Marriage of Mahone, In re

• Decision Date: 26 August 1981
• Citation: 176 Cal.Rptr. 274,123 Cal.App.3d 17
• Court: California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
• Parties: In re the MARRIAGE OF Theadora D. and Harless Dal MAHONE. Harless Dal MAHONE, Appellant, v. Theadora D. MAHONE, Appellant. Civ. 56335.

Page 274

176 Cal.Rptr. 274

123 Cal.App.3d 17

In re the MARRIAGE OF Theadora D. and Harless Dal MAHONE Harless Dal MAHONE, Appellant, v. Theadora D. MAHONE, Appellant.

Civ. 56335.

Court of Appeal, Second District, Division 5, California.

Aug. 26, 1981.

Hearing Denied October 21, 1981.

Jack L. Norman and Joseph I. Wedeen, Hollywood, for appellant husband.

John A. Weyl, Hollywood, for appellant wife.

OPINION ON REHEARING

ASHBY, Associate Justice.

Both parties appeal from a "Further Judgment on Reserved Issues After Bifurcation and Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage." The dispute on appeal concerns the court's determination of the community property and separate property. Husband contends the court erroneously determined that three parcels of real property were Wife's separate property, and he further contends the court erred in determining that a portion of his military pension is community property. Wife contends that certain funds in joint savings accounts were erroneously determined to be community property rather than her separate property.

The parties were married in 1961 and separated in 1976. At the time of the marriage Husband was a major in the United States Air Force. He retired from the air force in 1966 as a lieutenant colonel. At the time of trial he was a project manager with the County of Los Angeles earning $2,476 per month and was receiving air force retirement benefits of $1,181 per month. At all times during the marriage Wife was a homemaker.

HUSBAND'S APPEAL

Military Pension

The parties stipulated in the trial court that the portion of Husband's U.S. Air Force retirement benefits accrued from 1961 to 1966 was community property, and the trial court so found pursuant to the stipulation. Husband contends that federal legislation establishing the retirement scheme for the military preempts the application of a state's community property law to the retirement pay of military personnel. The United States Supreme Court recently so held. (McCarty v. McCarty (June 26, 1981) --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 2728, 69 L.Ed.2d ---.)

It does not follow, however, that Husband should be relieved of the trial stipulation by reason of the McCarty decision. The written stipulation was filed with the trial court January 5, 1978. As of that date it was settled California law that a federal military retirement pension was subject to division as community property, and the United States Supreme Court had not indicated to the contrary. (In re Marriage of Fithian, 10 Cal.3d 592, 111 Cal.Rptr. 369, 517 P.2d 449, cert. den., 419 U.S. 825, 95 S.Ct. 41, 42 L.Ed.2d 48, rehg. den. 419 U.S. 1060, 95 S.Ct. 644, 42 L.Ed.2d 657.) The stipulation was in accordance with the law as it then stood, and Husband is not entitled to relief from the stipulation merely because the law was subsequently changed by judicial decision. (See Cooley v. County of Calaveras, 121 Cal. 482, 485-486, 53 P. 1075; Campbell v. Rainey, 127 Cal.App. 747, 749-750, 17 P.2d 310; Mitchel v. National Auto. & Casualty Ins. Co., 38 Cal.App.3d 599, 603-605, 113 Cal.Rptr. 391; Zeppi v. State of California, 203 Cal.App.2d 386, 388, 21 Cal.Rptr. 534.)

Real Properties

The trial court determined that three residential properties (not the family residence) were the separate property of Wife. One of these, the Novelly Drive property in Reno, Nevada, was acquired by Wife prior to the marriage. The other two (Alpha Road and Marlin Way) were acquired during marriage.

In 1971 the parties' accountant advised Husband they needed a tax shelter and suggested refinancing the Novelly Drive property and purchasing other property. Husband informed Wife of the accountant's advice. A new loan secured by the Novelly property was obtained. The note was executed by both parties and title was transferred to the parties as joint tenants. The trial court found that at all times Husband understood that the creation of the joint tenancy was for purposes of convenience, to facilitate the loan, and in furtherance of a plan to obtain income tax benefits for the community. Husband understood that Wife did not intend to make a gift to Husband of any interest in the Novelly Drive property.

The Marlin Way property was acquired in May 1971 by deed in the name of both parties as joint tenants pursuant to escrow instructions executed by both. Of the $5,580 down payment, $2,000 was borrowed in anticipation it would be repaid from the proceeds of the new Novelly Drive loan, which it was. The other $3,580 was withdrawn from a joint savings account at Glendale Federal Savings, but the source of this money was a $4,700 gift to Wife from her father in June 1970. The trial court found that Husband and Wife understood that the acquisition of Marlin Way as joint tenants and the financing of said purchase were in furtherance of their plan to obtain income tax benefits for the community and that they understood Wife did not intend to make a gift to Husband of any interest in the Marlin Way property.

The Alpha Road property was acquired in 1973 by deed in the names of both parties as joint tenants pursuant to escrow instructions executed by both parties. Of the $6,373 down payment, $5,500 was traced to a gift to Wife of $21,600 by her father in July 1973. The court found that Husband and Wife understood that the acquisition of Alpha Road as joint tenants and the financing of the purchase were in furtherance of their plan to obtain income tax benefits for the community and that they understood Wife did not intend to make a gift to Husband of any interest in the Alpha Road property.

Since title to each of these properties was placed in the name of both parties as joint tenants, a presumption arose that the property was held jointly, as purported in the deed. Husband contends the evidence is insufficient to overcome that presumption to show that, notwithstanding the form of the title, these were the separate properties of Wife. Whether there was such an understanding overcoming the presumption is a question of fact; however, the presumption may not be rebutted solely by evidence as to the source of the funds used to purchase the property. (Gudelj v. Gudelj, 41 Cal.2d 202, 212, 259 P.2d 656; In re Marriage of Wall, 30 Cal.App.3d 1042, 1046, 106 Cal.Rptr. 690.)

Besides the evidence of the source of the funding, in this case certain other evidence supports the inference there was an understanding between the parties that the property would not be owned as indicated in the deeds. There was evidence of the advice from the accountant that Novelly Drive be refinanced so that additional purchases could be made in order to give the parties a tax shelter. Husband discussed the accountant's advice with Wife. From the financial circumstances of the parties it could reasonably be inferred that a joint loan application and the taking of title as joint tenants facilitated the loan. There was also a suggestion in Husband's testimony with respect to Marlin Way and Novelly Drive that the lender wanted the title in joint tenancy. Husband also discussed that with Wife. Finally, although throughout the marriage Husband managed and controlled the properties, upon separation he voluntarily relinquished to Wife complete management and control.

The trial court erred, however, in finding the three parcels were Wife's separate property. There were community property contributions to all three acquisitions and there was no evidence that Husband intended a gift of these community interests in the property to Wife. The evidence supports the finding that the parties did not intend the property to be true joint tenancy, but nothing else. We then have a situation where property has been acquired with commingled separate and community funds, with each retaining its own character if clearly ascertainable by tracing its source. (In re Marriage of Aufmuth, 89 Cal.App.3d 446, 456, 152 Cal.Rptr. 668.)...