v.
Tyler C. Jensen
09/04/2024 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE April 10, 2024 Session
VICTORIA C. JENSEN v. TYLER C. JENSEN
Appeal from the Chancery Court for Hamilton County No. 21-0223 Pamela A. Fleenor, Chancellor No. E2023-00315-COA-R3-CV
In this divorce action, the husband appeals the trial court’s (1) distribution of the marital estate; (2) award to the wife of modifiable transitional alimony; and (3) two awards to the wife of alimony in solido, one for half of what the court found to be assets dissipated by the husband and one for attorney’s fees incurred in prosecuting the divorce. The husband also appeals the trial court’s adoption of the wife’s proposed permanent parenting plan and a requirement that the husband attend in-person reunification therapy with the parties’ children in their home city of Chattanooga. Upon careful review, we determine that the trial court erred in failing to set a determinate time period for transitional alimony, and we accordingly modify the transitional alimony award to a five-year period. We affirm the trial court’s judgment in all other respects. Exercising our discretion, we deny the wife’s request for an award of attorney’s fees on appeal.
Tenn. R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Chancery Court Affirmed as Modified; Case Remanded
THOMAS R. FRIERSON, II, J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which D. MICHAEL SWINEY, C.J., and KRISTI M. DAVIS, J., joined.
Lisa Bowman, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the appellant, Tyler C. Jensen.
John P. Konvalinka and Lawson Konvalinka, Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the appellee, Victoria C. Jensen.
OPINION
I. Factual and Procedural Background
The plaintiff, Victoria C. Jensen (“Wife”), and the defendant, Tyler C. Jensen (“Husband”), were married in February 2011 in California and had two children born of
the marriage: a son born in July 2011 and a daughter born in October 2013 (collectively, “the Children”). The parties subsequently relocated from California to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they purchased improved real property located on Glenview Avenue in the Lookout Mountain area (“the Marital Residence”). The parties separated on or about March 6, 2021. According to the final divorce decree, at the time of the separation, both parties were employed and were able to work remotely, Husband in online advertising and Wife in digital marketing. It is undisputed that after the separation, Husband resided primarily in Texas with his paramour, S.S., and her minor son. Husband testified at trial that he had leased a townhome in Chattanooga for one year beginning in May or June of 2021, but he acknowledged that he had only stayed in the townhome for “[m]aybe a month total.”
On April 1, 2021, Wife filed a complaint for divorce in the Hamilton County Chancery Court (“trial court”), alleging irreconcilable differences or, in the alternative, adultery and inappropriate marital conduct. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-4-101 (11), (14) (West July 1, 2007, to current). She requested awards of temporary and permanent spousal support and asked that the trial court set Husband’s child support obligation pursuant to the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines. Wife also requested an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses. Wife concomitantly filed a proposed permanent parenting plan wherein she would be designated the primary residential parent with all major decision-making authority for the Children. Under this plan, Wife requested that Husband be responsible for child support and for the Children’s health insurance.
On April 30, 2021, Wife filed a motion to enforce the automatic statutory injunctions provided in Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-4-106(d)(1) and a motion for temporary child support. In support of both motions, Wife contemporaneously filed a declaration stating that on April 28, 2021, she learned that Husband had failed to make his routine monthly payment for a country club membership and that he had removed his bank account from the automatic payment for the membership.
Husband filed an answer and counter-complaint on May 13, 2021, admitting that irreconcilable differences existed between the parties while denying that he was guilty of inappropriate marital conduct. In his counter-complaint, Husband alleged irreconcilable differences or, in the alternative, Wife’s inappropriate marital conduct as a ground for divorce. In response to Wife’s request for spousal support, Husband denied that Wife needed or that he had the ability to pay alimony. He also requested an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs. Husband attached a proposed temporary parenting plan wherein he requested designation as the primary residential parent with 183 days of annual co-parenting time and joint decision-making authority for the parties. He also requested that the trial court set a child support obligation for Wife pursuant to the Child Support Guidelines. Under Husband’s plan, Wife was to be responsible for maintaining the Children’s health insurance.
[*2]Wife filed a reply to Husband’s counter-complaint on May 17, 2021, denying that she was guilty of inappropriate marital conduct. On June 24, 2021, Husband filed a motion to allocate the parties’ expenses, requesting that Wife pay some of the parties’ expenses prior to trial because Husband was paying a “disproportionately high amount of the parties’ expenses” and “simply [could] not afford all the marital expenses as is.”
