Rebecca Perry v. Randall Perry

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REL: 03/23/2012 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e Reporter o f Decisions, Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2011-2012 2100860 Rebecca Perry v. Randall Perry Appeal from Montgomery C i r c u i t (DR-10-544) Court THOMAS, J u d g e . Rebecca P e r r y Montgomery ("the Circuit ("the w i f e " ) a p p e a l s Court from a judgment o f t h e d i v o r c i n g h e r from R a n d a l l h u s b a n d " ) . B e c a u s e we c o n c l u d e t h a t t h e c i r c u i t j u d g m e n t i s a n o n f i n a l j u d g m e n t , we d i s m i s s Perry court's the appeal. 2100860 The p a r t i e s were m a r r i e d on May 1, 1982. 2010, t h e h u s b a n d f i l e d an a c t i o n s e e k i n g wife and debts. an equitable The w i f e division of On June 28, a d i v o r c e from the the m a r i t a l assets and f i l e d h e r answer and, on A u g u s t 13, 2010, motion f o r pendente lite relief i n w h i c h she s o u g h t a various t y p e s o f r e l i e f , i n c l u d i n g o r d e r s r e q u i r i n g t h e husband t o pay pendente lite continue to deposit checking a c c o u n t , and possession On support that 20, her, requiring h i s weekly paycheck allowing of the m a r i t a l August parties to the into the wife husband the t o have parties' exclusive residence. 2010, the circuit a s p e c i a l master would court hold p e n d e n t e l i t e i s s u e s on September 8, 2010. notified a hearing After that as claimed a "Motion to Maintain September requiring pendency Quo," t h a t the husband had r e f u s e d t o p r o v i d e or t o pay c e r t a i n h o u s e h o l d b i l l s On Status 28, 2010, the of the d i v o r c e action. the hearing court i n which she funds t o her as he h a d done i n t h e p a s t . circuit the p a r t i e s to maintain the on was p o s t p o n e d , t h e w i f e f i l e d a m o t i o n w i t h t h e c i r c u i t styled to court issued t h e s t a t u s quo The circuit an order during court's the order s t a t e d t h a t "any v i o l a t i o n o f t h i s O r d e r s h a l l be deemed t o be 2 2100860 contumacious behavior subject offending the by the party offending to party will f o r any sanctions which such behavior." On O c t o b e r 14, 2010, t h e w i f e f i l e d a m o t i o n f o r c o n t e m p t a g a i n s t t h e husband. issued an order On O c t o b e r 25, 2010, t h e c i r c u i t that stated, i n pertinent part, court that the w i f e ' s c o n t e m p t m o t i o n " s h a l l be h e a r d a t t h e f i n a l h e a r i n g i n this matter." The circuit court h e a r i n g on J a n u a r y 12 a n d 14, 2 0 1 1 . circuit court entered i t s judgment conducted contempt. On M a r c h ore tenus On F e b r u a r y 8, 2 0 1 1 , t h e divorcing however, t h e judgment f a i l e d t o d i s p o s e for an the parties; of the wife's 7, 2 0 1 1 , t h e w i f e motion f i l e d a motion t o a l t e r , amend, o r v a c a t e t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t ' s j u d g m e n t p u r s u a n t to Rule 59, A l a . R. w i f e ' s postjudgment C i v . P. The c i r c u i t m o t i o n on May 4, 2 0 1 1 . timely notice of appeal t o t h i s This judgments court The w i f e c o u r t on June c o u r t has a p p e l l a t e j u r i s d i c t i o n denied the 9, 2 0 1 1 . over appeals t h a t a r e f i n a l . § 12-22-2, A l a . Code 1975. "'"A f i n a l j u d g m e n t i s a t e r m i n a t i v e decision by a court of competent j u r i s d i c t i o n w h i c h d e m o n s t r a t e s t h e r e has been complete a d j u d i c a t i o n o f a l l m a t t e r s i n c o n t r o v e r s y between t h e l i t i g a n t s w i t h i n the c o g n i z a n c e o f t h a t c o u r t . That i s , i t 3 filed a from 2100860 must be conclusive and certain in itself A l l m a t t e r s s h o u l d be d e c i d e d ; damages s h o u l d be a s s e s s e d w i t h s p e c i f i c i t y leaving the parties with nothing to d e t e r m i n e on t h e i r own." " ' ' J e w e l l v. 2d 623, 625 Jackson & W h i t s i t t Cotton ( A l a . 