Court Opinion

ID: 9684709
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:09:05.638468+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:03:53.779083
License: Public Domain

John A. Fogleman, Justice, dissenting. I cannot agree that the chancellor’s holding in this case was contrary to either the law or the evidence. In the first place, I do not see how a question of law is involved. Even if the policy clause is properly construed as strongly against the insurers as the majority construes it, the only question before this court is whether a fact finding made by the chancellor is clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. I have no quarrel with the construction of the policy, but I do not agree, as the majority seems to suggest, that a wife is a resident of her husband’s household, as a matter of law, until the parties are divorced. I also disagree on the question of the preponderance. I think that the majority has given the post-accident, post-reconciliation, self-serving testimony of the interested parties full weight and given no attention to the evidence that should be determinative, i.e., the actions and declarations of the parties before the unfortunate collision. I submit that the chancellor was perfectly justified in finding the actions of these parties to carry substantially greater weight than the testimony upon which the majority relies. What the Holloways did speaks so loudly, I do not see how a court of equity can hear what they now say, or a chancery court can be held in error for not doing so. The decree before us contains this recitation: That the defendant, Shirley Ann Holloway, was not a resident of the household of the defendant, Billy G. Holloway, also known as Bill Holloway, on March 29, 1969, and was not on said date an insured under Policy No. 0429244618 issued by Farmers Insurance Exchange nor under Policy No. AF8608S67 issued by United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company. The chancellor made specific findings of fact. They include the following: I have no difficulty in finding, under the proof offered, that Mrs. Holloway was not a resident of the household of Mr. Holloway at the time the wreck took place and this casualty occurred. I’m not unmindful of the deposition testimony both of Mr. and Mrs. Holloway that they really weren’t serious about their respective divorce actions, and that the separation was a friendly sort of thing, and more for the purpose of working out simmering problems than evidence of a genuine breach; still they cannot get around their respective divorce complaints. Mr. Holloway filed his complaint for divorce some 25 days after Mrs. Holloway left, and absent other evidence, assuming that evidence would be proper, I am constrained to assume that it stated a good cause of action under the laws of Kansas. It’s true that Mrs. Holloway didn’t file her suit for divorce until after the accident, and at a very close period of time coincident with what Mr. Holloway says was their actual reconciliation, April 25th. Still, her divorce complaint alleges a separation either in early January or the latter part of December, December 30th, and contains recitations which stated a cause of action under the laws of Arkansas. Now, I don’t think either one of them, after the fact, can look back and say, “Well, we really didn’t mean that. We really weren’t separated. We really weren’t mad at each other, and we really weren’t serious about these divorce cases”; because in truth and in fact, they were living apart. There is some question as between the two divorce complaints as to how long they lived separate and apart. She says from December 30th to April 25th, and he says from February 15 th to March 10th, 30 to 60 days difference. In any event, they were, according to their respective sworn statements, living separate and apart, each alleging grounds which, if proved, would entitle both to a divorce during the period before, at the time of, or subsequent to, the automobile accident. So, as I say, if you stop there, there is no problem about the findings, and I do find that Mrs. Holloway was not a resident of the same household in the language of the USF&G policy, and the same language in the Farmers policy, a resident of the same household. * * * * * * But with the definition of relative in Parts I of the respective policies, which is carried down into the uninsured motorist section, I think it makes it dear, with a factual finding that Mrs. Holloway was not a resident of her husband’s household at the time of the accident. I feel that she was not an “Insured” under the uninsured motorist coverage. I submit that a clear preponderance of the evidence actually supports the chancellor’s findings, and that the findings were certainly not clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. Mrs. Holloway was a native of Arkansas, and only left the state when she and her husband moved to Wichita in February 1968. Almost as soon as they were established there, Billy Carlisle, a friend of Mrs. Holloway, moved into their home and later brought a bride there. The Holloways even moved into a larger house in order to accommodate him. Difficulties soon arose between the Holloways, and, for some reason, not satisfactorily explained, Mrs. Holloway decided that she needed a vacation from her husband of approximately two weeks which was to be taken in the company of the Carlisles in Phoenix, Arizona. According to Mr. Holloway, she proposed that each make up his mind, during her absence, whether to stay married or not. She took an automobile, which she considered hers, and a sum of money which had been augmented by her husband’s contribution of $30 to $40 and left, taking the Carlisles, sometime about February 15, 1969. Strangely enough, Billy Holloway testified that a Dodge automobile on which one of the insurance policies involved had been issued should have been “titled” in Carlisle’s name. Mrs. Holloway admitted that there was then a possibility that she would divorce Bill Holloway when she left. During this brief vacation and while she and the two Carlisles were hopping from one motel to another and Billy Carlisle was looking for employment, she became so well acquainted with a bartender at a bar and restaurant which she and her companions frequented that she loaned her car to him for “justa minute,” during which time he completely wrecked