Court Opinion

ID: 9517227
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 00:10:29.602967+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:41:52.825610
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE ALLOY, dissenting: I do not agree with the conclusions set forth, in part, in the majority opinion. I agree with the conclusions in the majority opinion that the trial court erred in decreeing that the parcel of land adjacent to the grain elevator company, and since purchased by Harvey Leone for expansion purposes, and owned in joint tenancy by Harvey Leone and his wife, should be required to be conveyed to Harvey Leone upon payment of *5,000 to plaintiff for her interest. I concur in the conclusion that the order requiring a conveyance of this property to Harvey Leone should be reversed. I also agree with the conclusions set forth in the majority opinion requiring payment of attorney’s fees by defendant. My basic area of disagreement involves the question of allowance of substantial sums of money to plaintiff by reason of certain asserted services performed by plaintiff. It is clear from the record that defendant Harvey Leone has virtually devoted himself exclusively to the business, and worked 10 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, during the slow seasons. During the busier seasons in the spring and fall he worked between 15 and 16 hours a day. Much of his work consisted of physical labor. Plaintiff Evelyn Leone also contributed to the development of the new business and spent an average of about 10 horas per week for a period of 15 years, doing various bookkeeping chores, filling out State report forms, and discussing business decisions with her husband. She also performed her usual duties as a housewife, ran the household and raised the children, and was the overseer of the family finances. The major concern expressed by plaintiff arises from the trial court’s refusal to find any special equities in favor of the plaintiff in property owned by defendant (other than the *7,000 referred to in the majority opinion). The property not in joint tenancy, which comprised about 75% of the total holdings of the parties, was owned, in a major portion thereof, by defendant, including 98% of the stock of Leone Grain Company. Plaintiff argues that she has an equitable interest in some of defendant’s property by reason of her various contributions to the business in helping to make business decisions and doing a certain amount of work without compensation, as well as accepting no rent personally from the parcel of land. She asserts, also, that the parties have always pooled their assets and considered all property to be jointly owned, regardless of who actually held legal title. The trial court, however, found “plaintiff does not have further special equities in the property of defendant by virtue of performing what the court finds to be duties in maintaining the house, raising the children, and clerical work within the husband’s business.” In the cause with which we are concerned, the facts presented a somewhat conflicting picture as to the extent of plaintiff s contributions to the family wealth, outside of that which is expected to come from a marital relationship. It does appear that by doing some work for the grain company in helping in the decision-making processes, she made an “extra” contribution to the success of the business. It does not, however, appear that plaintiff’s contribution, on the record, was so substantial as to give her a substantial equitable interest in the property owned by her husband. I do not believe that we can say that the trial court acted contrary to the evidence in its finding on the facts presented. In the majority opinion, the principal basis for the conclusion that there was a *110,000 contribution by plaintiff, so as to vest her with a *56,000 equity, in addition to the *54,000 value in her joint tenancy interest, arises from a computation which does not appear to be sustained by the record. It appears that it is concluded that she is entitled to be rewarded for clerical work for the business over a 17-year period at *75 per week for a total of *68,000 and with the payment of one-half of the rental of the jointly owned property for 7 years at *3,900, totaling *27,000. The net worth of the Leone Grain Company is only a total of *230,000 according to the record. It is established by the record that defendant clearly put in an excess of 10 times the amount of time devoted to the business by plaintiff. Also, the record indicates that the rental payments went either to the business or the benefit of the family. The trial court did not find that plaintiffs contribution entitled her to special equities, but the trial court in fact attempted, by the decree, to do substantial justice between the parties by establishing a comparatively high alimony payment of *1,500 per month for a total of *18,000 per year. The total net amount as fixed by the trial court, is substantially the same as the total benefit to defendant suggested in the majority opinion. This indicates that any equitable interest which plaintiff might have in the property owned by defendant, appears to be more than adequately represented by the *18,000 per year which plaintiff would receive in periodic alimony, each year, barring modification. The court also concluded that the money which she would be paid represents a standard of living to which she became accustomed chiefly from efforts of the defendant in building the Leone Grain & Supply Company into the thriving outfit it apparently is today. It also appears that the trial court concluded that the business should not be disturbed by giving plaintiff a percentage ownership in the stock and reducing alimony payments (and also presumably by not requiring defendant to pay a specific sum based on a concept of special equities, as a substitute for some of the alimony payments). The court apparently felt that it would not be in the best interest of either of the parties. The defendant, in his argument in this court, contended that the award represents 57% of defendant’s 1973 net spendable income and even more on a percentage basis of the average net spendable income over the previous five years. Therefore, I conclude, that, with the exception of the provision of the decree relating to a requirement that the plaintiff convey her interest in the joint ownership of the land upon which the buildings of the grain elevator business have been constructed, the decree of the circuit court should be affirmed. I agree with the majority opinion that there should be a continuation of the joint ownership of the land upon which the grain elevator business has been constructed, but I believe that the trial court’s disposition of the basic issue relating to the question of alimony and special equities represents a proper equitable disposition on the basis of the record and that it does substantial equity to the parties in the case. With the exception noted, I believe the decree of the trial court should be affirmed.