F ILED

A p r i l 15, 1999

C eci l C r o w son, Jr .

Appel l a t e Cour t

C l e r k

 I N TH E CO U R T O F APP EALS OF TENN E S S E E

AT K N O X V I LLE

P A T R I C I A ANNE P E H L M AN, ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9809- C V - 00311

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A ppel l ant , ) KNOX CI R C U I T

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v . ) HON. BI L L S W ANN,

) J UDGE

GRE GORY L A W R E NCE P E H L M AN, )

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A p p e l l ee, )

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and )

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S O B I ESK I , M ESSE R & A SSO C I A T E S , ) A FFI R M E D

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I n t e r venor . ) RE M ANDE D

R O B E R T L . C R O S S L E Y , T H E C R O S S L E Y L A W FI R M , P. C . , K noxvi l l e , f o r

A ppel l ant .

DANI E L L . T AYL OR, M e m p h i s , f o r Ap p e l l e e .

W A N D A G . SO B I E S K I , SO B I E S K I , M E S S E R & A S S O C I A T E S , K noxvi l l e , f o r

I n t e r venor .

O P I N I O N

F r anks , J .

I n t h i s act i o n P a t r i c i a A n n e P ehl m an essent i a l l y seeks a decl a r a t i o n t hat

m a r i t a l pr oper t y a w a r ded t o her i n a di vor c e i s not s ubj e c t t o a l i en i n f avor of t h e

i n t e r venor .

T he i n t e r ven or i n i t i a l l y r epres ent ed G r ego r y P ehl m an i n t he P ehl m ans’

d i vor c e s u i t . D u r i ng pende ncy of t he a c t i on i n t e r venor w i t hdr e w f r o m r epr e s ent i n g
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G r ego r y and G r ego r y and i n t e r ven or agr eed o n t he am o u n t of at t orney’ s f ees t hen du e

i n t e r venor , as r e f l e c t ed i n a N o t e s i gned by G r egor y . I n t e r venor f i l ed a l i en lis

pende n s on t he p r o p e r t y i n t he R egi s t e r of D eeds O f f i ce and no t i ce of l i en i n t h e

d i v o r ce act i o n . S u b sequen t l y , t he P ehl m ans w e r e di v o r ced an d t he D i v o r ce D ecr e e

r e c i t e s t hat “[ t ] he pa r t i e s announc ed a s e t t l e m ent of t he i s s ues i n t h i s di vor c e

l i t i gat i on, and upon s a i d announ c e m ent t he C our t appr oved t hei r i ncor por a t i on i n t o a

f i nal dec r e e of abs o l u t e di vor c e ” , and a s t o t he m a r i t a l pr oper t y , t he D e c r e e pr ovi ded:

A s a di v i s i on of m a r i t a l pr oper t y pur s uant t o T . C . A . §36- 4 - 121 w i f e

shal l r ecei ve t he res i den ce of t he p a r t i es l ocat ed at 19 4 7 G r enad e

B oul eva r d , K noxvi l l e , T enne s s e e 37922. H u s band s hal l exe cut e a qui t

c l a i m deed t r ansf e r r i n g hi s i n t e r est i n sai d res i den ce t o t he w i f e , and sai d

exe cut ed qui t cl a i m dee d s hal l be he l d by hus band’ s at t o r ney , i n es c r o w ,

unt i l t h i s dec r e e of di vor c e bec o m e s f i nal . H u s band s hal l be s o l e l y

r e s pons i b l e f o r i m m edi a t e l y r e s o l v i ng hi s di s put e w i t h W anda Sobi e s k i ,

so t hat her at t orney l i en i s r e m o v ed fr o m t he res i den ce.

S u b sequen t l y , P a t r i c i a f i l ed a M o t i o n t o Q uash Int e r ven or’ s L i en, and N o t i ce, w h i c h

had been f i l ed pur sua n t t o T . C . A . §23-2- 102, f o r l egal s e r v i ces r ender ed G r egor y i n

t he di vor c e ac t i on. Subse quent l y , t he Tr i a l C our t det e r m i ned:

T he set t l e m ent t hat r esul t ed i n a fi nal decree of absol u t e di v o r c e

vest ed t he p a r t i es m a r i t a l r esi den ce i n t he p l a i n t i f f / cou n t e r - defendan t . 

P l a i n t i f f / count e r - def enda n t t ook s uch pr oper t y w i t h f u l l

know l edge of t he r e c o r ded l i en a nd s ubj e c t t o s a i d l i en, and t hat t he l i e n

s u r v i ved t he di vor c e dec r e e . 

