ELIZABETH STEVENS, APPELLANT,
v.
WILLIAM P. STEVENS, APPELLEE; WILLIAM P. STEVENS, APPELLANT, V. ELIZABETH STEVENS, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1995-12-29
Nos. 95-00210, 95-00618
THREADGILL, C.J., and CAMPBELL, J., concur.
666 So. 2d 227 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1995) Positive Treatment
Cited by 3 cases

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Synopsis

In this marital dissolution appeal, the wife challenges an order on rehearing that would require her to share equally in the parties' income tax liabilities for 1993-1994, while the husband challenges an order requiring him to pay $4,000 for December 1994 rental of the marital residence. The court reversed the rehearing order on tax liability, finding the husband failed to meet the requirements for a motion for rehearing and that a hold harmless agreement between the parties supported the original judgment.


Holding

The trial court improperly granted the motion for rehearing because the husband failed to demonstrate new evidence discovered after trial that could not have been discovered before trial with due diligence. The original final judgment requiring the husband to bear sole responsibility for 1993 taxes should be reinstated. For 1994 taxes, each party pays taxes on income proportionately received from January 1 through July 20, 1994, and each party is responsible for their own 1994 tax liability after July 21, 1994. The husband's obligation to pay $4,000 for December 1994 rental is affirmed.


Headnotes

[1] A motion for rehearing must demonstrate the existence of new evidence discovered since the trial that could change the original disposition and could not have been discov…

[2] A trial court improperly grants a motion for rehearing when the moving party fails to establish entitlement to such relief.

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Key Quotes

“The husband failed to establish his entitlement to a rehearing by failing to demonstrate, among other things, that: (1) he was in possession of new evidence that could change the trial court's original disposition; (2) that such evidence was discovered since the trial; and (3) that such evidence could not have been discovered before trial by the exercise of due diligence.”

Establishes the legal standard for granting a motion for rehearing and why the husband's motion failed to meet that standard.

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Facts & Procedural History

Elizabeth and William P. Stevens were divorcing. The initial final judgment required the husband to be solely responsible for the parties' 1993 income…

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Opinion of the Court
WHATLEY, Judge.

WHATLEY, Judge.

In case number 95-00210 of this consolidated appeal, the wife in this marital dissolution, Elizabeth Stevens, challenges an order on a motion for rehearing which requires her to share equally in any income tax liability incurred by either her or the husband, William P. Stevens, in 1993 and 1994, through the date of the final judgment of dissolution in July 1994. In ease number 95-00618, the husband challenges-an amended final judgment which requires him to pay $4,000 to the wife for the rental of the parties’ Port Royal residence for the month of December 1994: We find no merit in the husband’s challenge and thus affirm in case number 95-00618. We do, however, find merit in the wife’s challenges herein and thus reverse in case number 95-00210.

The final judgment of dissolution initially entered in this case provided that “the husband shall be solely responsible for the 1993 income taxes of the parties and all other taxes attributed to the assets retained by the husband.” In a subsequent motion for rehearing, the husband asserted that at the time of trial, the trial court was provided with only general estimates of the parties’ 1993 tax liability and that, since that time, the amount of such liability had been specifically determined.

At the ensuing rehearing, the evidence established that the parties’ actual 1993 tax liability was considerably less than that estimated at trial. Despite that fact, the trial court granted the husband’s motion for rehearing and entered an order which directed “[t]he parties [to] share equally in the income taxes incurred by either party for 1993 and 1994 through the date of the final judgment of dissolution of marriage,” which was July 21, 1994. The foregoing determination was also made despite the existence of a hold harmless and indemnity agreement entered into between the parties in October 1994. Pursuant to that agreement, the wife signed a joint 1993 tax return to obtain a tax savings for the husband, in exchange for the husband’s promise to indemnify her for any liability related to the parties’ 1993 taxes. Thus, as to the trial court’s order on motion for rehearing, the wife filed a timely notice of appeal.

On appeal, the wife primarily contends the trial court erred in granting the husband’s motion for rehearing. We agree. The record shows that the husband failed to establish his entitlement to a rehearing by failing to demonstrate, among other things, that: (1) he was in possession of new evidence that could change the trial court’s original disposition; (2) that such evidence was discovered since the trial; and (3) that such evidence could not have been discovered before trial by the exercise of due diligence. See Braznell v. Braznell, 140 Fla. 192, 191 So. 457 (1939); Bray v. Electronic Door-Lift, Inc., 558 So. 2d 43 (Fla. 1st DCA 1989). The motion for rehearing in this instance was therefore improperly granted.

As to the merits of the trial court’s order, it bears mentioning that the record fails to support a determination that the wife should share equally in the parties’ 1993 tax liability. Our conclusion in that regard is based not only on the fact that the parties’ taxes turned out to be significantly less than what was expected at trial when it was determined that the husband should bear the sole 1993 tax burden, but on the existence of the parties’ hold harmless and indemnity agreement as well.

Based on the foregoing, we reinstate the trial court’s original determination, as set forth in the final judgment, that the husband shall bear the sole burden of the parties’ 1993 tax liability “and all other taxes attributed to assets of the husband.” As to the parties’ 1994 income tax liability, we construe the aforementioned, “all other taxes” language to mean that for the period of January I,1994 through July 20,1994, each party will pay taxes on the proportionate share of 1994 income from which he or she benefited. On the other hand, each party will be responsible for the payment of his or her own 1994 income tax liability incurred after July 21, 1994, the date of the final judgment of dissolution.

Accordingly, the instant cause is affirmed in part and reversed in part consistent with the issues addressed herein. Any remaining issues not specifically addressed are otherwise affirmed.

THREADGILL, C.J., and CAMPBELL, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Pierre-Louis v. Wilmard Pierre Louis, 715 So. 2d 1073 (Fla. 3d DCA 1998)
    …equity and justice dictates that the former husband be declared exclusively responsible for the 1996 IRS tax liability as well as the penalties and interests. See Hair v. Hair, 402 So. 2d 1201, 1203 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981); see also Stevens v. Stevens, 666 So. 2d 227, 229 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995); Lorman v. Lorman, 633 So. 2d 106, 108 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994). We therefore reverse that portion of the dissolution judgment requiring the former wife to share the 1996 base tax liability. As to the former wife’s remaining chall…
  • Katherine A. Singer N/ K/ a Katherine A. Eichler v. Singer, 44 Fla. L. Weekly D2889 (Fla. 2d DCA 2020)
    …h a motion "must be filed within a reasonable time"; however, when premised upon newly discovered evidence, the motion must be filed "no[] more than 1 year after the judgment . . . was entered." Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.540(b); see Stevens v. Stevens, 666 So. 2d 227, 228 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995) ("The record shows that the husband failed to establish his entitlement to a rehearing by failing to demonstrate, among other things, that: (1) he was in possession of new evidence that could change the trial court's original…

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