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157 Cal. App. 2d 369

Burton v. Burton

California Court of Appeal

Decided February 3, 1958

California Court of Appeal · decided 1958-02-03

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently July 1982

2 state decisions

Relies on Miller v. Miller · 128 Cal. App. 2d 435 - Kuchera v. Kuchera

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1958-02-03

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DRAPEAU, J.*

¶1This is an appeal from an order setting aside a final judgment of divorce.

¶2The complaint was by the husband against the wife for desertion. (Not for cruelty, as stated in appellant’s brief.)

¶3Service was by publication, but the defendant wife received copies of the complaint and summons through the mail, at her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She did not appear and contest the action.

¶4Interlocutory decree of divorce is dated July 6, 1955; final judgment is dated July 11, 1956.

¶5*370The order vacating the final judgment is dated February 28, 1957.

¶6No testimony was taken by the court, and the order vacating the judgment was made upon conflicting affidavits.

¶7The wife’s affidavit was to the effect that there had been a reconciliation between her and her husband, after the interlocutory and before the final decree. This was supported by the affidavit of a friend of the family. He said that he saw these two people in bed together at Baton Rouge.

¶8The husband filed his affidavit, denying these averments.

¶9This court finds that the facts stated in defendant’s affidavits are sufficient to support the order.

¶10. Rule 20 of the .Rules for Superior Courts provides that before any final judgment of divorce shall be made or entered, the party applying for it shall submit to the court at the time he makes his motion for a final judgment an affidavit to the effect that, among other things, (a) the parties have not become reconciled, and (b) that they have not lived or cohabited together, since the granting of the interlocutory decree.

¶11If an affidavit supporting a motion for a final decree of divorce is false in any material respect the decree based upon it must fall because of the fraud practiced upon the court. (Miller v. Miller, 26 Cal.2d 119, 121 [156 P.2d 931].)

¶12When an issue of fact has been submitted to a trial court upon affidavits, and an appeal has been taken from the order based thereon, if there is substantial conflict in material statements in the affidavits the determination of the factual issues by the trial court is conclusive upon appeal. (Kuchera v. Kuchera, 128 Cal.App.2d 435, 440 [275 P.2d 610].)

¶13The judgment is affirmed.

¶14White, P. J., and Fourt, J., concurred.

¶15Assigned by Chairman of Judicial Council.

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