it. She testified that “we” then bought a 1950 model Ford automobile for transportation. It was in late February or early March 1969 that Billy Carlisle got into trouble with the Arizona authorities, as a result of which he was forced to leave the motel where his wife and Shirley Holloway were staying. Just why this required Shirley Holloway to extend her "vacation” from two to six weeks remains a mystery. We are not favored with any information as to what Shirley Holloway did, proposed to do, or could do to help Carlisle extricate himself from the toils of the law, particularly after Carlisle’s pregnant wife had to come back home, and she stayed to get him “squared away.” At any rate, she was not so involved in this undertaking that she was unable on March 29, 1969, to attend the motorcycle races at Yuma, whither she was bound with newly acquired friends, male and female, on the date of the tragic accident. Meanwhile, Billy Holloway had taken in another single male roomer two weeks after his wife left. Because of the marital difficulties he had also employed a lawyer to file a divorce suit. Holloway’s affidavit verifying his complaint was dated February 25, 1969, but the suit was not filed until March 10, 1969, at which time either a two- or-three-week “vacation” should have been terminated. Billy Holloway said he filed the suit because Shirley had stayed away longer than planned. He verified, under oath, his allegation that Shirley had left his home on February 15. He said that, as far as he was concerned, he had done all he could do and it was all over when he left the lawyer’s office. It only remained, he said, for the lawyer to pursue the necessary procedures and advise him when he was a divorced man. He admitted that, regardless of his present intentions, he was serious about the filing of the suit. Billy Holloway did go to Phoenix when he learned of Shirley’s injuries. Still she did not return to his domicile, even after her release from the hospital in Phoenix. She went to her native residence, first to Washington General Hospital in Fayetteville, where she had lived before going to Wichita, and then to her parents’ home, also in Fayetteville. This was also the place where her children were, pursuant to agreement between their parents at the time the “vacation” was proposed by Mrs. Holloway. Billy told Shirley while she was a patient in the Fayetteville hospital that he had filed a divorce suit. It does not appear that there had been any serious discussions relative to the deteriorated marriage and its rehabilitation until that time. Billy made weekend visits to Fayetteville during this period, and thereafter the two discussed the situation. Shirley referred to her first return to Wichita by saying “we were back together,” and the discussions between her and her husband were referred to as talking about whether they would go back together. She admitted, to say the least, that there was still uncertainty about the matter until after she filed her divorce suit. Billy Holloway described the conversations in the same terms. Even when she did go to Wichita with him, it was on the basis of a trial reconciliation, according to Billy. Before this trial reconciliation, both Holloways had to dismiss divorce suits in which a separation had been alleged. Shirley Holloway testified that as soon as Billy told her of his suit, she called her lawyer and asked him what to do about it, particularly in view of the fact that she was convinced that Billy was planning on taking the children back to Wichita. She testified that she told the lawyer that she wanted him to represent her in the pending divorce suit and that the lawyer suggested the possibility of a countersuit if that was what she wanted to do. Surely it was no mere coincidence that she alleged residence for the requisite period in the place she had lived until the removal to Wichita, the place where her children had been since the commencement of the “vacation” and the place to which she returned after being injured. It also seems significant that Mrs. Holloway only conveyed word of her whereabouts to her husband through Billy Carlisle’s sister, but never an intimation of any intention to return to his domicile. We have, on many occasions, given the ancient proverb “actions speak louder than words” judicial sanction. As recently as Charisse v. Eldred, 252 Ark. 101, 447 S.W. 2d 480, we said: It is true that the question of intention is one of fact. Phillips v. Melton, supra.[1] Appellant places great reliance upon his own declarations of intention. The question of intention, however, is to be ascertained not only by statements of the person involved by his conduct concerning his “voting” residence. Phillips v. Melton, supra. We have recognized that circumstances may belie protestations of purpose and that the fact finder is not bound to accept the claims of intent when the circumstances point to a contrary conclusion. Williams v. Dent, 207 Ark. 440, 181 S.W. 2d 29. The declarations of the person whose domicile or residence is in dispute may be for a self-serving purpose and are sometimes called the lowest species or quality of evidence on the subject. * * * [Citing cases.] They cannot prevail unless borne out by acts. See Hogan v. Davis, 243 Ark. 763, 422 S.W. 2d 412; Pike County School District v. Pike County Board of Education, 247 Ark. 9, 444 S.W. 2d 72; 28 C.J.S. 45, Domicile, § 18. When acts are inconsistent with a person’s declarations, the acts will control, and declarations must yield to the conclusions to be drawn from the facts and circumstances proved. * * *[Citing cases.] The place of exercise of one’s elective franchise is not necessarily conclusive as to one’s intent on the question of domicile or residence for voting purposes, but it is certainly important, and may be the most important evidence on the subject. * * * [Citing cases.] In Hogan v. Davis, supra, we said that by executing a voter registration affidavit in another state the registrant had left the matter of his residence” not seriously open to doubt. We had little trouble in applying the principles above stated in such cases as Hogan v. David, 243 Ark. 763, 422 S.W. 2d 412. I do not see why they are not applicable here. I would affirm the decree. I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice Brown and Mr. Justice Jones join in this opinion.   222 Ark. 162, 257 S.W. 2d 931