ERNEST A. PORTER, APPELLANT,
v.
JOAN L. PORTER, APPELLEE
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A Florida appellate court affirmed a trial court's judgment that an ex-husband must continue paying permanent alimony to his ex-wife despite her remarriage, as the parties' agreement explicitly provided for such continuation. The court struck language suggesting contempt as an enforcement remedy, finding the record insufficient to establish the payments constituted a support obligation rather than a property settlement.
The court held that the parties' explicit agreement providing for continuation of alimony beyond the wife's remarriage to another person is enforceable and prevails over any default statutory rule that remarriage terminates alimony. The court struck the determination that contempt is a proper remedy, finding the record insufficient to establish whether the obligation is a support obligation (enforceable by contempt) or a property settlement (not enforceable by contempt).
[1] A marital settlement agreement incorporated into a final judgment of dissolution may provide that alimony payments continue after the wife's remarriage, overriding statut…
[2] A marital settlement agreement may specify that alimony payments are not subject to modification by the payor spouse for any reason.
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“the alimony would "terminate only upon the death of wife or remarriage of the parties to each other. It shall not be subject to modification by the husband for any reason"”
Establishes the explicit terms of the settlement agreement showing the parties' intent that remarriage to another would not terminate the alimony obligation.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe parties' final judgment of dissolution in February 1982 incorporated an agreement whereby the husband would pay $2,500 per month in permanent alim…
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WIGGINTON, Judge.
Appellant husband appeals the order of the trial court granting appellee wife’s motion for entry of a judgment for alimony arrearage and determining that the terms of the final judgment of dissolution may be enforced by contempt proceedings. We affirm but strike a portion of the order. The final judgment of dissolution of the marriage of the parties was filed in February 1982. An agreement voluntarily entered into by the parties was incorporated in that final judgment. According to the agreement, appellant would pay appellee $2500 permanent alimony per month for the duration of appellee’s life; the alimony would “terminate only upon the death of wife or remarriage of the parties to each other. It shall not be subject to modification by the husband for any reason” and “if husband should die before the wife, said payments of $2500 per month shall not cease but the payment thereof shall be a first charge and lien against the estate of the husband....” The agreement further provided for a distribution of the real property of the parties.
After entry of the final judgment of dissolution, appellee remarried another than appellant. Thereafter, appellant terminated alimony payments. In October 1986, appellee filed a motion for contempt or, in the alternative, a motion for entry of a judgment on the arrearage. After a hearing, the trial judge entered an amended order granting her motion for entry of a judgment on the arrearage in the amount of $17,500 and finding that, pursuant to the agreement, the alimony payments do continue beyond the remarriage of the wife. He further determined that the terms of the final judgment may be enforced by contempt proceedings, but he did not hold appellant in contempt since his failure to pay was not willful or deliberate but was based upon a good faith argument as to the controlling law. He ordered appellant to resume payment as directed in the judgment of dissolution.
On appeal, appellant contends that appellee’s remarriage terminates his obligation to pay alimony to her. We find that the trial judge was correct in concluding that the contrary terms of the agreement, freely entered into by the parties, prevail. See Jaffee v. Jaffee, 394 So. 2d 443 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981).
Appellant also challenges the trial court’s determination that contempt is a proper remedy to enforce the terms of the final judgment. We strike that determination in the order on appeal on the ground that such a ruling is premature at this juncture, prior to a clear showing that appellant’s duty to pay is a support obligation, as opposed to a property settlement which is not-enforceable by contempt. See Marks v. Marks, 457 So. 2d 1137 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). Although the trial judge specifically found the monthly payments to be “alimony,” indicating a support obligation, the record on appeal is insufficient to show an obligation enforceable by contempt.
Affirmed but remanded -with directions that the portion of the judgment finding contempt to be a proper remedy for enforcement of the alimony payments be stricken.
BOOTH, J., concurs.
ZEHMER, J., concurs with written opinion.
ZEHMER, Judge
(Specially concurring).
Because the $2,500 per month alimony provision, which the parties agreed would survive the husband’s death or the wife’s remarriage to another, should be treated as a means of effecting equitable distribution of marital property rather than provision for support after the wife’s remarriage to another, I concur in the affirmance of the judgment for arrearage. Since my view of the alimony provision would necessarily preclude any characterization of it as meeting appellant’s continuing obligation of support, which terminated upon the former wife’s remarriage, I also concur in the decision to strike from the appealed order any reference to the right to enforce the obligation by contempt proceedings.
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Pipitone v. Pipitone, 23 So. 3d 131 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009)…usband’s death, were not support alimony subject to modification because they conceivably were set up as special fund for upkeep of residence). Similarly, parties can agree to support payments to continue after the obligor’s death. Porter v. Porter, 521 So. 2d 290, 291 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988); see Hannon, 740 So. 2d at 1184. The MSA between Ms. Diaz and Mr. Pipitone specifically provides that the payments survive either party’s death. Deductibility A provision that alimony payments are deductible to the husband…
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Petty v. Eligia Jim Petty, 548 So. 2d 793 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989)…he agreement placed sole discretion for the children’s support in the wife. [*797] In similar circumstances, this court has held that the terms of the agreement will prevail. See Ochs, 540 So. 2d at 191; Servies, 524 So. 2d at 680; Porter v. Porter, 521 So. 2d 290 at 291 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988). An alimony provision is always modifiable even though it is a part of an overall property settlement agreement, as was the case here. In this case, however, the trial court did not modify the alimony provision. Rather, th…
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Nicola Herbst v. Herbst, 153 So. 3d 290 (Fla. 2d DCA 2014)…er the applicable statutes. Taylor v. Lutz, 134 So.Bd 1146, 1148 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014). Thus, if the parties’ MSA requires payment beyond the recipient’s remarriage, the agreement’s terms will control over section 61.08. Id. at 1148; Porter v. Porter, 521 So. 2d 290, 291 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988). We review the trial court’s interpretation of the MSA de novo. See Pipi-tone v. Pipitone, 23 So. 3d 131,134 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009). Such agreements are construed the same as any other contract. Taylor, 134 So. 3d at 1148. If t…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Jaffee v. Jaffee, 394 So. 2d 443 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981)
- Marks v. Marks, 457 So. 2d 1137 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984)