WPC 4Vj 0(yw@ 0J 0T3 0^ 0h 0rM 0| 0; 0 1uQ U, 0d UBV % U, U6 B) DC) AMl U* + Bv~+v D3| 0@ AO> 0D D/H Bw} 3|x($ DDDDDӀ2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Courier New% Line 7 d 7Border 1dd-!C << G<  9p`(Arial ! !  #d#  ##   YYY FILED#X May24,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.#AppellateCourtClerk  dPtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco %%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &Xd&#Xd#        \RA'\7XXdd7L"$!;+'h|`  `Lߛ@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ EASTERNSECTION SUSANANITARAY,   )C/ANO.03A019511CV00385      ) PlaintiffAppellee,  )RHEALAW      )v.      )HON.BUDDYD.PERRY,      )JUDGEWILLIAMFRANKLINRAY,  )̜      )AFFIRMEDAND DefendantAppellant. )REMANDEDSHERRYB.PATY,Chattanooga,forPlaintiffAppellee.JAMESW.McKENZIE,Dayton,forDefendantAppellant.@ OPINION @         Franks.J.  InthisactiontheTrialJudgedeterminedthepartieshadenteredintoacommonlawmarriage,anddividedthemaritalassetsanddebtsoftheparties.  WilliamRayhasappealed,insistingtheactionsoftheTrialCourtwereinerror.  WilliamRaywasdivorcedfromAppelleeSusanRayin1970.Subsequenttothedivorce,andduringthenexteighteenyears,adaughterwasborntotheparties,Duringthattimeperiod,theycohabitedinTennessee,Alabama,andFlorida.  TheTrialJudgefoundthatduringthesixmonthstheyresidedinAlabama,acommonlawmarriagewasentered.TheCourtsdivisionofpropertygavethewifetwothirdsoftheremainingbalanceona$44,000noteforthesaleofahouse.Allindebtednesswasassignedtothehusband.  TheelementsofacommonlawmarriageinAlabamaarecapacity,presentagreementorconsenttobehusbandandwife,publicrecognitionoftheexistenceofthemarriageandcohabitationormutualassumptionopenlyofmaritaldutiesandobligations.InReEstateofGlover,882S.W.2d789(Tenn.App.1994),citingAabergv.Aaberg, 512So.2d1375,1376(Ala.Ϝ1987).Clearandconvincingproofisnecessarytoprovetheexistenceofsuchmarriages.Bishopv.Bishop,330So.2d443,445(Ala.1976).Thisjurisdictionwillrecognizeavalidcommonlawmarriageenteredinajurisdictionwheresuchmarriagesaresanctioned.Andrewsv.SignalAutoParts,Inc.,492S.W.2d222(Tenn.1972).  SusantestifiedthepartieshadlivedashusbandandwifeinTuscumbia,AlabamafromJune1978toDecember1978.SherelatedthatWilliamintroducedhertotheirlandlordandhisfriendsfromworkas hiswife .Shetestifiedthepartieshadajointbankaccountandthatshewascarriedonhismedicalinsurancepolicyashiswife.SheintroducedevidenceshowingϜhehadsignedhospitaladmissionformsandmedicaldocumentsrepresentinghimselfasherhusbandandthattheyfiledamarriedjointtaxreturnthatyear.Thedaughteroftheparties,testifiedthatalthoughshewasyoungwhentheylivedinAlabama,sherememberedtheirreferringtoeachotherinpublicashusbandandwife.Shedidnotknowuntilseveralyearslaterthatherparentswerenotmarriedthroughamarriageceremony,buttheyallhadlivedtogether,likea normalfamily. WilliamtestifiedthatthepartieslivedapartattimesandhewasnotsurewhereSusanandhisdaughterlivedduringthatperiod.HetestifiedthatalthoughhehadworkedatnearbyMuscleShoals,Alabama,hecouldnotrememberifhehadlivedinTuscumbia.TheTrialCourtconcludedthathistestimonywasnotcredible.  TheTrialCourtsassessmentofcredibilityisgivengreatweightinourCourt.Leekv.Powell,884S.W.2d118(Tenn.App.1994),andtherecorddemonstratesWilliamstestimonywasverycontradictoryandevasive.TheTrialJudgefoundSusanstestimonycredible,thatthecouplehadheldeachotherouttothepublicasmarried,whilelivinginthesamehouseholdashusbandandwife.This,alongwithWilliamswrittenrepresentationsofmarriageonthemedicalform,jointtaxreturns,andhisinsuranceplan,constitutesclearandconvincingevidencetoestablishtheelementsofcapacity,presentagreement,publicrecognition,andcohabitation.SeeInReEstateofGlover;alsoseeWallerv.Waller,567So.2d869(Ala.Civ.App.1990).InWaller,theAlabamaCourtfoundthecommonlawmarriagebetweenthepartieswheretheyhadresumedtheirrelationshipaftertheirdivorceandlivedtogetherwiththeirchildren,publiclyholdingthemselvesoutasmarried,purchasinganewhomewithjointfundsandexecutingamortgagethereonashusbandandwife.WeagreewiththeTrialCourtthattheevidenceestablishedtheexistenceofacommonlawmarriage.  AppellantarguesthattheCourterredinmakinghimresponsibleforalloutstandingmaritaldebtsandawardingthewifetwothirdsoftheremainingbalanceonanoteforthesaleoftheirWalnutGrovehome.Heinsiststhatanequaldivisionofassetswouldbemoreequitable.  UnderT.C.A.364121,theTrialCourtisgivenwidediscretionindividingmaritalproperty.򀀀SeeFisherv.Fisher,648S.W.2d244,246(Tenn.1983).Thereviewoftheassetdistributionisdenovowithapresumptionofcorrectness.T.R.A.P.13(d);Lancasterv.Lancaster,671S.W.2d501,502(Tenn.App.1984).Anequitabledivisionofthepropertydoesnotnecessarilymeananequaldivision.Barnhillv.Barnhill,826S.W.2d443(Tenn.App.1991).  TheTrialCourtfoundthatthehusbandoverstatedtheamountofmoneyowedandthatthehusbandsandhiswitnesssϜtestimoniesregardingloantransactionswerenotcredible.Theevidenceestablishesthatlargeamountsofcashweregivenforadiscountedpromissorynoterepresentingthesaleofthemaritalhome.Giventhesetransactions,thewifestestimonythatrecordsofearliertransactionshadbeen padded, alongwiththehusbandsinabilitytoproduceanyrecordsdemonstratingthattheloanswereactuallyincurred,amplydemonstratethattheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainsttheTrialCourtsdivisionofthemaritalpropertyanddebts.T.R.A.P.Rule13(d).  WeaffirmthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtandremandatappellantscost.          ________________________      HerschelP.Franks,J.CONCUR:___________________________HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.___________________________WilliamH.Inman,Sr.J.