Opinion ID: 1783903
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Was the chancery court's judgment of August 17, 1990, ordering a Sheriff's sale of Martin's future interest in real property, with the proceeds from the sale, over and above amounts owed to Janice being kept in the registry of the court, erroneous?

Text: Martin never voluntarily paid Janice any amount pursuant to the previous court orders, but he maintains that there is no indication that he would squander or waste the amount that is being held in excess for future support. He argues this even though he confessed to entering bad business deals and fooling his mother into signing a document she thought was a will drafted by an attorney she trusted. In addition, the testimony from his sister, Patricia Garriga, revealed that Martin had a history of manipulating his parents for money and then frittering the money away. Taking all evidence into consideration, the chancellor was within his right to withhold the proceeds from the sale. Martin offered no applicable authority whatsoever for his argument. He cites Todd v. Todd, 197 Miss. 819, 20 So.2d 827 (1945) as authority wherein a writ of execution directing a sale of land to secure a judgment was set aside. However, differing from the case at hand, the judgment itself was erroneous because no adjudication was made by the court of the amounts in default. Todd, 20 So.2d at 830-31. Because an exact adjudication was made by the chancellor of the amount Martin was in default, this case has no bearing on our decision today. Mississippi Code Ann. § 93-5-23 (1972) provides in part: When a divorce shall be decreed from the bonds of matrimony, the court may, in its discretion, having regard to the circumstances of the parties and the nature of the case, as may seem equitable and just, make all orders touching the care, custody and maintenance of the children of the marriage, and also touching the maintenance and alimony of the wife, . .. and may, if need be, require sureties for the payment of the sum so allowed. Miss. Code Ann. § 93-5-23 (1972) (emphasis added). Based on the past history of Martin, the lower court was correct in ordering the funds held in the registry of the court so that they might benefit the Morreale children since Martin has done very, very little to assist them voluntarily.