NJSBA Family Law Section

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Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

  • 1.  Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-01-2013 11:56 AM
    Listmates:

    Issue:  We represent the wife in a contested divorce. She moved out and was ordered to pay about half of the marital home carrying costs pendente lite.  The parties want to sell the home but the husband won't sign a listing agreement until there is a global settlement.  He also will not agree for the wife to be present when the realtor inspects the house to determine the listing price.

    Question:  Is there a viable motion to have the wife present when the realtor inspects, force the husband to sign the listing agreement and hold the proceeds in escrow pending the remainder of the settlement?  We'd also like to pursue attorneys fees for the motion and maybe include his counsel who is not helpful at all in moving this forward and even said that his client won't pay him to do certain things i.e. have counsel present at the house with the realtor. 

    Thank you.

    Jill

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    Jill Taylor Esq.
    Montclair NJ
    (862)
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  • 2.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-01-2013 01:31 PM

    EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION : MARITAL PREMISES

    "Although plaintiff's position is an understandable one and we agree with the trial judge that a delay in the marital residence would be ideal for the children, we are satisfied that the family part judge acted within his flexible authority in ordering the immediate sale of the marital residence.  The residence is the parties' most valuable asset. The equity from the sale will financially benefit all parties and further ensure defendant's ability to meet his child support obligations. Although the actual value of the marital residence is only speculative, the lower court repeatedly mentions that the immediate sale will be conducive to fulfill the parties' economic needs. If market conditions no longer support that conclusion, the trial court may reconsider its order. We, however, find no just cause to disturb the trial court's exercise of its sound discretion. Affirmed."

     

    Marinaro v. Marinaro, New Jersey App. Div., October 4, 2010

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    Charles Abut Esq.
    Hackensack NJ
    (201)342-0404

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  • 3.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-01-2013 01:48 PM
    But this is p.l., correct? I don't see a judge signing a current sale motion. Your client/you could get hit with a counsel fee award on that motion, unless the house is going into default/foreclosure and there is home equity that coukd be lost without immediatel sale.

    H may be a stubborn fool, or not, but you are not going to force a p.l. sale absent extraordinary facts.

    And as Bob Goldstein always asks, how do you know your adversary isn't reading your post and these responses?

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    Hanan Isaacs Esq.
    Kingston NJ
    (609)683-7400

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  • 4.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 09:11 AM

    Concur.
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    Curtis Romanowski Esq.
    Senior Attorney - Proprietor
    Brielle NJ
    (732)603-8585

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  • 5.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 10:48 AM

    Regina PELOW, Plaintiff,

    v.

    Frank A. PELOW, Defendant. 

    In divorce proceeding, wife moved for order requiring husband to assume portion of monthly payment for marital residence held by parties as tenants by the entirety, and husband moved for order requiring sale of residence. The Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part, Monmouth County, Hayser, J.T.C., temporarily assigned, held that pendente lite sale of residence was warranted.

     

    So ordered.

     


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    Charles Abut Esq.
    Hackensack NJ
    (201)342-0404

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  • 6.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 11:14 AM

    What were the compelling p.l. facts there, Sir Chas.??
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    Hanan Isaacs Esq.
    Kingston NJ
    (609)683-7400

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  • 7.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 11:24 AM
    Seems to me that, at worst, there is a conflict of authority. So, other than the fees which your client will incur, what have you got to lose by filing. Worst case scenario is the Judge does not order the sale.  However, filing also puts some pressure on the husband to try to make a deal.

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    Steven Rubenstein Esq.
    Montvale NJ
    (201) 802-9202

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  • 8.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 09:10 AM
    I based my earlier comments on your statement that "The parties want to sell the home but the husband won't sign a listing agreement until there is a global settlement. I took from that comment that the husband is in agreement with the sale, but simply does not want to until there is a global settlement. Cases like 

    Marinaro v. Marinaro, New Jersey App. Div., October 4, 2010 are quite fact sensitive. If your case measures up, you would then not need the husband's acquiescence. It is all about the facts.



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    Curtis Romanowski Esq.
    Senior Attorney - Proprietor
    Brielle NJ
    (732)603-8585

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  • 9.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-01-2013 02:01 PM

    Randazzo v. Randazzo, 184 N.J. 101 (2005). 

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    Megan Clark Esq.
    Newton NJ
    (973)579-9700

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  • 10.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 08:49 AM
    Nothing you can do to compel a litigant to accept a partial agreement. There may well be negative consequences to pass on to the husband, if these can be traced back to his unreasonable refusal to list, to accept a reasonable initial asking price, etc. There is nothing to support his refusal to have your client present at the realtor inspection. That can be handled with a telephone conference, if the judge will oblige you. Also nothing inherently wrong with a client refusing to authorize lawyering "extras," such as being present at certain events where the attorney's presence is really non-essential.

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    Curtis Romanowski Esq.
    Senior Attorney - Proprietor
    Brielle NJ
    (732)603-8585

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  • 11.  RE:Marital Home Sale Only After Global Settlement

    Posted 10-02-2013 11:22 AM

    Concur.
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    Hanan Isaacs Esq.
    Kingston NJ
    (609)683-7400

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