Court Opinion

ID: 9763754
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:54:59.787433+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:49.473461
License: Public Domain

VAN der VOORT, Judge,
dissenting:
Appellant claims the court incorrectly considered her motivation and failed to consider her husband’s real estate holdings and capital assets.
“Our scope of review is limited to a determination as to whether the order of support can be sustained on any valid ground. Marvin v. Marvin, 193 Pa.Super. 179, 164 A.2d 128 (1960). We must determine whether there was sufficient evidence to sustain the lower court, or contrariwise whether the lower court was guilty of an abuse of discretion. A finding of abuse of discretion is not lightly made, but only upon a showing of clear and convincing evidence. Commonwealth ex rel. McQuiddy v. McQuiddy, 238 Pa.Super. 390, 358 A.2d 102 (1976); Commonwealth ex rel. Caplan v. Caplan, 236 Pa.Super. 605, 346 A.2d 822 (1975); Commonwealth ex rel. Halderman v. Halderman, 230 Pa.Super. 125, 326 A.2d 908 (1974).” Commonwealth ex rel. Hartranft v. Hartranft, 267 Pa.Super. 572, 574, 407 A.2d 389, 390 (1979). (Emphasis added).
The lower court must determine what amount is reasonably needed to maintain the wife and whether the husband has the ability to pay such sum. Commonwealth ex rel. Marvin v. Marvin, 193 Pa.Super. 79, 164 A.2d 128 (1960); and Commonwealth ex rel. Lyle v. Lyle, 248 Pa.Super. 458, 375 A.2d 187 (1977). When establishing support a court is not limited to looking at a party’s actual earnings, but may also look to one’s earning power and standard of living as well as the party’s other assets, such as stocks and real property. Marvin, supra; Commonwealth ex rel. Gitman v. Gitman, 428 Pa. 387, 237 A.2d 181 (1967); and Commonwealth ex rel. Kallen v. Kallen, 202 Pa.Super. 500, 198 A.2d 331 (1964).
*309A court must resolve a support case on the facts as they exist at the time of the hearing. At the time of the hearing it appeared appellee had reached the end of his productive career; his future was uncertain. Whether appellee would qualify for disability benefits was unclear. What his pension would provide him with was unknown. To what extent he would have to rely upon his accumulated assets was undeterminable. The court also noted that appellant’s wife, had received $19,500 from the sale of property. The record before us is silent as to what happened to these proceeds. The wife, who was nineteen years younger than her husband had been unsuccessful in finding work “she wanted to accept”.1 I cannot find an abuse of discretion by the lower court. This court has frequently held that a lower court should consider the parties’ respective positions in life; retirement is a legitimate reason for limiting a party’s obligation to pay support. See Commonwealth ex rel. Ross v. Ross, 206 Pa.Super. 429, 213 A.2d 135 (1965); and Commonwealth ex rel. Burns v. Burns, 232 Pa.Super. 295, 331 A.2d 768 (1974). The lower court properly considered the factors expressed in the foregoing decisions. But appellant argues further that support could have been paid from appellee’s capital assets.
“[Although the court has the power and duty to look beyond the actual earnings of the husband and may consider his earning power and nature and extent of his property and other financial resources, (citations deleted), a support action may not serve as an action to divide or distribute the husband’s estate. This court has often noted that a proceeding for support cannot be used for the purpose of securing a wife’s share of her husband’s estate or for the purpose of recovering property to which she might otherwise be entitled.” Commonwealth ex rel. Roviello v. Roviello, 229 Pa. Super. 428, 436, 323 A.2d 766, 771 (1974). See also Commonwealth v. Turner, 258 Pa.Super. 388, 392 A.2d 848 (1978).
*310The majority remands for a determination of the income producing potential of appellee’s capital assets. However, I believe the record is currently sufficient to make such a determination. The record demonstrates that neither the credit union account nor appellee’s stocks were expected to pay out interest or dividends until the end of the year. Appellee’s real estate holdings consisted of his residence which he was then attempting to sell, plus other parcels of undeveloped land. These parcels apparently were not income producing. I believe the court was correct in not attempting a division of the husband’s property and limiting its concern to interest and dividends earned from the credit union account and the stocks, neither of which were expected to result in any payment until the end of the year.
I agree with the majority that the lower court improperly considered the wife’s motivation. But since the court found appellee husband incapable of paying more than nominal support, the court’s improper consideration of motives and the court’s failure to review the parties’ respective needs do not require reversal or remanding. A party’s inability to pay is a valid basis for denying support. I believe the record sustains the denial of support in this case.
I respectfully dissent and would affirm the order of the court below.

. Appellant testified that she had been offered a job which would have required her to work six nights a week but she did not wish to tend bar. (N.T. p. 25). Prior to the marriage she had worked on weekends as a steward in a private club.