Opinion ID: 1136028
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the Chancellor erred in crediting voluntary payments made by John Weathersby towards the amount he owed in exchange for Sally Weathersby's interest in the home.

Text: The Chancellor found that since the divorce, John made various voluntary payments to Sally which included: a $17,276 payment in 1990 as a down payment for a condominium purchased by Sally in Memphis, Tennessee; excess payments of $4,739 in 1990, $5,160 in 1991, and seven payments of $1,500 in 1992; other payments of $4,357 in 1993 and $2,358 for Sally's car payments, utilities, taxes, and bank overdrafts; and other car payments for Sally's car totaling $6,547. The total excess payments amounted to $50,937, which was more than the $49,500 which the court found John owed Sally for her interest in the marital home. The Chancellor credited these payments towards the $49,500 owed, and found that John had paid in full what he owed in exchange for Sally's interest in the home. Sally argues these payments should not have been credited towards the amount which John owed her in exchange for her interest in the marital home. John testified there was an understanding between the two that the payments were to be credited towards his debt for Sally's interest in the home. Sally testified there was no such understanding, but rather he told me, he said, `I'll take care of you, don't worry about it. I'll provide for you.' Both John and Sally testified these payments were made because the couple's children asked John to continue to provide support for Sally after her alimony was terminated. Apparently none of the payments were marked or designated as payments towards John's debt on Sally's interest in the home. These facts are very similar to those presented in McHann v. McHann, 383 So.2d 823 (Miss. 1980), wherein Ms. McHann filed a petition to cite her ex-husband for contempt for failure to pay alimony. Mr. McHann testified he had paid his ex-wife, as an advance on alimony, a sum in excess of $4,700 consisting of such things as house payments, utility bills, automobile insurance and taxes. McHann, 383 So.2d at 825. He argued that he had overpaid the amount due his ex-wife in excess of $1,900 as of the time she filed her petition for contempt. Id. Ms. McHann denied the payments were made as an advance on alimony and contended they were made voluntarily. Id. The chancellor held that Mr. McHann was entitled to credit for the payments and that he had paid an amount in excess of that required to be paid in the divorce decree. Id. This Court affirmed, stating: The chancellor made his finding based on conflicting testimony, and under the well established rule that we do not reverse a chancellor for finding of fact unless his findings are clearly against the weight of the evidence, we affirm and hold that the petition for citation for contempt was properly dismissed. McHann, 383 So.2d at 825. Likewise, the chancellor below made his determination based on conflicting testimony. Under our standard of review in this situation, we are inclined to defer to the discretion of the chancellor. Accordingly, we hold the chancellor did not err in crediting the payments made by John Weathersby towards the amount he owed his ex-wife for her interest in the marital home.