Title: Giambrocco v. Giambrocco
Citation: 423 P.2d 328
Docket Number: 21126
State: Colorado
Issuer: Colorado Supreme Court
Date: February 6, 1967

423 P.2d 328 (1967) Genevieve Josephine GIAMBROCCO, Plaintiff in Error, v. Joseph GIAMBROCCO, Defendant in Error. No. 21126. Supreme Court of Colorado, In Department. February 6, 1967. *329 Pehr &amp; Newman, Westminister, for plaintiff in error. Victoria F. Gross, Denver, for defendant in error. HODGES, Justice. The parties appear here as they did in the trial court and therefore the plaintiff in error, Genevieve Josephine Giambrocco, will hereinafter be referred to as the plaintiff and the defendant in error, Joseph Giambrocco, will hereinafter be referred to as the defendant. In 1961 the plaintiff filed her action for divorce against the defendant, and the defendant filed an answer and cross-claim. Additional pleadings were filed and hearings had, all of which culminated in a decree of divorce entered on June 17, 1963, wherein the trial court granted the divorce to both the plaintiff and the defendant. Thereafter, on August 28, 1966, the trial court held a hearing relating to the custody of the children, support for the children, alimony, and a division of property. In the trial court's order, provision was made for the custody of the children, their support, and $400 a month alimony to the plaintiff. Additionally, the trial court, with respect to the family home, valued at $28,500, ordered and directed that the plaintiff convey her interest in this property to the First National Bank of Denver as trustee. That portion of the "Judgment and Decree" is quoted, as follows: *330 The trial court also decreed that, in the event the defendant shall die within one year next following this decree, then in lieu of the alimony which the plaintiff would be otherwise entitled to receive, the plaintiff shall have a claim against the estate of the defendant which shall be in the nature of, and allowed as, a fourth class claim in the sum of $14,000. Further, the trial court ordered that, in the event the death of the defendant should take place after the one-year period, while the plaintiff was entitled to receive alimony, the amount of such claim should decline by the sum of $1,000 each succeeding anniversary date after the effective date of the trial court's decree. The plaintiff herein seeks reversal, and contends that the trial court exceeded its jurisdiction and abused its discretion in entering the judgment and decree on August 28, 1963, requiring the plaintiff to convey, without consideration, certain real property to the First National Bank of Denver, Denver, Colorado, as trustee for the three minor children of the parties; also that the court erred as a matter of law and abused its discretion and exceeded its jurisdiction by providing that the alimony awarded to the wife, in the event of the death of the defendant, should be the sum of $14,000 and should constitute a fourth class claim against the estate of the defendant and should decline by the sum of $1,000 per year after August 28, 1963. The jurisdiction of the trial court with reference to the matter of division of property in a divorce action is set forth in C.R.S. 1963, 46-1-5(2), as follows: C.R.S. '53, 46-1-5, with respect to the subject matter herein treated, is substantially similar. It is obvious from the trial court's order that the ultimate beneficiaries of the trust which the court ordered should be the children of the parties. The statute, however, authorizes the trial court only to make an equitable and just division of the property between the parties involved in the divorce proceedings as that property is shown to exist at the time of the order. The trial court, however, does not have authority to award such property or any part thereof to the children of the parties or other persons. Under the authority of C.R.S. 1963, 46-1-5(2), the trial court is clearly limited in adjusting and dividing the assets of the husband and wife as between them alone. This is well established in Colorado. In Menor v. Menor, 154 Colo. 475, 391 P.2d 473, this court stated: Pertinent language on this subject is found in Elmer v. Elmer, 132 Colo. 57, 285 P.2d 601, as follows: Accordingly, we hold that the trial court's order with reference to the creation of a trust, requiring the plaintiff to convey her half-interest in the residential property belonging to both the parties for the benefit of their children, is beyond the jurisdiction of the trial court, and clearly invalid. The plaintiff's other meritorious ground for reversal is that the trial court erred in ordering that a lump sum award in lieu of alimony shall be allowed as a claim of the fourth class against the estate of the defendant in the event of his death within a certain period of time. This attempt by the trial court to classify a claim which the plaintiff may have against a future decedent's estate is clearly invalid. C.R.S. 1963, 153-12-2(1)(e) relating to claims against the estate of any deceased person is as follows: The plaintiff being now divorced from the defendant cannot at a future date qualify as a widow or wife entitling her to make a claim of the fourth class. The classification of such claims is peculiarly and exclusively within the jurisdiction of the court having probate jurisdiction at some future time. Whitlock v. Alliance Coal Co., 73 Colo. 205, 214 P. 546. The various provisions made by the trial court in its "Judgment and Decree" were undoubtedly interrelated, and therefore it is set aside in full except for the provision pertaining to child support, which shall remain in full force and effect pending a hearing by the trial court. The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded with directions to conduct a further hearing promptly and in accordance with the views herein expressed. MOORE, C.J., and SUTTON and DAY, JJ., concur.