Opinion ID: 1961817
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Under the Act of 1927, may a party counterclaim for personal property held by the opposing party?

Text: Mrs. Weidenbaugh argues that she should be permitted to counterclaim for personal property retained by the plaintiff. In her counterclaim appellant contends that appellee converted personal property owned solely by her. (Answer to Complaint, § 18) The Supreme Court in Shoup v. Shoup, 469 Pa. 165, 171, 364 A.2d 1319 (1976) held: Although actions in partition are brought in equity, actions for sale and division of proceeds under the Act of 1927, supra, may not be avoided by such equitable defenses as unclean hands or by restitutory claims arising in connection with the parties' joint ownership of the property. See Lykiardopoulos v. Lykiardopoulos, supra; Hunsberger v. Bender, 407 Pa. 185, 180 A.2d 4 (1962). We believe Shoup, and the cases on which it relies (in particular see, Lykiardopoulos, supra) are controlling here. The Act of 1927 clearly refers to the partition of property held prior to divorce as tenants by the entireties; it is not applicable to individually owned property. Therefore the lower court correctly denied appellant's attempt to raise restitutory claims resulting from individually owned property in a partition action under the Act. See also Olivieri v. Olivieri, 242 Pa.Superior Ct. 457, 364 A.2d 361 (1976).