Court Opinion

ID: 9699013
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:06:52.772886+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:45.545061
License: Public Domain

*16POPOVICH, Judge,
dissenting.
While I agree with the implicit holding of the majority that duress may be extrinsic fraud, I reject the majority’s determination that appellant’s actions amounted to extrinsic fraud which precluded a fair hearing or presentation of appellee’s case. Rather, I would find that under the facts before us, viewed in a light most favorable to the verdict winner, the trial judge abused his discretion in vacating the divorce decree. Masciulli v. Masciulli, 194 Pa.Super. 646, 169 A.2d 562 (1961) (standard of review). This is not to say that appellee is without an avenue of redress since an action in assumpsit to invalidate the settlement agreement and seek damages remains.1
The majority correctly cites Fenstermaker v. Fenstermaker, 348 Pa.Super. 237, 502 A.2d 185, 188 (1985), which, quoting McEvoy v. Quaker City Cab Co., 267 Pa. 527, 536, 110 A. 366, 368 (1920), reiterates the time-honored distinction between extrinsic fraud and intrinsic fraud as follows:
By the expression ‘extrinsic or collateral fraud’ is meant some act or conduct of the prevailing party which has prevented a fair submission of the controversy. Among these are the keeping of the defeated party away from court by false promise of compromise, or fraudulently keeping him in ignorance of the action. Another instance is where an attorney without authority pretends to represent a party and corruptly connives at his defeat, or where an attorney has been regularly employed and corruptly sells out his client’s interest. The fraud in such case is extrinsic or collateral to the question determined by the court. The reason for the rule is that there must be an end to litigation; and, where a party has had his *17day in court and knows what the issues are, he must be prepared to meet and expose penury then and there: Pico v. Cohn, 91 Cal. 129 [25 P. 970]. Where the alleged perjury relates to a question upon which there was a conflict, and it was necessary for the court to determine the truth or falsity of the testimony, the fraud is intrinsic and is concluded by the judgment, unless there be a showing that the jurisdiction of the court has been imposed up, or that by some fraudulent act of the prevailing party the other has been deprived of an opportunity for a fair trial. Bleakley v. Barclay, 75 Kansas 462 [89 P. 906].
Fenstermaker, 502 A.2d at 188.
Appellee alleged that appellant’s actions in procuring the divorce and settlement agreement amounted to duress which precluded her from seeking counsel and fully litigating the economic issues. Thus, the threshold question sub judice is whether duress falls under the definition of extrinsic fraud. Implicit in the majority’s decision is a holding that duress constitutes extrinsic fraud. Though I agree, I do so with some trepidation because my research of Pennsylvania case law has not revealed a single case where duress has been the reason a divorce decree was vacated (or opened).
Traditionally, extrinsic fraud has been found in the following situations: When a party is kept away from court by a promise of false compromise, Fenstermaker, supra (husband promised to complete on going settlement negotiations but did not after divorce decree was entered, decree vacated, wife allowed to litigate economic issues); when a party fraudulently assumes a residence to meet jurisdictional requirements, Nickerson v. Nickerson, 18 W.N.C. 210 (1883) (husband fraudulently assumed Pennsylvania residence to meet jurisdictional requirement; decree vacated); when a party is kept in ignorance of the action because notice was fraudulently withheld, Nickerson, supra (wife sent overseas by husband, husband then divorced wife on grounds of desertion, wife did not receive notice, decree *18vacated upon wife’s learning of divorce), Masciulli, supra (husband fraudulently concealed wife’s whereabouts, wife did not receive notice, decree vacated upon wife’s petition), Cortese v. Cortese, 163 Pa.Super. 553, 63 A.2d 420 (1949) (husband deprived wife of notice, decree vacated); and when defendant had notice of suit but was kept away by plaintiff’s representation that suit had been discontinued, Fidelity Ins. Co.’s Appeal, 93 Pa. 242 (1880). See also Freedman, Law of Marriage and Divorce in Pennsylvania (2nd Ed., Vol. 3, 1957) § 724; Pennsylvania Matrimonial Practice, § 35:3.
However, relief will not be afforded where the failure to defend is not caused by the fraud of the plaintiff, but is actually the fault of the defendant. See e.g., Catts v. Catts, 35 Pa.Super. 293 (1908) (respondent who directed her attorney to withdraw his appearance and then refrained from defending, although fully advised by her attorney of the consequences, cannot subsequently maintain she was denied a fair hearing); Knode v. Knode, 159 Pa.Super. 210, 48 A.2d 151 (1946) (defendant who intentionally conceals her residence, thus preventing him from giving notice, cannot maintain she was denied a fair trial); Taylor v. Taylor, 52 Pa.Super. 388 (1913) (defendant who knows of proceedings cannot excuse her failure to defend by the claim of her husband’s threat to institute a criminal action for adultery if she defended the divorce suit). In such cases, the defendant had every opportunity to appear and expose the allegedly fraudulent testimony of the plaintiff at the time of the suit but did not. But see, Teriberry v. Teriberry, 210 Pa.Super. 54, 232 A.2d 201 (1967) (wife appeared at trial and requested a continuance because her counsel could not appear, request denied, divorce entered, court applied equity power and opened divorce to allow wife her day in court).
Despite the dearth of Pennsylvania case law in support of the majority’s opinion, I recognize that the Legislature by defining extrinsic fraud extremely broadly — “... matters collateral to the judgment which have the consequence of precluding a fair hearing or presentation of one side of the *19case” — in all likelihood intended it to encompass duress which precluded a party from defending. However, whether duress precluded a fair submission of the controversy should be determined on a case by case basis.2
Instantly, I do not believe that appellee demonstrated that appellant’s actions prevented her from coming forward with a defense. Appellee contends that she refrained from retaining counsel because of her husband’s threats and that she was coerced into signing the documents without the advice of counsel. Appellee testified appellant “ordered” her not to see an attorney. (N.T., p. 12) She contends appellant would make statements to the effect that “people in his state of mind have murdered their family. They’ve shot their wives.” (N.T., p. 15) She stated appellant threatened “to tell a lot of my personal business ... [to] people I didn’t want to know, especially my children.” (N.T., pp. 17-18) Appellee testified that on one occasion, appellant “hit [her] with an open hand.” (N.T., p. 15) Appellee also alleged that appellant ran her off the road while she was driving her car, and that he wrote a biblical message concerning adultery on her bathroom mirror. (N.T., pp. 15, 13) In addition, after the date of separation, appellant, on several occasions, stayed at the marital residence over appellee’s objection.
I believe, however, that appellee’s argument is belied by the evidence. At the hearing on her petition to vacate, appellee admitted she received notice of every aspect of the divorce proceeding, and she consented to the divorce. In fact, appellee stated that it was she who first asked for a *20divorce. (N.T., p. 11) Further, appellee admitted “[she] was going with a man before the divorce was entered.” (N.T., p. 30)
Appellee does not contend that she was mislead as to the extent of the marital estate. Although she contends she did not read the agreement and was coerced into signing, appellee admits she signed the settlement agreement before a notary public. In her affidavit of consent to the divorce filed on December 31, 1986, appellee specifically stated “I understand that I may lose rights concerning alimony, division of property, lawyer’s fees or expenses if I do not claim them before a divorce is granted.” The parties also had entered into a premarital agreement which provided that all properties owned by the individual’s prior to the marriage would not become marital property.3
Significantly, appellee admitted she knew well before the divorce was entered that she should seek the advise of counsel. (N.T., p. 23) She also admitted to receiving a letter from appellant’s counsel directing her to consult counsel before entering into the settlement agreement. And, when questioned by the court, appellee admitted that she was familiar with the divorce process as she had previously been divorced and had many divorced friends. (N.T., 43) Appellee even knew that after the divorce petition was filed, she could speak to an attorney about her rights because “the divorce was not final yet.” (N.T., p. 36)
When reviewing the evidence presented in a petition to vacate a divorce decree on the ground of duress, we should be cognizant of the acrimonious nature of divorce. Obviously, these parties no longer cared for one another. However, viewing her testimony in its best light, appellee failed to demonstrate abusive behavior on the part of the appellant. Appellant never directly threatened to harm appellee physically, and one slap does not rise to the level of abuse. Moreover, appellee did not allege a pattern of abuse which would lend credibility to her allegations.
*21Based on the facts adduced below, I am convinced that a person of ordinary sensibility would not have refrained from seeking counsel because of appellant’s actions. Granted this divorce was splenetic in nature, but appellee knew she should seek counsel and had every opportunity to defend in this action. I see no reason why fifteen months after entry of the divorce decree appellee should be allowed to escape its effect.

