Sanborn v. Sanborn
| Decision Date | 24 October 1979 |
| Docket Number | Nos. 78-1937,79-106,s. 78-1937 |
| Citation | 33 Ill.Dec. 468,78 Ill.App.3d 146,396 N.E.2d 1192 |
| Parties | , 33 Ill.Dec. 468 In re: the Marriage of Edna T. SANBORN, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Earl B. SANBORN, M. D., Respondent-Appellant. |
| Court | United States Appellate Court of Illinois |
Beermann, Swerdlove, Woloshin & Barezky, Chicago, for respondent-appellant; Miles N. Beermann and Howard A. London, Chicago, of counsel.
John J. Casey, Chicago, for petitioner-appellee.
On March 6, 1978, the marriage of petitioner, Edna T. Sanborn, and respondent, Earl B. Sanborn, was dissolved. The matter before us arises out of the post-judgment proceedings in that dissolution. Respondent appeals from a provision in the judgment which directs him to convey his interest in their marital home to petitioner; from the denial of his post-trial motion; from the order allowing petitioner attorney's fees to defend the post-trial motion; and from an order granting her fees to defend this appeal.
The judgment for dissolution of the marriage was entered by Judge Raymond P. Drymalski. Questions relating to property, maintenance, support, and attorney's fees were considered at a later hearing. At the hearing before Judge Drymalski, the parties stipulated they were married in 1946; that they had four children, three of whom were no longer living at home; that petitioner, a nurse, earned $1,339 per month and owned stock worth $2,842; that respondent, a doctor, earned $2,916 per month, collected military retirement benefits of $332 per month, and owned bonds worth $27,000 and stock worth $1,600; that each party owned an automobile; and that the parties owned a marital residence in joint tenancy. They stipulated to its fair market value as follows:
"There is a marital residence in Kenilworth, Illinois, which as of September 13, '76 was valued at $142,000."
After considering the evidence and hearing arguments of counsel, Judge Drymalski, on April 6, 1978, directed respondent to convey his interest in the marital residence to petitioner as an award of maintenance in gross. In so ruling, the judge stated: The court found that an award of maintenance in gross was appropriate in view of petitioner's contribution to the value of the marital home and the duration of the marriage, and because such award would lead to a final settlement of the parties' disputes and eliminate financial bickering. On April 24, 1978, the trial court signed an order containing the foregoing provisions.
On May 24, 1978, respondent filed a motion under section 68.3 of the Civil Practice Act, Ill.Rev.Stat.1977, ch. 110, par. 68.3, asking for a rehearing on the disposition of the marital residence and for vacation of that portion of the judgment awarding the home to petitioner. The motion recited that after entry of the judgment, respondent discovered new evidence revealing that the actual value of the residence in 1978 was substantially higher than the appraisal of $142,000. In support of the motion, respondent offered a written appraisal dated May 22, 1978, which indicated that the value of the marital residence was between $225,000 and $250,000. Respondent argued therefore that the award of the home was unjust since it gave petitioner an asset far in excess of $71,000, and that such award would not have been made had the court been aware of the higher valuation.
Judge Drymalski retired from the court and the case was assigned to Judge John J. Crown. On July 20, 1978, having considered the evidence and arguments of counsel, Judge Crown denied respondent's post-trial motion, finding that respondent failed to show due diligence in discovering the allegedly new evidence concerning the value of the marital residence. The judge also observed that, in view of the duration of the marriage and earning capacity of respondent, it would not be unusual for petitioner to receive sole ownership of the residence in exchange for a waiver of maintenance and other marital rights.
On appeal, respondent initially contends that the portion of the judgment awarding the home to petitioner is based on a grossly erroneous valuation and therefore must be reversed. In essence, he urges that the court erred in relying on the 1976 stipulated value of the home, and in failing to take judicial notice that its fair market value had increased since 1976. To address the argument, it is necessary to consider the chronology of events leading up to the property disposition.
On October 3, 1977, petitioner filed a petition for dissolution of marriage and requested sole and exclusive ownership of the marital residence. On October 12, 1977, she submitted interrogatories to respondent. Among the interrogatories was one asking respondent to supply the present estimated value of any real estate he owned. Respondent then delivered the aforementioned appraisal to his attorney indicating the value of the marital home was $141,980 as of September 13, 1976. This appraisal was forwarded to petitioner's attorney. On November 8, 1977, petitioner's attorney submitted a pretrial memorandum to the court and to respondent's attorney listing the value of the residence at $140,000. On January 12, 1978, respondent filed answers to all of petitioner's interrogatories except the one asking for estimated value of realty owned. On January 31, 1978, respondent filed a counter-petition for dissolution in which he asked that he be awarded the marital residence. At the proceeding of April 6, 1978, at which the stipulated value of $142,000 was introduced, neither party offered additional evidence concerning the value of the residence.
Parties are bound by their stipulations unless such stipulations are shown to be unreasonable, the result of fraud or violative of public policy. (Filko v. Filko (1970), 127 Ill.App.2d 10, 262 N.E.2d 88; In re Estate of Moss (1969), 109 Ill.App.2d 185, 248 N.E.2d 513; Kazubowski v. Kazubowski (1968), 93 Ill.App.2d 126, 235 N.E.2d 664, Cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1117, 89 S.Ct. 993, 22 L.Ed.2d 122 (1969).) Moreover, a party cannot challenge a valid and binding stipulation on the basis of some mental reservation not expressed in the stipulation. Roin v. Checker Taxi Co. (1962), 36 Ill.App.2d 447, 184 N.E.2d 736.
Respondent does not suggest that the stipulation was the result of fraud or contrary to public policy. Rather, he urges that he should not be bound by the stipulated value of September, 1976, because it did not accurately reflect the true value of the home at the time of the property disposition in 1978. This argument overlooks the fact that it was respondent who submitted that appraisal value and permitted it to be introduced into evidence unchallenged. If respondent had any doubts concerning the accuracy of the appraisal he supplied, he had ample opportunity prior to the disposition of the marital residence to ascertain and correct any error in valuation. Respondent's present determination that the home has a greater value than he initially represented does not justify setting aside the stipulated fact. See Horwich v. Horwich (1979), 68 Ill.App.3d 518, 25 Ill.Dec. 349, 386 N.E.2d 620.
It was reasonable for the trial court to accept the 1976 appraisal contained in the parties' stipulation and pretrial memorandum as indicative of the value of the marital residence in 1978. (See Ayers v. Ayers (1978), 61 Ill.App.3d 936, 19 Ill.Dec. 177, 378 N.E.2d 792.) Since the amount was uncontroverted at trial, both parties presumably presented the 1976 appraisal as if it reflected the current market value. We find no merit in respondent's argument that despite the absence of any dispute regarding the home's value, the trial court should have taken judicial notice that inflation had caused the marital residence to appreciate in value since 1976. Courts ordinarily refrain from taking judicial notice of the value of specific realty inasmuch as innumerable factors may affect such value. 222 East Chestnut Street Corp. v. Board of Appeals (1958),14 Ill.2d 190, 152 N.E.2d 465.
Respondent next contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion under section 68.3 of the...
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