Court Opinion

ID: 9812759
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:47:19.813074+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:26.189627
License: Public Domain

Connor, J.,
concurring: While I do not dissent from the disposition made of this appeal, I am of the opinion that we should indicate, for the guidance of the parties, our opinion upon the questions raised upon the record and fully argued upon the hearing. The proceeding is anomalous; due regard for orderly procedure requires us to dismiss the motion to the end that the parties may proceed as they may be advised. This court held in Lea v. Lea, 104 N. C., 603, in a well considered opinion by Mr. Justice Shepherd, that an action to have a marriage declared void, because of a pre-existing disqualification to enter into the marriage relation, so far as *94the procedure is concerned, is an action for divorce, as shown by tbe authorities cited in the opinion. At common law no divorce a vinculo could be granted except for causes existing previous to the marriage which rendered the marriage unlawful ab initio. While it is true that our statute does not in terms include an action to annul a marriage on account of pre-existing obstacles with action for divorce a vinculo, I am of the opinion that in regard to the practice prescribed, the same procedure should be observed. Certainly the same policy upon which the jurisdictional affidavit is required in one should control the other. It will be obs'erved that the parties, notwithstanding the admissions in the answer, submitted issues thus treating the allegations as denied — as in an action for divorce. If, as appears from the record, a serious doubt exists as to whether this action was prosecuted in accordance with the requirements of the statute, the parties are left in a deplorable condition. It would seem that if jurisdictional facts are not apparent upon the record, the proceeding would be void so far as it affected the matrimonial relations of the parties, and the court, upon motion of either party, would so decree. This court has uniformly held that the facts required to be set forth in the affidavit prescribed by section 1563 of the Revisal are necessary to give the court jurisdiction. Hopkins v. Hopkins, 132 N. C., 22. It would seem that the same conclusions would follow when it is sought to have a marriage declared void for the causes set out in section 1560 of the Revisal. I concur in the opinion that an adversary proceeding should be instituted and prosecuted by one of the parties to the end that the other may be properly represented and the court may proceed in an orderly way.
Walker, J., concurs in the concurring opinion.