BEATRICE S. ORLOWITZ, APPELLANT,
v.
ELLIS K. ORLOWITZ, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1966-06-14
Nos. 65-524, 65-533
Before PEARSON, CARROLL and BARKDULL, JJ.
187 So. 2d 670 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1966) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

In this divorce appeal, the wife challenges the trial court's award of $10,000 lump sum alimony, attorney's fees, and other provisions in a decree granting the husband a divorce on grounds of extreme cruelty. The appellate court largely affirms but modifies the decree to reserve jurisdiction for reconsideration of alimony if the wife's Pennsylvania judgment for past-due alimony becomes unenforceable.


Holding

The court affirmed the divorce decree and most of the trial court's orders as within its discretion, finding sufficient evidence for the findings on residence and grounds. However, the court modified the decree to reserve jurisdiction for the trial court to reconsider the alimony amount if the Pennsylvania judgment for arrears is ultimately held invalid or unenforceable.


Key Quotes

“We agree with the position of the appellant that in the event her Pennsylvania judgment is held invalid or unenforceable against the husband, the amount of alimony to be allowed the wife in this suit would be affected thereby, and jurisdiction should be reserved by the chancellor for further consideration thereof, pending determination of that action.”

Establishes the court's core holding that the trial court must reserve jurisdiction to reconsider alimony if the Pennsylvania judgment becomes unenforceable.

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Facts & Procedural History

The parties were in their third marriage to each other and lived together for only 131 days total during the marriage. The husband previously gave the…

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Opinion of the Court
CARROLL, Judge.

CARROLL, Judge.

This is an appeal from a final decree of divorce and an order amending the decree, taken by the wife Beatrice S. Orlowitz who was the defendant below. The decree as amended granted the husband a divorce on grounds of habitual indulgence in violent and ungovernable temper and extreme cruelty, denied the wife’s counterclaim for separate maintenance, allowed the wife lump sum alimony in the amount of $10,000,. attorney’s fees of $3,000 and certain suit money.

Appellant presents eight points on appeal. With the exception of appellant’s-contention of inadequacy of the alimony allowance, our consideration of the separate contentions on appeal leads to the conclusion that they are without merit. The matter of allowance of the attorney’s fees-was one within the court’s discretion as to amount, and no abuse of discretion was shown. We see no merit in the appellant’s-contention that the court committed error in requiring appellant to submit her evidence as to attorney’s fees by affidavits rather than by testimony of witnesses. On the factual issues as to whether the husband, met residence requirements to entitle him to maintain a suit for divorce and as to-his alleged grounds of divorce, the evidence was not without conflict but there was sufficient competent evidence relating' to those issues to support the findings of the chancellor thereon. We find no abuse-*672of discretion in the allowance of suit money to the defendant.

The marriage of these parties was the third for each. The period or periods they lived together during the marriage aggregated 131 days. On a reconciliation following one separation the husband gave the wife $15,000. The extent of worth of the husband was not shown. In her answer the wife averred he was a multimillionaire. In resisting discovery as to his assets, the husband represented to the court in this suit that he was “ready, willing and able to answer any reasonable order for costs, fees or other allowances.” See Jacobs v. Jacobs, Fla.1951, 50 So.2d 169.

The wife filed a suit against the husband in Pennsylvania for separate maintenance, and obtained a decree for alimony. Later the court in Pennsylvania awarded her a judgment for some $27,000 for unpaid alimony which had accrued. It was argued here on behalf of the appellant that in the event her separate action brought in Dade County on that judgment-should be defeated on the basis of the husband’s defense of want of service, the award of $10,000 lump sum alimony to her would be inadequate since as shown in the final decree, in determining the needs of the wife, the chancellor took into consideration the fact that she held said judgment against the husband and was proceeding for its collection.

We agree with the position of the appellant that in the event her Pennsylvania judgment is held invalid or unenforceable against the husband, the amount of alimony to be allowed the wife in this suit would be affected thereby, and jurisdiction should be reserved by the chancellor for further consideration thereof, pending determination of that action.

Accordingly, the final decree is hereby modified to include a provision that jurisdiction of the circuit court is retained for "the purpose of entering such other or further decree as to the amount of lump sum alimony as may be appropriate and equitable in the event the wife’s Pennsylvania judgment for arrears under the separate maintenance decree of that state is finally held to be invalid, or unenforceable on suit by her in this state. Except as thus modified, the decree and the order amending the decree which are appealed from are affirmed.

Modified and affirmed.

PEARSON, Judge

(concurring in part and dissenting in part).

I would also reverse the allowance of lump-sum alimony and remand for the allowance of alimony in a proper amount. I do not think that this record reveals a proper case for lump-sum alimony. See Yandell v. Yandell, Fla.1949, 39 So.2d 554. The need of the appellant wife is clearly demonstrated. The ability of the appellee is confessed to be adequate for any need.

Other
PEARSON, Judge

PEARSON, Judge

(concurring in part and dissenting in part).

I would also reverse the allowance of lump-sum alimony and remand for the allowance of alimony in a proper amount. I do not think that this record reveals a proper case for lump-sum alimony. See Yandell v. Yandell, Fla.1949, 39 So. 2d 554. The need of the appellant wife is clearly demonstrated. The ability of the appellee is confessed to be adequate for any need.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Orlowitz v. Ellis K. Orlowitz, 199 So. 2d 97 (Fla. 1967)
    …District, affirming a final decree granting the respondent husband a divorce, denying petitioner wife’s counterclaim for separate maintenance, and allowing the wife lump sum alimony in the amount of. $10,000, attorney’s fees, and certain suit money. 187 So. 2d 670. The single question presented is whether the chancellor erred when he entered an order prohibiting the defendant wife “from inquiring of the plaintiff as to any matters relating to his financial worth, income, capital assets, income tax returns or…
  • Orlowitz v. Ellis K. Orlowitz, 201 So. 2d 97 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967)
    …PER CURIAM. Whereas, the judgment of this court was entered on June 14, 1966 (187 So. 2d 670) affirming as modified the final decree and order amending the final decree of the Circuit Court for Dade County, Florida, in the above styled cause; and Whereas, on review of this court’s judgment, by certiorari, the Supreme Court of Florida by it…

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