Kennedy v. Kennedy

• Decision Date: 27 March 1963
• Docket Number: No. 6978,6978
• Parties: Raymond A. KENNEDY, Appellant, v. Mary R. KENNEDY, Appellee.
• Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Page 966

379 P.2d 966

93 Ariz. 252

Raymond A. KENNEDY, Appellant, v. Mary R. KENNEDY, Appellee.

No. 6978.

Supreme Court of Arizona, In Division.

March 27, 1963.

Carl W. Divelbiss, Phoenix, for appellant.

Hughes & Hughes, and Johnson & Stewart, Phoenix, for appellee.

UDALL, Vice Chief Justice.

This is a contested divorce action. A complaint was filed by the wife, charging mental and physical cruelty. The husband counterclaimed, charging adultery. A divorce was granted on the wife's complaint, a division of the property was ordered, and alimony was awarded to the wife. The husband appealed, alleging in his assignments of error that the wife was not entitled to a divorce as her evidence was uncorroborated, that an improper division of property was ordered and that excessive fees were allowed the wife's attorneys and a receiver and his attorney. He further contends that the court erred in denying his claim for divorce, and in awarding alimony to the wife.

The evidence, as collected in the cold pages of the record, appears to favor the husband. The occurrences charged by the wife to be instances of cruelty were of a substantial nature, although the corroboration of these occurrences, which came exclusively from the husband's testimony, was slight. The husband's evidence of adultery on the part of the wife was persuasive, and corroborated by other witnesses. The wife denied these charges on the stand, however, and from the closer vantage point of his bench the trial judge believed the wife and disbelieved the husband and his witnesses. We do not find the evidence so overwhelmingly in favor of the husband that the findings of the trial court were unreasonable and cannot be sustained, Fernandez v. Garza, 88 Ariz. 214, 354 P.2d 260 (1960).

Under A.R.S. § 25-317 subd. B, ¹ a divorce cannot be granted on the uncorroborated testimony of a party. Where the divorce is contested, and there is no suspicion of collusion this corroboration may be slight, Hemphill v. Hemphill, 84 Ariz. 95, 324 P.2d 225 (1958); see Lawson v. Lawson, 88 Ariz. 352, 356 P.2d 701 (1961). Where the charge is cruelty, it is not necessary that every instance charged be corroborated, Williams v. Williams, 86 Ariz. 201, 344 P.2d 161 (1959); Hecht v. Hecht, 172 Cal.App.2d 381, 342 P.2d 360 (1959).

Corroboration need not be confirmation. It is necessary only that the testimony of the complaining part be supported and strengthened by the coroborating evidence, not that it be confirmed in detail, Martin v. Martin, 166 Va. 109, 184 S.E. 220 (1936). Corroborating testimony is sufficient if it tends to satisfy the impartial and reasonable mind that the plaintiff's material testimony is true, Wilson v. Wilson, 229 Minn. 126, 38 N.W.2d 154 (1949); Anderson v. Anderson, 190 Miss. 508, 200 So. 726 (1941).

One instance of alleged cruelty on the part of the husband in this case occurred while the parties were engaged in the operation of the machine shop they owned. According to the wife's testimony, one of the shop employees took improper liberties with her person. When she reported this to her husband in the presence of other employees he replied, 'Maybe you asked for it.' She then asked her husband to fire the offending worker and he answered, 'It's your problem, you fire him.' She further stated that when she attempted to discharge the employee, the employee said, in the presence of her husband, 'You can't fire me.' Her husband said nothing but finally ordered the man back to work. The husband's version of this incident indicates that the employee was retained only after he had apologized to Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy had accepted the apology. However, his testimony confirms that the incident occurred and that the offending employee was not discharged, thus sufficiently corroborating the testimony of appellee.

Other acts of cruelty by the husband were alleged to have occurred on the evening the wife left the Kennedy home. She testified that she returned late after a church choir practice, and that in an ensuing argument about where she had been and who she had been with, her husband called her a 'whore' and beat her with his fists. Although he denied these specific charges, the husband admitted that this incident occurred, and that during the course of the argument he physically restrained his wife by holding her against her will for 'acouple of minutes', so that he could talk to her. This again is sufficient corroboration of his wife's testimony. In view of this testimony the trial court did not err in granting a divorce to the wife.

