Title: Griffith v. Griffith

State: colorado

Issuer: Colorado Supreme Court

Document:

381 P.2d 455 (1963) Joy Sylvester GRIFFITH, Plaintiff in Error, v. Allen GRIFFITH, Defendant in Error. No. 20520. Supreme Court of Colorado. En Banc. May 13, 1963. Jack W. Foutch, Colorado Springs, for plaintiff in error. No appearance for defendant in error. MOORE, Justice. We will refer to plaintiff in error as Joy or plaintiff, and to defendant in error as Allen or defendant. In 1951 Joy commenced an action for divorce in the district court of Huerfano county. Allen responded by answer and cross-complaint. Upon trial of the issues to a jury Allen was found not guilty of the acts of cruelty charged against him, and Joy was found guilty of cruelty as charged by Allen. A divorce decree was awarded to him. The trial court entered judgment directing the payment by Allen of $2,500.00 in settlement of property rights between the parties, and ordered him to pay $75.00 per month into the registry of the court for the support and maintenance of Karen Dee Griffith the minor child of the parties whose custody had been awarded to Joy. The court further ordered Allen to pay attorneys fees and It is admitted that Allen complied with all orders except that which directed the payment of $75.00 per month into the registry of the court for the support of the child, and with which he failed to comply after January 23, 1953. It is further admitted that in 1953 medical expenses for surgery amounted to about $1,400.00. Joy remarried shortly after the final decree of divorce. Allen was not able to enjoy visitations with his daughter for many reasons, including the fact that Joy and her husband at various times lived in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Wyoming, during which times he was not informed of his daughter's whereabouts. It was also shown to the satisfaction of the trial court at the hearing hereinafter referred to, that the new husband had told him: "Stay away, we don't want you or your money, stay out of here." It is not disputed that in 1955 Allen filed an affidavit in the divorce action in which he set forth his drastically changed financial circumstances, clearly indicating an inability to comply with the court orders during the years 1952 through 1955. This affidavit was filed at a time when he had no information concerning the whereabouts of Joy and his daughter and was filed "upon advice of an attorney." August 11, 1961, Joy sought the entry of a judgment against Allen for the amount of all unpaid monthly support payments which she asserted amounted to $7,845.00. This application for judgment was made ex parte and the trial court entered judgment for $5,400.00 instead of the amount claimed by Joy in her motion for judgment. It was provided, however, that execution on the judgment be stayed for thirty days within which time Allen might move to vacate the same and to assert any defenses available to him. September 5, 1961, counsel for Allen filed his motion to vacate the judgment in which he alleged, among other things that Joy was estopped from obtaining judgment by her conduct, and that equity and good conscience required that the judgment be set aside. An extended hearing was held by the trial court on Allen's motion. Allen, Joy, and her mother, gave their testimony. In the course of the hearing and at the conclusion of the evidence there was considerable discussion between the court and counsel for Joy, from which we quote the following: What order do you recommend the court make now, specifically? I want your recommendation. "THE COURT: I am familiar with all of those, [cases cited] but counsellor, *457 if that be correct, you would be entitled to all of this intervening The trial court then vacated the judgment entered August 11, 1961, and in lieu thereof entered judgment in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of One Thousand and 00/100 Dollars. This amount was to have been paid into the registry fund of the district court within ninety days from August 27, 1962. The court further ordered the defendant to resume the support payments of Seventy-five and 00/100 Dollars per month starting September 10, 1962. In justification of this modification of the original judgment the trial court made lengthy findings of fact, all of which are supported by the evidence and reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. From these findings we quote the following: It is argued as grounds for reversal that the trial court erred in entering a judgment, the effect of which was to cancel past due payments under an existing order of court for payment of support money. In support of this argument counsel for Joy cites cases including Engleman v. Engleman, 145 Colo. 299, 358 P.2d 864, in which the general rule, that an order reducing the amount of support money operates only in futuro, was held to be applicable. The record before us in the instant case presents an entirely different situation than that shown in any of the cases upon which plaintiff relies. In the trial court the position of plaintiff was made clear. In effect it was admitted that the judgment should be modified downward, that "equity" and good conscience required that relief be granted to Allen, and that the trial court should weigh the "equities" and make a reduction which would be *459 fair to each of the parties. The trial court was told by counsel for Joy that the sum of $2500.00 would protect the rights of each of the parties. The trial court adjudged that a lesser sum would accomplish the objective which plaintiff's counsel admitted was before the court for consideration. So far as the record here shows, the child was adequately maintained during the years her whereabouts were concealed from the defendant, and it appears that she wanted nothing necessary to her health, comfort and welfare. By her affirmative acts plaintiff voluntarily assumed responsibility for the child's support during those years, and under the state of the record before us she is not in a position to now claim reimbursement. Plaintiff's attorney, after consultation with her and in her presence in open court, disclaimed any interest in upholding the $5400.00 judgment and recommended that it be set aside, and that a lesser sum be substituted in order to do justice to each of the parties. Under these circumstances the plaintiff cannot now change her position because the amount of the reduction is not to her liking. The judgment is affirmed.