. The parties entered into a settlement agreement which was neither incorporated nor merged into the decree, and, consequently, appellee may still proceed in assumpsit. Caccavo v. Caccavo, 388 Pa.Super. 459, 463, 565 A.2d 1199, 1201 (1989) (a property settlement agreement not incorporated and merged into a divorce decree, it is not subject to modification pursuant to the provisions of the divorce code, but rather is governed by the law of contract); McFadden v. McFadden, 386 Pa.Super. 506, 510 n. 1, 563 A.2d 180, 182 n. 1 (1989); Sonder v. Sonder, 378 Pa.Super. 474, 492, 549 A.2d 155, 165 (1988) (en banc).

. Analogizing to contract law, “[d]uress has been defined as that degree of restraint or danger, either actually inflicted or threatened and impending, which is sufficient in severity or apprehension to overcome the mind of a person of ordinary firmness____ The quality of firmness is assumed to exist in every person competent to contract, unless it appears that by reason of old age or other sufficient cause he is weak or infirm____ Moreover, in the absence of threats of actual bodily harm there can be no duress where the contracting party is free to consult with counsel.” Young v. Pileggi, 309 Pa.Super. 565, 455 A.2d 1228 (1983); Carrier v. William Penn Broadcasting Co., 426 Pa. 427, 233 A.2d 519 (1967), quoting from Smith v. Lenchner, 204 Pa.Super. 500, 205 A.2d 626 (1964).

. Appellant’s primary asset, an auto race track, was purchased prior to the marriage.