Court Opinion

ID: 9762006
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:07:30.733815+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:29.129061
License: Public Domain

Grimes, J.,
dissenting: I agree that a divorce decree may dissolve a joint tenancy, but I cannot agree that this decree contains a “clear expression of intention” to do so. If this decree had assigned Julie’s interest in the property to Louis and ordered him to pay her half of the equity even if he had to sell the property to do so or if the decree specifically stated that the joint tenancy was terminated I would hold that the joint tenancy was broken. But that is not what the decree in accordance with the stipulation says in this case. The decree itself does not purport to affect the title to the property, it simply provides that the equity be divided. It clearly called for future acts by the parties to effectuate a change in title. If Louis could raise the money, he was to pay Julie for her share and by clear implication take a deed from her. If he could not raise the money, the property was to be sold and the equity divided. The decree was a blueprint of how the property was to be divided by the parties in the future and did not itself purport to affect the title.
The parties however took no action which affected title. Although Louis tried to raise the money to comply with the *430decree he was unable to do so and the plan was never executed. In fact, the conduct of the parties thereafter would indicate that they intended not to change the title.
Even if one should infer from the language of the decree, as the court does, that the decree itself rather than the parties was to transfer title to Louis upon payment to Julie of her share no such transfer ever occurred because the condition of payment was never complied with. The decree therefore did not effect a change in the title. The court recognizes this when it holds that the parties still were cotenants on Louis’ death. In any event permitting a decree effecting a change in title to become executed upon payment of money in the future would lead to a difficult situation for title abstractors and would cast a cloud upon all such titles.