Court Opinion

ID: 9665337
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:45:13.271797+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:14.797742
License: Public Domain

John I. Purtle, Justice, dissenting. The first point of disagreement with the majority opinion is the disposition of the 30 acres of land. This was part of a forty acre tract from which ten acres had been devised to the appellant by the will of her stepfather. Her mother then paid the other heirs for the remaining thirty acres and gave the land to the appellant with the request that she (the mother) be allowed to collect the proceeds from the first timber sale. The timber was sold and the proceeds were given to the mother. Neither appellant nor appellee paid for the land. It is obvious that this property was obtained by the appellant by will and gift. This exempts it from becoming marital property pursuant to Ark. Stat. Ann. § 34-1214 (B) (1) (Supp. 1983). By no stretch of the imagination can I find any legal or moral right for the appellee to obtain an interest in these lands. Next, the majority erred in affirming the chancellor’s ruling giving an interest in the partnership to the appellee. The partnership is a paper creation and has no property, shares or anything of a tangible nature. A primary function is to reduce the income tax paid by appellant and her mother. Without the personal services of the appellant there would be absolutely nothing of value to anyone else. The building, equipment, fixtures and all personal property utilized by the partnership are owned by appellant’s mother. Granting appellee an interest in the partnership is like granting the wife of a lawyer an interest in his law firm. Neither appellant nor appellee paid any sum for an interest in the partnership. If it had any value it was a gift from the mother of appellant and therefore not marital property. In spite of the fact that appellant is 55 years of age, has two of their four children still living in the home (which was ordered sold out from under her) and has an earned income of about $8,000 annually, as compared to appellee’s income in excess of $60,000, she was denied any alimony by the trial court and the majority of this court approved this unfair treatment. She is entitled to alimony until such time as conditions change. The appellant has not been afforded equity nor equality in my opinion. She is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and should be allowed alimony in an amount sufficient to enable her to live in a manner fairly consistent with what she has been afforded during the 25 years she has lived with the appellee and cared for their children and their home. I agree with appellee on the cross appeal. Unexercised stock options which cannot be pledged, mortgaged or assigned are not property acquired by anyone. Even if appellee exercised his options there is no guarantee that he will make a profit. In fact it could turn into a loss. Therefore, I am unable to speculate that these options are property acquired during the marriage. After this litigation is finished he may have a very good reason not to exercise the options as they must be paid for at the time the option is exercised. For the foregoing reasons I would modify the decree in accordance with this dissent. Hays, J., joins in this dissent.