On July 30, 2021, the trial court entered an agreed order regarding Wife’s motions for temporary child support and to enforce the statutory injunction. The trial court ordered the parties to participate in mediation and “continue to make all normal payments for regular monthly bills” in a timely fashion. The court directed Husband to begin making monthly temporary child support payments in the amount of $1,486.00.
On August 17, 2021, Wife filed a motion to hold Husband in civil contempt, alleging that Husband had willfully violated the agreed order by failing to make regular monthly payments on the parties’ mortgage, Wife’s vehicle loan, and “charges associated with the parties’ memberships at certain country clubs including, but not limited to The Lookout Mountain Club, the parties’ streaming services, the parties’ food delivery account, and [Wife’s] gym membership.” Wife also alleged that Husband had harassed and threatened her, averring that on March 6, 2021, Husband had been arrested and charged with domestic assault in connection with an incident involving Wife at the Marital Residence, which the parties’ son witnessed.
Attached to Wife’s contempt motion was an order entered by the Hamilton County General Sessions Court (“general sessions court”), granting Husband’s bail upon issuance of an order of protection prohibiting him from contacting or coming around Wife. Wife also averred that Husband and S.S. had contacted Chattanooga police on July 29, 2021, and had accused Wife of harassment, resulting in Wife’s arrest on August 11, 2021, at the Marital Residence in front of the Children. Wife was subsequently released the same evening, and she maintained that the harassment accusation had been without cause.
Husband filed a response on August 31, 2021, opposing Wife’s contempt motion on the grounds that (1) all allegedly unpaid bills had been paid, (2) Wife was estopped from claiming purported violations of the no-contact order because the general sessions court had determined that Husband had not been in violation of the order, (3) Wife had harassed Husband by making death threats aimed at S.S., and (4) the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to enforce criminal court bond conditions. Husband claimed that Wife’s arrest had been due, inter alia, to her alleged actions of blocking Husband’s vehicle from leaving on July 29, 2021, and making death threats against S.S.
[*3]On September 23, 2021, Husband filed a motion for appraisal of the Marital Residence, requesting that the trial court order an appraisal by an independent professional to be funded by Wife because the parties disagreed as to the valuation. Husband concomitantly filed a motion to adopt his previously filed proposed temporary parenting plan as in the best interest of the Children during the pendency of the divorce. Husband subsequently filed a motion on November 23, 2021, requesting holiday co- parenting time and adoption of his proposed temporary parenting plan.
Following a hearing, the trial court entered an order on January 10, 2022, concerning the pending motions. The court found that Husband was in civil contempt as to his temporary child support obligation but was not in contempt regarding his obligation to pay monthly household bills. Finding that the July 2021 order had been ambiguous regarding the parties’ respective responsibilities to pay household expenses, the court clarified that Husband would be responsible for expenses historically paid by him, including, but not limited to, mortgage payments, car loan payments, and the Lookout Mountain Club membership payment. The court adopted an announced agreement of the parties that Husband would enjoy holiday parenting time from December 25, 2021, at 4:00 p.m. to December 29, 2021, at 4:00 p.m., subject to conditions that he exercise the parenting time in Hamilton County, be supervised by an individual identified in the order, refrain from driving with the Children, and refrain from alcohol consumption. The court awarded to Wife reasonable attorney’s fees with respect to her contempt motion. Wife’s counsel subsequently filed an affidavit of reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses related to the contempt motion, requesting an award of $7,958.50.
Wife filed a second motion for civil contempt and enforcement of the statutory injunctions on January 20, 2022, alleging that Husband had willfully violated both the July 30, 2021 and January 10, 2022 orders. Wife specifically claimed that Husband had failed to pay the mortgage, the vehicle loan payment, the Lookout Mountain Club membership fees, and late fees incurred on the mortgage and vehicle loan. Wife also alleged that Husband had removed his credit card from the parties’ streaming service, the parties’ food delivery account, and Wife’s gym membership. Wife requested that the trial court hold Husband in civil contempt or, alternatively, order Husband to comply with Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-4-106 with respect to the payment of the parties’ regular bills to maintain the marital standard of living. She again requested an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in connection to the motion.