1976). Brown v. M e l t o n , v. McGill, t h i s case, 888 29 So. So. 2d 3d 868, 502, 872 504 Co., 331 So. (Ala. 2009)(quoting ( A l a . C i v . App. McGill 2004)). t h e c i r c u i t c o u r t has f a i l e d t o r e s o l v e t h e In wife's contempt motion. Logan presented v. Logan, a similar 40 So. 3d situation 721 to t h i s t h e h u s b a n d f i l e d f o r a d i v o r c e and order (Ala. Civ. court. the t r i a l r e q u i r i n g the p a r t i e s to m a i n t a i n a t 722. When t h e h u s b a n d f a i l e d the contempt motion c o u r t d i d n o t have j u r i s d i c t i o n case, court issued s t a t u s quo. Id. We Id. of the determined over the The trial wife's that appeal. "'"A f i n a l j u d g m e n t i s one t h a t d i s p o s e s o f a l l t h e c l a i m s and c o n t r o v e r s i e s b e t w e e n t h e p a r t i e s . " ' S a n d e r s v. S a n d e r s , 32 So. 3d 597, 599 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2009) ( q u o t i n g H e a s t o n v. N a b o r s , 889 So. 2d 588, 590 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 4 ) ) . '[A] t r i a l c o u r t ' s f a i l u r e t o r u l e on a c o n t e m p t m o t i o n r e l a t i n g t o an i n t e r l o c u t o r y order would render any subsequent 4 an t o make a m o n t h l y m o r t g a g e f a i l e d to dispose i n i t s judgment. 2009), In t h a t payment, t h e w i f e f i l e d a m o t i o n f o r c o n t e m p t . court conducted a h e a r i n g but App. this 2100860 judgment n o n f i n a l because the f i l i n g of the contempt m o t i o n w o u l d n o t be c o n s i d e r e d as h a v i n g i n i t i a t e d a s e p a r a t e p r o c e e d i n g . ' D e c k e r v. D e c k e r , 984 So. 2d 1216, 1220 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2007) . I n t h e p r e s e n t case, the t r i a l c o u r t ' s f a i l u r e to d i s p o s e of the wife's S e p t e m b e r 3, 2008, m o t i o n f o r contempt renders the trial court's December 23, 2008, j u d g m e n t n o n f i n a l . T h e r e f o r e , t h e w i f e ' s a p p e a l must be d i s m i s s e d . See S a n d e r s v. S a n d e r s , 32 So. 3d a t 599; and B r u n s o n v. B r u n s o n , 991 So. 2d 723 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 7 ) . " Id. at 723. In the present case, we conclude that b e t w e e n t h e p a r t i e s have n o t b e e n r e s o l v e d . failed an wife's f i l i n g have i n i t i a t e d hold the circuit order -- the s t a t u s quo of the contempt motion a separate proceeding. husband in contempt remains The court that related order. cannot claims The c i r c u i t t o r u l e on t h e w i f e ' s c o n t e m p t m o t i o n interlocutory a l l the be Thus, the considered to w i f e ' s motion pending before to the c o u r t , r e n d e r i n g t h a t c o u r t ' s judgment n o n f i n a l . n o n f i n a l judgment w i l l to A n o t s u p p o r t an a p p e a l ; t h e r e f o r e , t h i s c o u r t must d i s m i s s t h e w i f e ' s appeal. APPEAL DISMISSED. Thompson, P.J., and Pittman, concur. 5 Bryan, and Moore, JJ.,

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