Perras v. Perras
Decision Date | 30 April 1986 |
Docket Number | No. 2,CA-CIV,2 |
Citation | 726 P.2d 617,151 Ariz. 201 |
Parties | Marlene R. PERRAS, Petitioner/Appellee, v. Albert E. PERRAS, Respondent/Appellant. 5625. |
Court | Arizona Court of Appeals |
Law Offices of Garven W. Videen by Garven W. Videen, Tucson, for petitioner/appellee.
Waterfall, Economidis, Hanshaw & Villamana, P.C. by Sandra Tedlock, Tucson, for respondent/appellant.
The marriage of the appellant, Albert E. Perras, and the appellee, Marlene R. Perras, was dissolved by decree on December 19, 1984. The parties, each of them represented by counsel, stipulated in open court to the following provisions for division of part of their community property:
The appellant served with the United States Air Force for 20 years. During 18 of those years (90% of total service) he was married to the appellee. Upon being notified of the provisions of the decree, the Air Force began paying the appellee $336.74 per month, which, instead of being 45% of the appellant's gross retirement, was 50% or less of the net disposable amount to which the appellant was otherwise entitled on a monthly basis. 1 One of the amounts deducted in calculating the disposable income was $322 to which the appellant was entitled each month from the Veterans Administration by reason of a 40% service-related disability. The appellant had elected to have this $322 of his retirement income paid by the Veterans Administration as disability pay apparently because, if paid as disability, the amount would not be subject to federal income tax.
The appellee was informed in May 1985 by letter that the Air Force would pay no more than the $336.74 monthly and that "[a]ny difference between the amount stated in the Decree ... and the amount of the direct payment by the Air Force must be obtained from Chief Perras."
In July 1985 the appellee filed a petition seeking to have the appellant pay, or sign an allotment to have the Air Force pay, the difference between the $336.74 she was receiving from the Air Force and the $507.15 monthly payment agreed on and ordered in the decree. The trial court entered judgment against the appellant for "arrearages" of $814.80. It is from that judgment that this appeal is taken.
The appellant asserts three issues on appeal: 1) that the disability benefits were the appellant's separate property; 2) that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to award the appellant's separate property to the appellee, even pursuant to the parties' agreement; and 3) that the provision of the decree awarding the appellant's "separate property" is void.
We affirm for several reasons.
Assuming for purpose of argument that the decree awarded the appellant's separate property to the appellee, the decree was a final appealable judgment. No appeal was taken. The decree is res judicata. De Gryse v. De Gryse, 135 Ariz. 335, 661 P.2d 185 (1983); Tippit v. Lahr, 132 Ariz. 406, 646 P.2d 291 (App.1982). The trial court had jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter. Although it may be error for the trial court to enforce the terms of the decree by awarding the separate property of one spouse to the other, as the appellant claims, such error should have been corrected on appeal. The subsequent enforcement order does not make that provision of the decree void. De Gryse, supra; Lahr, supra.
More importantly, we do not find that the decree awarded any of the appellant's separate property to the appellee. Based on his salary, his Chief Master Sergeant status, and 20 years of service, the appellant in the instant case would have received $1127.82 as retirement pay under ...
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Danielson v. Evans
...benefits constituting community property to disability benefits constituting separate property"). See also Perras v. Perras, 151 Ariz. 201, 726 P.2d 617 (App.1986) (to same effect). The results in Gaddis, Harris, and this case also appear consistent with the Act's savings clause. 10 U.S.C. ......
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In re Marriage of Davies, 1 CA-CV 08-0697 (Ariz. App. 6/8/2010)
...Arizona has repeatedly held military disability benefits, after dissolution, are separate property. Perras v. Perras, 151 Ariz. 201, 203, 726 P.2d 617, 619 (App. 1986); Rickman, 124 Ariz. at 509, 605 P.2d at 911; Luna, 125 Ariz. at 125, 608 P.2d at 62. Finally, even if TDRL benefits conside......
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... ... 80 Ariz. at 276-77, 296 P.2d at 951 ... 2 Provisions in a decree may be the result of an agreement of the parties such as in Perras ... ...
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Gangopadhyay v. Gangopadhyay
...where the parties are represented by able counsel and acknowledge their consent to the agreement on the record. Perras v. Perras, 151 Ariz. 201, 726 P.2d 617 (App.1986); In re Marriage of Chambers, 657 P.2d 458 (Colo.App.1982); In re Marriage of Johnson, 350 N.W.2d 199 (Iowa 1984); Waitt v.......