On February 1, 2022, Husband again filed a motion requesting that the trial court adopt his proposed parenting plan as a temporary parenting plan pending the divorce proceedings. He averred that he had only seen the Children for one night since March 2021. Husband also averred that during what was to have been his holiday co-parenting time, he had only been able to see the Children on December 28, 2021. He alleged that Wife had withheld the Children from him and that the designated visitation supervisor had been out of town.
[*4]Husband’s then-counsel, Leah E. Smith, filed a motion to withdraw on February 24, 2022, stating that a conflict had arisen between Husband and counsel. Wife filed a response, not opposing the motion to withdraw but requesting that the trial court sanction Husband personally for misrepresentations to the court. Wife averred that Husband had failed to appear for a scheduled contempt hearing on February 8, 2022, having told the court that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to participate in the hearing either in person or virtually. Wife alleged that through a private investigator, Husband had been observed in Texas on February 8, 2022, running outside, going to the gym without wearing a mask, and “leaving his residence in the company of others with at least one bottle of wine.” Wife attached to her response an investigation report with the investigator’s affidavit, photographs, and video taken of Husband. Wife subsequently presented the investigation report during a hearing on her second contempt motion.
On March 22, 2022, the trial court entered an order substituting attorney Fisher Wise as Husband’s counsel. On March 28, 2022, Husband filed a motion to recuse the trial court chancellor, averring that during a contempt hearing in December 2021, the chancellor had noted for the record that a potential witness identified by Wife, Jack Silberman, was a friend to the chancellor. In his motion to recuse, Husband asserted that because Wife’s counsel had subpoenaed email messages between Husband and Mr. Silberman, it was clear that Mr. Silberman’s testimony would be important during the trial. The next day, Husband filed a motion to reduce his temporary child support and marital expense obligations while also filing an amended motion to recuse. Wife timely filed a response opposing the motion to recuse.
Following a hearing, the trial court entered two orders on April 20, 2022, in the first denying Husband’s motion and amended motion to recuse. In addition to finding the motions procedurally deficient, the court found that Husband had filed the motions “for the improper purpose of causing a delay” and had “failed to assert any of the grounds for disqualification” contained in Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 10B. The court noted that when the chancellor had disclosed her personal relationship with Mr. Silberman in open court more than three months prior to Husband’s filing the motion to recuse, Husband had raised no objection either orally in court or by timely written motion. Husband did not appeal the denial of his motion and amended motion to recuse.
Also on April 20, 2022, the trial court entered an order granting Wife’s second motion for contempt upon finding that Husband had willfully failed to make timely child support payments; failed to pay mortgage payments associated with the Marital Residence, vehicle payments, and expenses relative to the Lookout Mountain Club; and removed his credit card from the accounts for the parties’ streaming service, the parties’ food delivery service, and Wife’s gym membership. Noting Husband’s assertion that he was currently unemployed and did not have the means to make all the payments required of him, the court determined that Husband was “voluntarily unemployed and [had] chosen to satisfy certain other financial liabilities . . . .” Moreover, the court made an express finding that Husband’s testimony was not credible. Finding a total arrearage, inclusive of child support and other support obligations, in the amount of $18,892.82, the court ordered Husband to pay $1,000.00 monthly to Wife on the arrearage. The court lifted the statutory injunction against dissipating marital property for “the limited purpose of allowing [Husband] to withdraw funds” from his simplified employee pension individual retirement account (“SEP-IRA”) “to pay his temporary child support and/or satisfy the monthly liabilities of the mortgage for the marital residence, the Land Rover note, and The Lookout Mountain Club.” Finally, the court found that Wife was entitled to an award of reasonable attorney’s fees associated with her second contempt motion, and Wife subsequently filed an affidavit of reasonable attorney’s fees related to that motion.
[*5]The trial court conducted a bench trial concerning all remaining contested issues in this case on September 29, 2022. In addition to the parties’ testimonies, the court heard testimony from two property appraisers. Wife presented the testimony and report of Henry B. Glascock, who had appraised the Marital Residence at a value of $400,000.00. In setting his valuation, Mr. Glascock noted significant repairs that needed to be made on the Marital Residence, including structural repairs. Mr. Glascock testified that he had been contacted by Husband’s former counsel and retained by both parties to render an independent appraisal report. Husband presented the testimony and report of Charles (“Chuck”) E. Tindell, Jr., who appraised the Marital Residence at a value of $710,000.00. In setting his valuation, Mr. Tindell testified that he had incorporated the “sales comparison approach,” focusing on the recent market for homes in the area where the Marital Residence was located. Mr. Tindell testified that he had been retained through Husband’s counsel. At the close of trial, the court directed the parties to each file proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law solely as to Husband’s income, which they did.