Pat r i c i a a ppea l ed t hat or der t o t h i s C our t and w e r e m ande d , upon

det e r m i n i ng t hat t he j udgm ent or der ed t he hus band t o r e s o l ve hi s di s put e w i t h hi s

f orm e r at t orney, and w e no t ed “t he j u d g m ent provi des, t o res o l ve h i s di sput e w i t h

i n t e r ven or, no t on l y as t o t he am o u n t of t he fee, bu t as t o t he v a l i d i t y of t he l i en”. 

U pon r e m and a nd ar gum ent of couns e l and r e c e i p t of evi denc e t he Tr i a l C our t r u l ed:

T h i s C our t conf i r m s t hat i t s i n t ent w i t h r e s pec t t o l angua ge “ r e s o l ved hi s

d i sput e” and t h i s C o u r t ’ s or der of A u g ust 14 , 19 9 6 , w as s i m p l y t hat M r .

Pehl m an pa y hi s couns e l . T her e i s no di s put e a s t o t he l i en, t h e

propri e t y of t he l i en, t he fees cl a i m ed, or any ot her m a t t e r bet w een M r .

Pehl m an a nd t he i n t e r venor .
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T he C our t t hen r e a f f i r m ed i t s f o r m e r hol d i ng “i n al l r e s pec t s ” .

P a tric i a h a s a g a i n a p p e a l e d to th i s C o u rt in s i s tin g th e lie n is in v a lid

becau se t he h usban d d i d n o t “r ecov e r ” t he m a r i t a l r esi den ce, and t he st a t u t ory l i e n

f a i l ed b ecause i t w as not decl a r ed i n t he fi nal decree.

N o t i ce of t he st a t u t ory l i en w as f i l ed i n t he d i v o r ce act i o n , and t h e

d i s p o s itio n o f th e m a rita l e s t a t e w a s a t is s u e in th a t a c tio n . G r e g o r y v o l u n t a rily

deed ed h i s i n t e r est t o P a t r i c i a as a par t of t he d i v o r ce set t l e m ent , and she accept ed as

t he Tr i a l J udge f ound “w i t h f u l l know l edge of t he r e c o r ded l i en, and s ubj e c t t o s a i d

lie n ” . T h e o p e r a tio n a l e f f e c t o f th i s lie n is n o t u n lik e th e c irc u m s t a n c e s in Thi r d

N a t i onal B ank i n N a s hvi l l e v . N obl e r , 789 S. W . 2d 254 ( T enn. 1990) . I n N obl e r ,

d u r i n g t he p end ency o f an act i o n f or di v o r ce bet w een t he N o b l e r s , a cr edi t or of t h e

hus band l evi ed on s o m e r e a l pr oper t y w h i ch t he N obl e r s ow ned a s t ena n t s by t h e

ent i r e t y . T he T r i a l Judg e order ed t he p r o p e r t y sol d i n t he d i v o r ce act i o n , and t h e

Supr e m e C our t ul t i m a t e l y he l d t hat t he r i ght of s u r v i vor s h i p pr evi ous l y c onvey ed or

a t t a c hed by a j udgm ent cr edi t o r w a s not des t r oye d by t he di s s o l u t i on of t he t ena ncy by

t he e n t i r e t i e s , and c oncl uded t hat t he j udgm ent cr edi t o r w a s ent i t l ed t o t h e

sur v i v o r shi p i n t e r est i n t he p r o p e r t y t o t he ex t ent of t he credi t or’ s i n t e r est .

I t i s general l y hel d t hat t he t r ansf e r of pr o p e r t y subsequ ent t o t h e

a t t achm ent of a l i en d oes no t af f ect t he l i en. See M i chi gan v. U n i t ed St a t e s , 31 7 U . S .

338, 340 63 S. C t . 302, 303, 87 L . E d . 312. A s pous e m a y conve y he r r i ght of

s u r v i vor s h i p w i t hout cons ent of t he ot her . See R obi n s on v. Trous dal e C ount y , 516

S . W . 2d 626 ( 1974) . A c c o r d i ngl y , a l i en m a y at t a c h t o a s pous e ’ s r i ght of

s u r v i vor s h i p , w i t hout t he c ons ent of t he ot her s pous e .

W e t her e f o r e c oncl ude t hat t he i n t e r venor ’ s l i en a t t a c hed t o t h e

G r ego r y ’ s r i g h t of s urvi v o r shi p , and sur v i ved t he t r ansf e r of t i t l e t o P a t r i c i a .

W e a f f i r m t he j udgm ent of t he Tr i a l C our t and r e m and w i t h t he c o s t of
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app eal ass ess ed t o t he ap pel l ant .

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H e r s che l P. Fr anks , J .

CONC UR:

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H o u s t o n M . G o d d a r d , P. J .

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W illi a m H . In m a n , S r.J .