Court Opinion

ID: 9539492
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:04:58.252367+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:53.860476
License: Public Domain

HODGES, Vice Chief Justice,
concurring specially.
The primary issue in this appeal is whether, for purposes of property division in a divorce proceeding, a stockholder’s interest in a medical corporation includes, as a separate asset, the goodwill of the corporation when the stockholder’s interest in the corporation is controlled by an agreement and the value of the goodwill of the corporation can not be realized by either spouse other than through salary. Although I concur in the majority opinion, I write separately to address this issue.
Section 121 of title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes provides the basis for property division in a divorce proceeding. It states:
As to such property, whether real or personal, which has been acquired by the parties jointly during their marriage, whether the title thereto be in either or both of said parties, the court shall make such division between the parties as may appear just and reasonable, by a division of the property in kind, or by setting the same apart to one of the parties and requiring the other thereof to be paid such sum as may be just and proper to effect a fair and just division thereof....
*509Under this provision, only the property actually acquired by the parties is divisible.
The husband’s interest in the corporation was determined by the stock agreement. Assuming that the corporation had a goodwill value separate from the value of the stock, by the terms in the agreement, that goodwill was not an asset of the husband. Like the husband, the wife was bound by that agreement as to the husband’s interest in the corporation. She could not be awarded property that was never acquired by either party to the divorce or which the husband could never realize other than through salary.
Under the stock agreement, the husband did not acquire any goodwill in the corporation other than what was included in the $9,652.53, the amount for which he was required to sell his stock back to the corporation. Any goodwill interest in the corporation of the husband was divided when the wife was awarded one-half of the value of the stock. The trial court erred in considering the goodwill of the corporation as a separate factor in evaluating the husband’s interest in the corporation.
Accordingly, I concur in the majority opinion holding that the goodwill value of the corporation should not have been considered as a discrete asset of the husband to be divided between the parties.