The trial court entered a “Memorandum Opinion and Final Decree of Divorce” on February 1, 2023, granting to Wife a divorce on stipulated grounds of adultery and inappropriate marital conduct. The court accepted Wife’s proposed findings regarding Husband’s income, finding his average gross monthly earnings since 2017 to have been $8,819.00 and his net monthly earnings to have been $8,321.00. Based on an estimate of his 2022 income, Husband had proposed a finding that his gross monthly income was $5,667.00. The court also adopted Wife’s proposed permanent parenting plan in full. In a section of the decree entitled, “CREDIBILITY,” the court found “Wife to be credible” and stated that it had “repeatedly found Husband not to be credible in various hearings in this cause as well as the divorce trial.” The court incorporated by reference its January 10, 2022 and April 20, 2022 orders finding Husband to be in contempt of court.
[*6]Regarding the division of the marital estate, the trial court first found that “all of the property belonging to the Parties is marital property.” The only valuation the court found to be at issue was that of the Marital Residence. Noting that the parties had paid $445,000.00 for the Marital Residence, the court considered the two appraisers’ testimonies and determined the fair market value to be $550,000.00.
Upon consideration of the applicable statutory factors, the trial court awarded the Marital Residence to Wife and set forth what it considered an equitable distribution of the parties’ other assets and debts. The court awarded what it found to be a total of $869,583.00 in assets to Wife and subtracted what it found to have been a $99,500.00 gift to her from Husband for total assets awarded to her of $770,083.00. Subtracting $417,906.00 in liabilities allocated to Wife, including the mortgage related to the Marital Residence, the trial court calculated Wife’s net portion of the marital estate to be worth $352,177.00.
The trial court awarded to Husband what it found to be a total of $250,471.00 in assets and $369,786.00 in liabilities for a net portion of the marital estate valued at negative (-) $119,315.00.1 The court determined this division to be equitable because (1) “Husband incurred the credit card debt for his own purposes outside of the marriage or because of his infidelity,” (2) Husband’s testimony “that he had incurred $156,000 of household debt at the time of separation” was not credible, and (3) “Husband is better able to repay the debt.” The court further found that “Husband does not have the income to pay Wife the alimony she deserves at this time.”
Having adopted Wife’s proposed findings as to Husband’s income, averaged at $8,819.00 gross monthly or $8,321.00 net monthly, the trial court found Wife’s gross monthly earnings to be $11,503.00 and her net monthly earnings, with estimated child support added, to be $8,485.00. Upon consideration of the factors provided in Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-5-121(i), the court awarded to Wife $100.00 in monthly transitional alimony.
[*7]The trial court also awarded to Wife alimony in solido based on its finding that Husband had dissipated marital assets. The court initially made the finding of dissipation within its analysis of the factors applicable to distribution of the marital estate. In consideration of Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-4-121(c)(5)—acquisition, preservation, appreciation, depreciation, or dissipation of the marital assets—the court determined that Husband had dissipated a total of $133,688.00 in marital funds, spending those funds on S.S. and her son. The court awarded to Wife an alimony in solido award in the amount of $66,844.00, representing half of the dissipated funds, with $25,000.00 to be paid immediately and the remainder to be paid at a rate of $500.00 monthly plus interest at the statutory rate.
