Scott v. Scott
Scott v. Scott
Opinion of the Court
The appeal is from a judgment awarding custody and fixing the sum of $30 per week as support for three named minor children of the parties; said order being attacked as invalid because rendered independently of a- divorce action as contemplated by Arts. 4631, 4639, and 4639a,' V.A.C.S.
These further matters are reflected in the court’s findings of fact: “(3) That the plaintiff is a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida; that she has never been a legal resident of the State of Texas. (6) That the children haye always resided with their mother, plaintiff in this action, and have resided in St. Petersburg, Florida, all of their lives, and have not been in the State of Texas, either before filing or during this 'cause of action. (9) That since July 12, 1952 defendant has not always paid the sum of $45 per week to the plaintiff, but has paid at least $25 per week regularly since that time. (11) The defendant did not contest the wife’s claim of custody, and has always agreed that his wife could and should have custody of the minor children, asking only that she allow him to visit with them. In the separation contract he signed when he left Florida, this was provided for.” The trial judge found as a matter of law, however, that: “* * * this court has jurisdiction and authority to give custody of the minor children to the plaintiff herein in the absence of a suit for divorce, adoption, desertion, habeas corpus, dependent and neglected child, and delinquent cases.”
No issue of custody is involved in the instant situation; and until enactment of Senate Bill 39, 54th Legislature, ch. 365, 1955 Session Laws, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 4639b, effective September 6, 1955, the District Court was not authorized to entertain suits for support of minor children (as in the case here) absent a bona fide suit for divorce. The court, therefore, upon finding of petitioner’s above disqualifications, should have dismissed her suit inclusive of the ancillary relief prayed for; Pappas v. Pappas, Tex.Civ.App., 146 S.W.2d 1115; Forse v. Forse, Tex.Civ.App., 220 S.W.2d 342; Yeater v. Yeater, Tex.Civ.App., 243 S.W.2d 389. We conclude that appellee’s cited case of Worden v. Worden, 148 Tex. 356, 224 S.W.2d 187, is not in point. There, the father unlawfully seized the minor child of the separated couple on an Arlington, Virginia, street, transporting it to Dallas, Texas; the trial court in habeas corpus proceedings simply ordering a restoration of the status quo.
The judgment below is accordingly reversed; order of custody and support set aside; with instructions to dismiss appel-lee’s suit for divorce based upon the finding of statutory disqualification.
Reversed and remanded with instructions.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.