Opinion ID: 1863568
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Fraud in a Divorce Settlement

Text: Count XIV of the complaint alleges that Georgia and Waddell fraudulently misrepresented to James Smith that the September 12, 1991, will was Virginia's true and lawful will. Count XV alleges that Georgia, Waddell, and Helms conspired with John Doe 12 through John Doe 14 to do the same. Smith alleged in both counts that the misrepresentations induced him to agree to a $113,000 divorce settlement with Georgia on October 7, 1991. Smith contends that the September 12 will is invalid and that Virginia's true will is a prior will that is now lost. He argues that in that earlier will he was named as the executor and as a beneficiary, and he contends that because, he says, he was falsely led to believe that the September 12 will was Virginia's true will, he gave up his right to receive any money from Virginia's estate and accepted a settlement in his divorce action with Georgia rather than litigate the divorce. Smith alleged that he suffered emotional distress upon learning that he would not inherit from Virginia's September 12 will and that because of that emotional distress he agreed to certain provisions in the divorce settlement that he otherwise would not have agreed to. Smith requested several kinds of relief from the circuit court, including the following: an order withdrawing the September 12, 1991, will from probate and declaring that it was not Virginia's last true will; an order declaring that Virginia's prior will was her true last will; an order nullifying certain provisions in the divorce judgment based on the agreement between him and Georgia; and compensatory and punitive damages. In response, the defendants argue that Smith's fraud counts are an improper attempt to collaterally attack a final judgment of divorce rendered by the Houston Circuit Court. They also argue that the counts constitute an improper will contest, that Smith has no standing to contest the September 12, 1991, will, and that this will contest was not filed within the six months allowed by § 43-8-199. We agree with the defendants that Smith's fraud counts are in actuality a will contest, in that they seek invalidation of Virginia's September 12 will filed for probate on October 1, 1991. The counts were included in the plaintiffs' amended complaint filed on October 7, 1993, and, thus, were not timely filed. Moreover, inasmuch as these fraud counts, filed in the Dale Circuit Court, seek to modify provisions of the divorce judgment entered in the Houston Circuit Court, it is an improper collateral attack on that final judgment. See Greenhill v. Bear Creek. Development Authority, 519 So.2d 938 (Ala.1988); Ex parte Edmondson, 451 So.2d 290 (Ala. 1984). A Rule 60(b), Ala.R.Civ.P., motion filed in the Houston Circuit Court would be the proper means for Smith to attempt to challenge the terms of his divorce judgment. We conclude that the summary judgment was proper as to these counts.