Case Name: Deborah A. WHITTINGTON, Appellant, v. Bobby Don WHITTINGTON, Appellee
Court: Texas Courts of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1993-04-22
Citations: 853 S.W.2d 193
Docket Number: No. 09-91-294 CV
Parties: Deborah A. WHITTINGTON, Appellant, v. Bobby Don WHITTINGTON, Appellee.
Judges: Before WALKER, C.J., and BROOKSHIRE and BURGESS, JJ.
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 853
Pages: 193–200

Head Matter:
Deborah A. WHITTINGTON, Appellant, v. Bobby Don WHITTINGTON, Appellee.
No. 09-91-294 CV.
Court of Appeals of Texas, Beaumont.
April 22, 1993.
Jeffery R. Shelton, Lee Johnson & Associates, Beaumont, for appellant.
C. Haden Cribbs, Jr., Beaumont, for ap-pellee.
Before WALKER, C.J., and BROOKSHIRE and BURGESS, JJ.

Opinion:
OPINION
BURGESS, Justice.
This is an appeal from an order denying appellant's Motion to Enforce Property Division. Appellant Deborah Whittington requested clarification and enforcement of that part of the original divorce decree which awarded her a note for $49,500 secured by a lien on property, as follows:
A note for $49,500.00, due and payable one year from September 21, 1988, at no interest for the first year, with 10% interest after date of maturity, and providing for interest and for acceleration of matu rity in event of default and for attorney's fees, secured by a lien on the property located and known as 695 Pinchback, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, being further identified as that property described in a certain Deed of Trust dated March 2,1982, from Bobby Don Whit-tington to J.O. Crooke, Trustee, of record in Volume 2063, Page 425, M & L Records, Jefferson County, Texas, being also that land described in a general warranty deed dated May 6, 1981, of record in Volume 2306, Page 1906, Deed Records, Jefferson County, Texas, to which reference is made for all purposes. The note for $49,500.00 to Petitioner and the lien securing the same are to be subordinate and inferior to the purchase money lien or any tax liens existing as of the 21st day of September, 1988.
The decree is silent as to who was to execute the note, but that would have been an appropriate matter for clarification under Tex.Fam.Codb Ann. § 3.72 (Vernon 1993). In any event, the parties, the trial court and we assume it was Bobby Don Whittington who was to execute the note and the deed of trust. The motion was heard before the trial court on August 27, 1991. On this same date Judge Britton E. Plunk sent out the following letter which sets forth the findings and conclusions of the trial court:
Based on the evidence produced at the trial of the Motion to Enforce Judgment heard on August 27, 1991, the Court rules as follows:
1. The Court specifically finds that the $49,500 note referenced to as Item # 1 on Exhibit A to the Final Decree of Divorce was to compensate the Peitioner (sic), Deborah Whittington, for her ½ interest in the equity accumulated on the commercial property where the business was located. I think this clearly was the intent of the parties since over $400,000 cash was divided by the parties at the time of the divorce. Since the property has now been foreclosed on by the Lender, any equity accumulated has been lost. The Court therefore finds that the Respondent does not owe the Petitioner $49,500.
2. The request for attorney fees is DENIED.
Sincerely,
/s/ Britt Plunk
Britt Plunk
District Judge
356th Judicial District
Hardin County, Texas
Deborah Whittington construed this as a judgment and filed a motion and an amended motion for reconsideration. On December 2, 1991, the trial judge signed an order denying appellant's Motion to Enforce Property Division. On that same date the trial court signed an order denying appellant's Motion to Reconsider and Motion for New Trial. Appellee has filed no brief in this appeal. The only response appellee Bobby Don Whittington has made in this appeal was the filing of two Motions for Extension of Time to File Brief.
Appellant brings three points of error. Point one contends that the trial court erred in failing to enforce the provision of the Divorce Decree awarding the promissory note to appellant. Point two says that the trial court erred by basing its decision to deny appellant's Motion to Enforce Property Division on parol evidence. Point three contends that there is no evidence, or insufficient evidence, to support the trial court's Order denying appellant's Motion to Enforce Property Division.
Deborah Whittington's motion to enforce requested the trial court order her ex-husband to (1) execute certain deeds; (2) sign the $49,500 promissory note; (3) to specify the time, place and manner of delivery of the deeds and promissory note; (4) in the alternative, enter a money judgment for damages if the delivery of the deeds and promissory note was no longer an adequate remedy; and (5) award reasonable attorney's fees. Bobby Don Whittington filed no pleading. While Mrs. Whittington sought several remedies, the initial thrust was to have her ex-husband execute the note required by the divorce decree. While Mrs. Whittington may have been dilatory in seeking this relief, no affirmative defenses., such as limitations or laches was pleaded by Mr. Whittington.
The trial court interpreted the intent of the parties at the time of the divorce decree when he found that "the purpose of the promissory note was to secure the Petitioner's equity in the property in question". This interpretation is outside the purview of the motion and a modification of the original decree. Furthermore, we take it to be the trial court's position to be that even if the note had been executed according to the terms of the divorce decree that when the note matured on September 21, 1989, Mrs. Whittington could not have sought and received a personal judgment against Mr. Whittington, but would have been required to foreclose the Deed of Trust. This is simply not the law. Where there is a debt secured by a note, in turn secured by a lien, the note and the lien constitute separate obligations so that suit may be had on the note to obtain a personal judgment, and later suit may be had on the lien if the personal judgment is not satisfied. Taylor v. Rigby, 574 S.W.2d 833 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1978, writ ref'd n.r.e.). That the security no longer existed would be no defense to the note. The existence of the collateral would be immaterial to a suit for judgment on the debt. Garza v. Allied Finance Co., 566 S.W.2d 57, 62 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1978, no writ).
Reiter v. Reiter, 788 S.W.2d 201 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1990, writ denied), is somewhat analogous. Mrs. Reiter had an executed note and a divorce decree which imposed an equitable lien on property. She sought an enforcement of the equitable lien by having Mr. Reiter execute a Deed of Trust. The cases are similar in that both required the execution of a note, however in our case Mrs. Whittington is seeking an enforcement of the note requirement, not seeking to have the judicially imposed lien converted to a deed of trust. The Reiter court held the trial court acted within its authority in requiring Mr. Reiter to execute the deed of trust since simply requiring a documentation of the equitable lien granted by the court in the original decree did not alter or change any substantive property rights of the parties. Reiter, 788 S.W.2d at 204. The same logic applies to the case before us. Having Mr. Whittington execute the note is only a present day documentation of the note evidenced in the decree.
In summary, there was nothing for the trial court to clarify other than perhaps who was to execute the note. The divorce decree was clear and unambiguous. Mrs. Whittington was to have a $49,500 note from Mr. Whittington. It was the trial court's duty to enforce that decree by requiring Mr. Whittington to execute that note and giving him a reasonable time for compliance. Point of error one is sustained. We decline to rule upon points of error two and three. The judgment of the trial court is reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
. Mr. Whittington agreed to do this, therefore it was not an issue before the trial court.
. See Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 3.70(c) (Vernon 1993).
. See Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 3.72(c) (Vernon 1993).