Court Opinion

ID: 9737127
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:16:42.262659+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:23:56.757785
License: Public Domain

TAMILIA, Judge,
concurring and dissenting:
I concur in the Opinion by the majority to the point where it would hold that the trial court had the authority to exercise jurisdiction in enforcing the agreement in this case which was entered into prior to the amendment to the Divorce Code, 23 P.S. § 401.1(c). Sonder v. Sonder, 378 Pa.Super. 474, 549 A.2d 155 (1988), en banc, as acknowledged by the majority, required that this agreement be enforced as a contract but it then goes on to conclude, unnecessarily, for the purpose of the result, that section 401.1 may be retroactively applied to an agreement entered into prior to the amendments of 1988. The agreement provided that it could not be unilaterally modified and since it retained its identity as a contract, it could not be modified as a court Order by the court. The discussion by the majority concerning the retroactivity of section 401.1(c) is, therefore, irrelevant. In addition, it is erroneous since an amendment to the Divorce Code which follows the effective date of an agreement may not apply to that agreement. Contracts have been held inviolate by the federal and state constitutions and may not be altered by legislative provisions which would, in effect, deprive the parties of property rights without due process of law. In Nessa v. Nessa, 399 *437Pa.Super. 59, 581 A.2d 674 (1990), we applied Sonder, supra, to hold that a contract such as this was not to be subject to alteration by Order of court. There, we also held:
[T]his agreement is not affected by amendment to the Divorce Code § 401.1(c), added in 1988, ... as the agreement predated the amendment. The Divorce Code at 23 P.S. § 103 Construction, provides:
This act shall not affect any marital agreement executed prior to the divorce agreement executed prior to the effective date of this act or any amendment or modification thereto.
Id. 399 Pa.Super. at 65, n. 2, 581 A.2d at 676, n. 2. While the result of the majority is correct, the discussion regarding section 401.1(c) is in error, unnecessary for the result, and in direct conflict with Sonder. I, therefore, dissent to the discussion and analysis concerning the retroactive effect of section 401.1(c).