Case Name: CHILTON v. CHILTON
Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
Decision Date: 1952-11-18
Citations: 252 P.2d 121
Docket Number: No. 35246
Parties: CHILTON v. CHILTON.
Judges: WELCH, CORN, .DAVISON and O’NEAL, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Pacific Reporter 2d
Volume: 252
Pages: 121–123

Head Matter:
CHILTON v. CHILTON.
No. 35246.
Supreme Court of Oklahoma.
Nov. 18, 1952.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 10, 1953.
Hardy & Hardy, by Milton W. Hardy, Tulsa, for plaintiff in error.
■ Wm. N. Randolph, Harold' McArthur, Tulsa,' for defendant in error.

Opinion:
BINGAMAN, Justice.
On January 21, 1948, the district court of Tulsa County, granted a divorce to. Ira W. Chilton,' plaintiff, against Lundy Chilton, defendant, by reason of the fault of the defendant. The decree awarded the care and custody of the minor child of the parties to the defendant and directed the plaintiff to make monthly payments for the child's support. It awarded the dwelling house of the. parties to the defendant and directed the plaintiff to discharge the; mortgage indebtedness thereon in monthly in stallments as provided by the mortgage. It further directed the plaintiff to pay certain medical expenses owing by the defendant in the amount of $750, the same to be paid monthly. The total amount of the mortgage indebtedness on the home property was $2774.15. This judgment was unappealed from. On June 22nd, 1948, the defendant Lundy Chilton filed her application for modification of the judgment, in which she alleged that the plaintiff had wilfully defaulted in paying the mortgage installments on the home property and that by reason thereof foreclosure had been instituted by the mortgagee and it had been necessary, in ordi-r to save the property for her to refinance the same and incur additional indebtedness by reason thereof. She then asked that the decree be modified by consolidating all of the sums the plaintiff had been directed to pay into a single judgment for. alimony, and that, the plaintiff be directed to pay and discharge the same as. alimony in monthly installments. Notice of this application was personally served on the plaintiff.
The application to modify the decree came on for hearing on the 25th day of June, 1948, and was continued to the 13th day of July, 1948, at which time for good cause it was, continued until July 20th, 1948. On July 20th, 1948, the court entered a judgment modifying the decree of January 21, 1948. The various sums awarded plaintiff were decreed to be alimony. The sum representing the indebtedness on the dwelling house was increased to include the re-financing charges and expenses caused by reason of the defendant's default. Interest at the rate of six percent per annum was also added to such amounts. The alimony was directed to be paid in monthly installments beginning on the 1st day of August, 1948. This judgment of modification was unappealed from.
. The plaintiff was adjudged a bankrupt on September -22nd, 1948, and obtained a discharge in bankruptcy on November 12, 1948.
For reversal the plaintiff contends the order of - modification is void because beyond the judicial power of the court, because rendered after term, that the court had no power to award alimony to a wife against whom a decree of divorce was entered by reason of her fault, and for the further reason that the judgment is uncertain. It is also urged that the discharge in bankruptcy discharged the judgment and that the judgment has been paid.
Considering first the power of the court to render the judgment of modification the rule is well established in this jurisdiction that all judgments, however conclusive in their character, may be modified, vacated or set aside during the term. Philip Carey Co. v. Vickers, 38 Okl. 643, 134 P. 851, Nichols v. Bonaparte, 171 Okl. 234, 42 P.2d 866, Riddle v. Cornell, 192 Okl. 232, 135 P.2d 41. These same authorities also recognize the rule that a motion filed during the term invests the court with full power to act thereon at a subsequent term. The defendant's application for modification of the decree was filed within the term and the hearing continued until a day certain in the subsequent term. Clearly therefore the court had power and jurisdiction to render the judgment of modification.
In Flaxman v. Flaxman, 177 Okl. 28, 57 P.2d 819, we held that where a decree of divorce was granted by reason of the misconduct of the wife, that the court regardless of that fact had jurisdiction to award alimony to her sufficient to prevent the wife from becoming destitute. In that case as in the case at bar the alimony was partially to discharge mortgage indebtedness on the homestead of the wife. See also Herd v. Bilby, 199 Okl. 437, 186 P.2d 833, and Haynes v. Haynes, 190 Okl. 596, 126 P.2d 65.
The contention that the judgment as modified is uncertain as to amount is not well taken. The amounts of the judgment are specifically stated. The only contingency being that in the event the plaintiff fails to pay the persons who are entitled to receive the money and the defendant pays them she automatically becomes subrogated to pr entitled to receive the sums due.
Numerous authorities are cited on the proposition that the judgment- is discharged by the discharge in bankruptcy. It is conceded if the judgment is for ali mony it is not satisfied by the bankruptcy discharge. Having determined that the judgment of modification decreeing the same' to be alimony is valid, the cases cited are not in point and this position is not well taken.
As to the issue of the payment it appears the trial court did not pass upon this proposition. The trial court's judgment was limited to the finding that the judgmént modifying the decree to hold the sums due to be alimony was valid. Since such issue was not determined in the trial court we will not determine it here. Phelps v. Asplund, 184 Okl. 310, 87 P.2d 134. However, the trial court is directed, on motion of either party, to determine the issue as to payments and the exact amount, if any, still due. . ,
Affirmed.
WELCH, CORN, .DAVISON and O'NEAL, JJ., concur.