Opinion ID: 1668319
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Did appellee condone the alleged habitual cruel and inhuman treatment?

Text: Habitual cruel and inhuman treatment is an offense of a continuing nature and is not condoned by the mere continuance of cohabitation. Manning v. Manning, 160 Miss. 318, 133 So. 673 (1931). But condonation of cruelty has been found where the parties separated and then resumed their marital relationship. Thames v. Thames, 233 Miss. 24, 29, 100 So.2d 868, 870 (1958); Stribling v. Stribling, 215 So.2d 869, 870 (Miss. 1968). The record shows the parties separated in December, 1980, but resumed cohabitation in late July, 1981. According to Thames and Stribling, appellee condoned all pre-resumption offenses. The parties again separated, however, after Mr. Chaffin learned that his wife had again committed one of the acts of cruelty charged to her: that she had left the marital residence and spent a good deal of time with another man. We are of the opinion that this postcondonation offense revived the previous offenses for consideration by the court. Smith v. Smith, 205 Miss. 794, 40 So.2d 156, 157 (1949). Therefore, the chancellor did not err in finding that appellee had not condoned the habitual cruel and inhuman treatment.