Court Opinion

ID: 9606562
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:50:51.670642+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:51.039272
License: Public Domain

Barrow, J.,
dissenting in part and concurring in part.
I concur with the majority except to the extent that it approves the provision in the final decree requiring the husband to pay the *445mortgage payment on the marital home. This provision was beyond the trial court’s authority.
The trial court’s authority consisted only of that expressly provided in Code §§ 20-107.1, 20-107.2 and 20-107.3 which is limited to spousal support, child support, custody, and visitation and the making of a monetary award. Code § 20-103, applicable only to provisions for the parties while litigation is pending, cannot serve as authority for a continuing obligation imposed in a final decree.
The mortgage payment should have been considered in determining spousal support. The “obligations” and “needs” of the parties must be considered in determining spousal support. Code § 20-107.1. Thus, the mortgage payment should have been considered when evaluating the housing needs and the indebtedness of the parties.
By requiring the mortgage payment to be made as a term of a final decree, a double payment may result. If the mortgage payment is paid off or assumed upon the sale of the property, the wife may be denied support for her housing if it was not also considered in making an award for spousal support. On the other hand, if her housing needs were also considered in making the award for spousal support, the husband is being required to pay twice for the wife’s housing so long as the mortgage is outstanding.
Upon remand, since the final decree is being reversed, the trial court will have authority to order the payment of the mortgage pendente lite, but even then the wisdom of that approach is debatable. However, to the extent that the majority approves of such a provision in a final decree of divorce, I dissent.