Opinion ID: 2516443
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Chesterfield v. Nash

Text: Petitioner James Nash and respondent Diana Chesterfield began a casual dating relationship in August 1986. A few months later the relationship became sexually intimate. Chesterfield worked as a salesperson at Nordstrom, and Nash operated a dental practice he had purchased in 1985. Chesterfield was married, although separated, at the time she began dating Nash. Chesterfield filed for divorce in November 1987. The parties dated from 1986 until 1989, although Nash dated other women during this time period. In July 1989, Nash and Chesterfield moved into a home purchased the previous year by Chesterfield. While living together, Nash and Chesterfield opened a joint checking account to which they both contributed funds. The account was opened for the purpose of funding living expenses; it was used to pay the mortgage and taxes on the house, as well as groceries, utility bills, and other miscellaneous matters. Contributions to the account were initially equal, but over time Nash contributed more than Chesterfield. [5] Nash testified he also paid nearly all expenses for their numerous vacations, and a disproportionate amount of their dining out expenses. Chesterfield had a profit sharing plan at Nordstrom, but refused to invest those funds in Nash's dental practice unless the two were married. Chesterfield also testified she would not invest in a house with Nash until they were married. Overall, Chesterfield's spending patterns did not change during the period of cohabitation, although she received promotions and pay increases at Nordstrom. Nash and Chesterfield periodically assisted each other professionally. Nash aided Chesterfield with work-related travel logs and offered her the use of the computer at his dental practice. Chesterfield aided Nash as a temporary dental assistant, helped process accounts payable for several months, and performed word processing tasks. Nash offered to compensate Chesterfield for her help, but she refused. Nash and Chesterfield ceased living together in October 1993. Chesterfield closed the joint account and made a mortgage payment with the remaining funds. In 1994, Nash and Chesterfield briefly reconciled and began dating again, although they did not resume living together. They discussed marriage and Nash purchased a diamond for Chesterfield, but in November 1995 they permanently ended their relationship. Chesterfield filed a petition for disposition of property rights of a meretricious relationship in superior court. The trial court found Nash and Chesterfield had a meretricious relationship, certain property acquired during that relationship should be treated as community property for the purposes of making a just and equitable division of that property, and a 60/40 percent ratio in favor of Nash was the appropriate basis of division. The trial court entered a judgment of $75,594 plus costs, in favor of Chesterfield. Included in the court's valuation and division of property was a $40,000 increase in the goodwill of Nash's dental practice. Nash timely appealed, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. Chesterfield, 96 Wash. App. at 117, 978 P.2d 551. The Court of Appeals concluded Nash and Chesterfield had a meretricious relationship primarily because they lived together continuously in a stable, mutually-supportive relationship for longer than four years, functioning as one would expect a married couple to function with regard to work. Chesterfield, 96 Wash. App. at 109, 978 P.2d 551. Although the Court of Appeals conceded Nash's name did not appear on the title of the house in which they lived, and that Chesterfield and Nash did not hold themselves out as being married or commingle their resources for purposes other than living expenses, it found this insignificant. Chesterfield, 96 Wash.App. at 109, 978 P.2d 551. The Court of Appeals held the trial court properly divided the goodwill of the dental practice. Chesterfield, 96 Wash.App. at 111-17, 978 P.2d 551. Nash petitioned this court for review, which we granted and consolidated with Pennington.