Opinion ID: 1695303
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the court erred in granting to Zena Smith any interest in the couple's joint savings account.

Text: Where the chancellor denies a divorce, he is without the authority to order a division of property. Gardner v. Gardner, 618 So.2d 108, 115 (Miss. 1993) (citing Thompson v. Thompson, 527 So.2d 617, 623 (Miss. 1988)). See also Miss. Code Ann. § 93-5-23 (Supp. 1993). As the chancellor denied Billy's complaint for divorce as well as Zena's counterclaim for separate maintenance, he was without the authority to order any division of the couple's property. Thompson v. Thompson, 527 So.2d 617, 623 (Miss. 1988). However, the chancellor was correct, regarding the joint savings account, that Billy had given Zena the authority to write checks or withdraw funds from the account by placing Zena's name on the account. The chancellor did not grant any interest in the joint account; to the contrary, the chancellor only held that Billy granted the withdrawal right to Zena by establishing the joint account. Zena had authority to write checks on the joint account created by her husband. Consequently, Zena was acting within her authority in withdrawing the $38,750.00 from the joint account. More importantly, the chancellor did not grant a divorce, thereby precluding any division of present marital property acquired since the parties' marriage. Therefore, his decree was proper. Accordingly, this Court affirms.