Court Opinion

ID: 9528450
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:41:19.497044+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:53.529389
License: Public Domain

RANSOM, Justice (specially concurring). I concur specially to state I do not agree that use of the “transmutation of funds” concept is necessary or helpful as rationale to decide this case. The parties did not raise or brief the application of a transmutation doctrine to the circumstances found here. I have no opinion in that regard. In deciding whether a tort committed by the spouse gives rise to a separate or to a community debt, it should suffice that we look to Delph v. Potomac, Inc. (as noted in the majority opinion) in which the test is stated to be whether the tortious act was of “actual or potential benefit” to the community. To the extent Consuelo was acting for the benefit of the community, the community was responsible under either contract or quasi contract theories for the loan proceeds used to pay community debts. I do not understand, in relation to third parties, why “fraud by one spouse against the other can be of no benefit to the community.” The fact that the loan proceeds in this case, obtained by fraud, actually were used to pay off community debts would seem to be all that is required to show that the tortious act did benefit the community, and for this reason the community should be responsible for that portion of the debt.