Court Opinion

ID: 9659110
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 21:32:25.832171+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:04.049638
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(dissenting).
Joining the dissent of Miller, C.J., it strikes me that it is far more just that the children of Patrick Murphy be entitled to *81the insurance proceeds provided for them in the original property settlement agreement, than to have his girlfriend receive same.
The grant of the summary judgment is proper because there is a sound basis to support Judge Tapken’s ruling. Blote v. First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n., 422 N.W.2d 834, 836 (S.D.1988).
Father, in my opinion, did his flesh and blood wrong. He elevated his girlfriend over his obligation to (1) his children and (2) a court decree. Father should not have violated the decree. A constructive trust should be imposed upon the proceeds of this policy to prevent unjust enrichment and fairness. Jacoby v. Jacoby, 69 S.D. 432, 11 N.W.2d 135 (1943). Mother of the children (Foster) appear as guardian for the two Murphy children; in my opinion, the children are the real parties in interest, and thus entitled to the proceeds.
Converting policy one to policy two was a total abdication of father’s impressed, contractual liability. In this regard, see also, Richards v. Richards, 58 Wis.2d 290, 206 N.W.2d 134 (1974) and Serrano v. Hendricks, 400 N.W.2d 77 (Iowa App.1986).
An old legal maxim is applicable here: You must be just before you are generous. First Nat. Bank of Beresford v. Anderson, 291 N.W.2d 444, 446 (S.D.1980) (Henderson, J., specially concurring). Before father was generous to his girlfriend, he should have been just with his children.
I would affirm the trial court. It acted in Equity. The Iowa divorce decree was in Equity.