W.Va. 199
Eugene Harman
v.
Jason Harman
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Submitted May 17, 1938.
Decided May 24, 1938.
[120 W.Va. 199]
1. Divorce
Accrued alimony is assignable.
2. Set-off and Counterclaim
In an action on a note, the payor may off-set against it accrued alimony assigned to Mm by the divorced wife of the plaintiff.
Case certified from Circuit Court, Tucker County.
Action by Eugene Harman against Jason Harman on a note, wherein the defendant filed a plea setting up an assignment to him of past-due alimony decreed to divorced wife of plaintiff. The circuit court sustained a demurrer to the plea and certified its sufficiency to the Supreme Court of Appeals.
Reversed.
R. D. Heironimus, for plaintiff.
W. K. Pritt, for defendant.
[120 W.Va. 200]
Hatcher, Judge:
In an action on a note, the payor filed a plea setting up an assignment to him of past due alimony decreed to the divorced wife of the plaintiff. The circuit court sustained a demurrer to the plea and certified here its sufficiency.
Under Code, 56-5-4, the defendant, in a suit for any debt, may have allowed against it "any * * * set-off which is so described in his plea * * * as to give the plaintiff notice of its nature." The statute itself does not define the nature of a set-off; but the decisions agree that the set-off "must be substantially a debt," Baltimore & 0. Rr. Co. v. Jameson, 13 W. Va. 833, 842, 31 Am. Rep. 775. Accrued alimony becomes a liquidated debt, and as such is a proper subject of set-off under the statute. Fournier V. Clutton, 146 Mich. 298, 109 N. W. 425, 7 L. R. A. (N. S.) 179,.117 Am. St. Rep. 638, 10 Ann. Gas. 392, is cited as a leading case supporting the doctrine that alimony is not assignable; Cederberg v. Gunstrom, 193 Minn. 421, 258 N. W. 574, 97 A. L. R. 207, as a leading case opposing it. The cases pro and con are listed in an annotation, 97 A. L. R. 208. In view of our own practice, however, we deem a discussion of those cases unnecessary.
When installments of alimony accrue, the power of the court, under Code, 48-2-15, to alter, control or cancel them terminates (no fraud appearing), and "the right thereto of the payee becomes vested." Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W. Va. 471, 474, 185 S....
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...160, 50 S.E.2d 455; Korczyk v. Solonka, 130 W.Va. 211, 42 S.E.2d 814; Holcomb v. Holcomb, 122 W.Va. 293, 8 S.E.2d 889; Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361; Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W.Va. 471, 185 S.E. 857. In the opinion in the Biggs case this Court said that '* * * in the absence of a......
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Robinson v. Robinson, No. CC728.
...accrued installments thereof, are assignable and can not be cancelled. Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W. Va. 471, 185 S.E. 857; Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361. In Korczyk v. Solonka, W.Va., 42 S.E.2d 814, 815, it was held: "Matured installments provided for in a decree ordering the paym......
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Robinson v. Robinson, (CC 728)
...accrued installments thereof, are assignable and can not be cancelled. Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W. Va. 471, 185 S. E. 857; Harman v. Harman, 120 W. Va. 199, 196 S. E. 361. In Korczyk v. Solonka, 130 W. Va. 211, 42 S. E. (2d) 814, it was held: "matured installments provided for in a decree orderi......
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Goff v. Goff, No. 17141
...v. Solonka, 130 W.Va. 211, 42 S.E.2d 814 (1947); Syl. Pt. 1, Holcomb v. Holcomb, 122 W.Va. 293, 8 S.E.2d 889 (1940); Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361 (1938); see also W.Va.Code § 48-2-16(a) (1986 Replacement Vol.). The general rule is that, upon a showing of substantially chang......
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Rakes v. Ferguson, No. 12212
...160, 50 S.E.2d 455; Korczyk v. Solonka, 130 W.Va. 211, 42 S.E.2d 814; Holcomb v. Holcomb, 122 W.Va. 293, 8 S.E.2d 889; Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361; Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W.Va. 471, 185 S.E. 857. In the opinion in the Biggs case this Court said that '* * * in the absence of a......
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Robinson v. Robinson, No. CC728.
...accrued installments thereof, are assignable and can not be cancelled. Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W. Va. 471, 185 S.E. 857; Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361. In Korczyk v. Solonka, W.Va., 42 S.E.2d 814, 815, it was held: "Matured installments provided for in a decree ordering the paym......
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Robinson v. Robinson, (CC 728)
...accrued installments thereof, are assignable and can not be cancelled. Biggs v. Biggs, 117 W. Va. 471, 185 S. E. 857; Harman v. Harman, 120 W. Va. 199, 196 S. E. 361. In Korczyk v. Solonka, 130 W. Va. 211, 42 S. E. (2d) 814, it was held: "matured installments provided for in a decree orderi......
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Goff v. Goff, No. 17141
...v. Solonka, 130 W.Va. 211, 42 S.E.2d 814 (1947); Syl. Pt. 1, Holcomb v. Holcomb, 122 W.Va. 293, 8 S.E.2d 889 (1940); Harman v. Harman, 120 W.Va. 199, 196 S.E. 361 (1938); see also W.Va.Code § 48-2-16(a) (1986 Replacement Vol.). The general rule is that, upon a showing of substantially chang......