Opinion ID: 1908607
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: on motion for alimony pendente lite and attorney's fee.

Text: McGEHEE, C.J. The above mentioned motion for alimony pendente lite and an attorney's fee was filed by the appellant in this Court on October 30, 1956, but opposing counsel was served with a copy thereof on October 29, 1956. The appellant has submitted a brief in support of her motion to be allowed alimony pending this appeal and for attorney's fee in this Court. No reply brief has been filed by the appellee but the motion was argued orally before the Court by one of the attorneys for the appellant and by one of the attorneys for the appellee. It is thought that the case on its merits may not be reached on the docket for submission and decision prior to March or April of 1957. The cause was instituted by the appellant as a suit solely for separate maintenance in December 1955. The appellee appeared and filed an answer to the bill of complaint and a cross bill seeking a divorce.  On April 19, 1956, at a regular term of the chancery court in Jones County the trial court entered an order, after a hearing, granting unto the appellant the exclusive occupancy of the matrimonial domicile at Laurel during the pendency of the litigation, requiring the taxes and insurance to be maintained on the home property by the appellee, and also requiring that he pay all utility bills at the home, including lights, gas, water and telephone bills, with the exception of long distance calls, and requiring that the appellee pay the sum of $215.00 per month for one-half of the month of April, and the full months of May, June and July, 1956, together with a partial attorney's fee of $450.00. The cause was heard on its merits at the August 1956 term of the court, and a final decree was entered on September 15, 1956, granting the appellant separate maintenance in the sum of $250.00 per month instead of the $215.00 per month for the period hereinbefore mentioned which expired prior to the hearing on the merits. On the final hearing the cross bill of the appellee was dismissed, no evidence having been offered in support of the said cross bill. The final decree of September 15, 1956, likewise granted unto the appellant exclusive use and occupancy of the residence, including the house and the 15 acre home site, all estimated to be worth $35,000.00, also all of the furniture and household effects, the exclusive use of a Chevrolet automobile then in her possession, and required the appellee to maintain insurance and pay the taxes on the residence property, but did not require that he continue paying the utility bills at the home, including water, lights, gas and telephone. In that decree the appellee was required to pay unto the appellant a further sum of $550.00 as an attorney's fee in the chancery court, and that he pay the costs of the court.  The record made at the hearing of the case on its merits discloses that the appellee had assets at least of the value of $130,000.00, but the proof clearly discloses that the appellee had undervalued some of his assets, for instance two items which he claimed to be of the value of $300.00 each, he frankly stated on cross examination that would not be willing to take $600.00 or even $1,500.00 for either of the two items of property; that he did not want to sell them. At any rate, it is fair to assume that his estate was worth between $130,000.00 and $150,000.00, practically all of which he had inherited from his mother and with the remainder given to him by his father. Both the appellant and the appellee testified that he had never been gainfully employed but that they had always lived off of his capital and the income therefrom. The proof showed that he left home and did not provide his wife with funds for her support and maintenance, except by meeting the requirements of the decree of April 19, 1956. The proof further discloses that the appellant and appellee had expended prior to their separation approximately $800.00 or $900.00 per month to maintain their then standard of living, but he testified that it had been as low as $600.00 per month during the time they were living together. She itemized the sums that would be required to properly maintain her in keeping the maid that had been theretofore employed by them, and in keeping up the house and defraying her other living expenses, and she testified this amount would exceed $400.00 per month. The appellant is now nearly 58 years of age, and prior to her marriage to the appellee about ten years ago she had sold oil and gas leases but that she does not now have employment or income from any source, except an  income of about $100.00 per month from certain mineral rights acquired by her. Feeling aggrieved at the allowance to her of $250.00 per month for separate maintenance under the final decree she perfected an appeal to this court to get a review of the record as to the adequacy of this allowance. Her appeal was taken with supersedeas and the appellee has not paid her anything since July 1, 1956. Upon perfecting her appeal she applied to the trial court to allow her alimony pendente lite and an attorney's fee with which to prosecute her appeal. The trial court denied this application on the ground that the appeal conferred upon the Supreme Court the exclusive jurisdiction for the allowance of support money pending the appeal and for an attorney's fee therefor. The final decree dissolved an injunction theretofore issued which prevented the appellee from going into his lockbox at the bank or further disposing of his assets pending the outcome of this appeal, but the court required that the defendant should place in the registry of this court 100 shares of the common stock of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company as security for the payment of all sums herein ordered to be paid, but reserving to the defendant (the appellee here) the right to receive any dividends paid thereon. We assume that the reason for the appellant having taken this appeal with supersedeas was to avoid any prejudice to her rights to have the decree of September 15, 1956, modified by this Court so as to increase the allowance of $250.00 per month for her separate maintenance. (Hn 7) At any rate, we are of the opinion that this Court has the inherent power to order that the appellee shall meet the payments which are now in arrears and to continue to pay the $250.00 per month until the final disposition of the cause in this court, but with the right  to have the sum so paid applied as a credit on such sums as this Court may determine her to be entitled to on the hearing of this cause on its merits. At that time this Court would have the right to render such decree as it may find that the trial court should have rendered as of September 15, 1956, and relate the judgment here back to that date. In the event this Court should determine that the decree of September 15, 1956, should be affirmed, then the appellee would be entitled to credit for such sums as he is ordered to pay in the judgment on this motion in full or partial satisfaction, as the case may be, of the $250.00 per month award made by the trial court for the separate maintenance of the appellant. But in the event this Court should hold when it decides this cause on its merits that the trial court should have allowed more than $250.00 per month, and should fix a larger sum for her support and maintenance, the increased allowance would relate back to the renditon of the decree of September 15, 1956, and the defendant would be required to pay the difference between the amount that he may have paid under the judgment to be entered on this motion and the amounts to which the monthly payments may be then increased. We are of the further opinion that the matter of the allowance of an attorney's fee to the appellant on this appeal should be continued to and determined along with the determination of the appeal on its merits. A judgment will be entered accordingly. Motion sustained in part and continued in part. Hall, Lee, Kyle and Holmes, JJ., concur.