In challenging the distribution of property made by the trial judge, the appellant contends that the sum of $4,500 brought by the parties from Ohio was his sole and separate property. The trial court found that this sum, which was kept in a joint bank account of the parties in Ohio, was used in the purchase of the real property which comprised part of the parties' community estate. We fail to find in the record evidence sufficient to rebut the presumption that the real property owned by the parties was, in its entirety, community property.

'There is a legal presumption in this jurisdiction that all property acquired by either spouse during coverture takes on a community character. This presumption can be rebutted only by 'strong', 'satisfactory', 'convincing', 'clear and cogent', or 'nearly conclusive evidence'. In this respect it differs from most legal presumptions that are dispelled immediately upon the production of any evidence negativing the presumption.' Porter v. Porter, 67 Ariz. 273, 279, 195 P.2d 132, 136 (1948).

See also In re Stanger's Estate, 75 Ariz. 399, 257 P.2d 593 (1953); Evans v. Evans, 79 Ariz. 284, 288 P.2d 755 (1955).

The appellant next contends that the division of community property ordered by the court was grossly unfair and constitutes an abuse of judicial discretion. The principal community assets of the parties consisted of certain land in Tempe, a building thereon occupied as a machine shop, the machinery and equipment utilized in this shop, and three other small buildings on this property comprising a dwelling and low-income rental units. The court found the land and buildings to be worth $71,000 and the machinery and equipment to be worth $8,385. The court found Mrs. Kennedy's fair share of these and other minor community assets to be $35,000, and after awarding all of the property to the husband, ordered him to pay this sum to Mrs. Kennedy at the rate of $300 per month. There can be no question that this distribution is fair to the husband if the valuation given these assets by the court can be sustained by the evidence. The appellant contends that it cannot, and we agree.

Differing appraisals of the community property of the parties were given by a receiver appointed in this case and by an expert called by the appellant. The appraisal given by the receiver was in all respects higher than that of appellant's expert. The receiver appraised the property two ways, as a going machine shop, and at its liquidation value. As a going concern the receiver appraised the land and improvements at $71,800, and the machinery, equipment and merchandise on hand on the date of appraisal at $13,000 for a total value of $84,800. However, it was undisputed that the machine shop was no longer a going concern, that is, that it had no business, and the receiver gave as the liquidation value of these same assets $61,800. ² He gave as the reason for this $23,000 drop in value:

'A Mr. Divelbiss, there are 83 of these plants in the Valley and practically all of them are shut down now and this tool and die business is the weakest industry in the state at the present time, and that is the reason for it.

'Q Do I understand then the reduction in value of $23,000 is caused not just by what has happened to the Kennedy place of business but what has happened to that industry in general?

'A In the general economy, yes, that way my opinion.'

The value assigned by the trial judge to these assets, based upon an appraisal of the business as a going concern cannot be sustained. The liquidation appraisal value is the highest value supported by the record.

Moreover, it was undisputed that the receiver encumbered the property with a $16,000 mortgage, no part of the principal and interest of which had been paid at the time of trial. The highest net value of the land, buildings and equipment which is sustained by the record, taking into consideration this mortgage, is $45,800. The appraisal figures upon which this value is based included a truck found by the court to be the separate property of the husband, and valued at $300. When this is subtracted a value of $45,500 remains.

It also appears from the record that the receiver, at the time of trial, retained in his hands a sum of cash belonging to the community. The findings of the court do not disclose the amount of this cash, however, the appellant contends it was $7,000 and the appellee does not traverse this. The trial court ordered approximately $2,500 of this fund to be paid as fees to the appellee's attorneys and awarded the balance, according to appellant's figures, $4,400, to the appellee.

Adding this $7,000 to the value of community physical assets indicated above, and then deducting the $2,500 paid out of this fund as fees of the wife's attorneys chargeable to the community, we...