In preparation for trial, each party filed a proposed permanent parenting plan. Both parties proposed a phased approach to affording Husband unsupervised co- parenting time with the Children and both provided for joint major decision-making on behalf of the Children. In its divorce decree, the trial court expressly adopted Wife’s proposed plan, which set forth three phases of residential parenting time for Husband: (1) supervised parenting time twice a week to be exercised in Chattanooga with no consumption of alcohol by Husband and use of a “Soberlink” device for ninety days after entry of the divorce decree; (2) unsupervised parenting time on alternate weekends to be exercised in Chattanooga with no consumption of alcohol by Husband and continued use of Soberlink for nine additional months after entry of the divorce decree; and (3) a conference between the parties or mediation to discuss allowing Husband to exercise parenting time in Texas and continued use of Soberlink, provided that Husband had remained sober during parenting time for twelve months after entry of the divorce decree.[2]
Before adopting Wife’s proposed permanent parenting plan, the trial court conducted an analysis of the best interest factors provided in Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-6-106(a). The court particularly noted that Husband had not seen the Children since December 28, 2021, approximately nine months prior to trial. The court found, inter alia, that Husband had failed in December 2021 to exercise his holiday co-parenting time except for one day, had not followed the temporary parenting plan, had demonstrated a drinking problem, and had committed an act of domestic violence toward Wife in the presence of the Children. The court further found that although Husband telephoned the Children “a few times a week,” the parties’ daughter was “very timid about [Husband].” The court determined that Wife’s proposed plan would “allow[] Husband to reestablish a relationship with [the] Children over a period of time” and that, considering all of the statutory factors, Wife’s plan was in the best interest of the Children. The court directed 2 The trial court further confirmed its adoption of Wife’s proposed permanent parenting plan in an “Order Adopting Permanent Parenting Plan and Child Support Worksheets,” entered on October 6, 2023, during the pendency of this appeal.
[*8]that Husband would need reunification therapy with the Children and that such should be paid for by Husband and should be “live in person and not virtual.”
The trial court determined that Husband should pay Wife’s reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in the divorce proceedings as alimony in solido and directed Wife’s counsel to file an affidavit of reasonable attorney’s fees. In its final decree, the trial court also awarded what it found to be reasonable attorney’s fees related to Wife’s two successful contempt petitions in a total amount of $13,713.50.
Also in the final decree, the trial court directed Husband to continue paying $1,000.00 per month toward the temporary support arrearage he had incurred, of which $18,000.00 remained at the time of trial. Husband was also ordered to pay child support, which was reflected on the child support worksheet as a monthly obligation in the amount of $1,086.00. The court directed that Wife would maintain health and dental insurance for the Children and that Husband would maintain a $500,000.00 life insurance policy naming Wife and the Children as beneficiaries.
On February 14, 2023, Husband’s trial counsel filed a motion requesting that he be allowed to withdraw from representation, and Wife filed a response objecting to the motion. Acting through his appellate counsel, Husband filed a notice of appeal with this Court on March 3, 2023. Meanwhile, Husband’s trial counsel filed a notice in the trial court on March 6, 2023, that Husband had filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Texas the day before. Following a hearing, the trial court entered an order on March 9, 2023, denying Husband’s trial counsel’s motion to withdraw upon determining that it could not rule on the motion to withdraw because “any action against the debtor is now stayed.” On March 24, 2023, the trial court entered an agreed order substituting Husband’s appellate counsel for his trial counsel.
Upon Wife’s motion for attorney’s fees and expenses and following a hearing, the trial court entered an order on March 9, 2023, awarding to Wife what it found to be reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses incurred during the divorce proceedings in the amount of $64,387.50. The court found that as a domestic support obligation, the attorney’s fee award fell under an exception to the automatic stay provision of 11 U.S.C. § 362(a). This Court entered an order on May 12, 2023, staying the appeal pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 362(a). Husband subsequently notified this Court that his bankruptcy proceeding had resulted in an order of discharge pursuant to chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Following the filing of the parties’ respective statements, wherein they each urged that the appeal should go forward, this Court entered an order on August 16, 2023, lifting the stay. This appeal then proceeded.
[*9]While this appeal was pending, Wife filed a third motion for civil contempt against Husband in the trial court on June 16, 2023, alleging violations of the July 2021 agreed order and the January 2022 order regarding civil contempt and payment of expenses. Wife simultaneously filed a motion for the trial court clerk to execute passport documents for the Children because Husband had allegedly refused requests to execute the documents despite an order entered by the trial court in February 2023 directing him to do so. The trial court entered an order on July 18, 2023, granting Wife’s motion regarding the passports and directing the clerk and master to execute the Children’s passport documents. Following a hearing during which Husband was represented by counsel but failed to appear personally, the trial court entered an order on October 6, 2023, again finding Husband in civil contempt of court for violating the January 2022 and July 2022 orders. The court directed Husband to continue paying timely child support and to pay “$50.00 per month to reimburse” Wife for the unpaid amounts. The court also granted to Wife reasonable attorney’s fees related to her third contempt motion.
II. Issues Presented
Husband presents four issues on appeal, which we have reordered and restated slightly as follows: