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($$   1  ((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd !  99TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7XXdd7    6XX  C9r )<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxP,  r9CCCC99CCC@  INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEECt )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP tߛC@(ATNASHVILLE XX6Ԉ  JAMESROWLANDMOORE, 8   )    0      8   ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   8   ) `X    0      8   )  AppealNo. F>    0      8   )  01A019708CV00444 ,$  МVS.  0      8   )     0      8   )  DavidsonCircuit     0      8   )  No.94D2612   KARENOWENMOORE,   8   )   @      H!  #     0      8   ) Defendant/Appellee. 8   )  @ APPEALEDFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTY@#ATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@= = THEHONORABLEMURIELROBINSON,JUDGELINDAF.BURNSED̜AMYBRYSONSMITH424ChurchStreet,Suite1750Nashville,Tennessee37219 AttorneysforPlaintiff/AppellantSANDRAJONES213ThirdAvenue,NorthNashville,Tennessee37201 AttorneyforDefendant/Appellee@||$REVERSEDANDREMANDED  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL  0      8     PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.CONCUR:KOCH,J.CAIN,J. EXX@tt(OPINION XXEԈ ;x4:9 Ї  0 Aftera1996divorcebytheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountythehusbandfiledanindependentdamagesactioninthe0C01c1hancery2C23c3ourt,allegingthatthewifefraudulentlyinducedhimtoenterintothedivorcesettlement.ThewifefiledaRule60.02motioninthedivorcecourtseekingadeclarationthatshewasnotguiltyoffraud.Thedivorcecourtruledthatthechancerycourtwasboundbythecircuitcourtsjudgmentandthatthehusbandmustpay$2500inattorneysfeestothewifeforservicesintheRule60.02motion.Wereverse.@- I.  h`   0 Thepartiesweredivorcedin1996byanorderoftheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCounty.Priortotheentryofthedivorce,thepartiesnegotiatedasettlementofthemaritalhome.Thewifeagreedtopaythehusband$9,000forhisequitableinterestinthehomeinexchangeforaquitclaimofthatinteresttothewife.ThisagreementwasformalizedbyanagreedorderenteredinthedivorcecourtonJuly5,1995.Thefinalordergrantingthedivo4r4ceanddisposingoftheremainingissueswasenteredonMay20,1996.  0 OnoraboutJanuary17,1997,Mr.MoorefiledacomplaintintheDavidsonCountyChanceryCourtaccusingMs.Mooreoffraudulentmisrepresentationsinthemaritalhometransaction.Specifically,thecomplaintallegedthatMs.MoorewasarealestateagentandthatsheandherattorneyrepresentedtoMr.Moorethathisinterestinthehomeamountedto$9,000whentheyknewsuchrepresentationswerefalseandthatthevaluewasmuchhigher.Thecomplaintfurtherallegesthatthe$9,000valuewasbasedonatotalvalueforthehomeof$215,000,asrepresentedbyMs.Moore,butthatshesoldthehouseinSeptemberof1995for$238,500.Thecomplaintsoughtcompensatoryandpunitivedamagesandattorneysfeesandaskedforajurytotrytheissues. d9\28   0 OnMay2,1997Ms.Moorefiledamotiontodismissorinthealternative,forsummaryjudgmentinthechancerycourt.SheassertedthatMr.Moorewasestoppedfromraisingthefraudissueinthechancerycourt,thatthejudgmentofthedivorcecourtwasresjudicata,andthatthedivorcecourthadexclusivejurisdictionoverthequestion.Atsomepointnotclearfromtherecord,Ms.Mooreansweredthecomplaintandraisedthesamedefensesthatsheraisedinherpriormotions.  0 OnMay2,1997Ms.MoorealsofiledamotioninthedivorcecourtseekingareviewunderRule60.02,Tenn.R.Civ.Proc.todetermine whetherfraudwasperpetratedupontheCourtandDefendantinthiscause.ThemotionalsoassertedthatMr.MooreschancerycourtactionwasfrivolousandthatthedivorcecourtshouldawardsanctionspursuanttoRule11,Tenn.R.Civ.Proc.  0 ThechancerycourtoverruledMs.Mooresmotiontodismiss.Thecourtheldthatthecomplaintstatedacauseofactionforfraud,butthecourtdeferredarulingontheothermatterspendingbeforeituntilthedivorcecourtruledontheRule60.02motion.  0 ThedivorcecourtheardtheRule60.02motiononJuly11,1997andthereafterenteredanorderholding(1)that Mr.MooresequitableinterestinthepartiesrealpropertyisresjudicataandbindingontheChanceryCourt,and(2)thattheJune23,1995agreedorder isnotcontractualanddoesnotconstituteacontractbutispartofthefinalresolutionofthedivorceactionandispartoftheFinalDecreeofDivorce. 926 Ї@- II.     0 Wethinkmostoftheconfusioninthiscasearisesfromafundamentalmisunderstandingofwhatisinvolved.First,thechancerycourtactionisanactionfordamagesbasedonfraudanddeceit.Itisnotanactionforrelieffromthejudgment.Thechancerycourtcomplaintdoesnotaskthatthedivorcedecreebesetaside,altered,ormodifiedinanyway.Itseekscompensatoryandpunitivedamagesforthedefendantsallegedmisrepresentationsinthedivisionofthemaritalhome.8 80 ! ! Thisisaseparate,independent,anddistinctaction....Notwithstandingthatthepropertysettlementagreementmayhavebeenincorporatedintothedivorcedecree,oneoptionavailabletoplaintifftoseekredressfortheallegedfraudofdefendantsistosuefordamagesatlawunderthetheoryoffraudanddeceit. 0 0  Tannerv.Tanner(Tenn.Ct.App.,filedatJacksonJuly31,1985).SeealsoVance  v.Schulder,547S.W.2d927(Tenn.1977).Wewouldonlyaddthat,inouropinion, xp andcontrarytothecircuitcourtsorder,theagreementtodividethemaritalhomedoesretainitscontractualstatus,despitebeingincorporatedintothecircuitcourtsorder.SeePenlandv.Penland,521S.W.2d222(Tenn.1975). $   0 Second,Ms.MooresRule60.02motionfiledinthecircuitcourthadnolegitimatepurpose.Rule60providesavenuesforrelieffromafinaljudgment.ButMs.Mooresmotiondidnotseekanyrelieffromthecircuitcourtsfinaljudgment.Strippedtoitsbareessentials,themotionsimplysoughtadeclarationbythecircuitcourtthatMr.Mooreschanceryactionhadnomeritacuriousreversalofthehistoricrelationshipbetweenthetwocourts.Thatsuchreliefisbeyondthepowerofthecircuitcourtshouldbeapparent.Butevenifthepowerexisted,itshouldbeevenmoreapparentthatitisnotinvokedbyaRule60.02motion.  6/3   0 Finally,inperhapsthestr5a56o6ngestaspectofthisstrangecase,thecircuit courtassessedsanctionsunderRule11,Tenn.R.Civ.Proc.forwhatthecourtdeemedwasMr.Mooresfrivolouslawsuitinchancery.ThereisnoallegationthatMr.MooremisrepresentedanythinginrespondingtotheRule60.02motion,orthathispositionwasnottenableundertheapplicablelaw.Hedidnotvoluntarilyseekanyrelieffromthecircuitcourt;hewascompelledtorespondtoMs.Mooresefforttoseekthecourtsprotectionfromthechanceryaction.InouropiniontheRule11sanctionsweremisplaced.@zz, III.     0 ItmaybethatMr.Mooreschanceryactionisfrivolous,wetakenopositiononthemeritsofthatcase,butthechancerycourthasthetoolstodealwithfrivolouslawsuits.WesimplyrecognizethatMr.Moorehadtherighttofilethechanceryactionandthatthecircuitcourthadnopowertoruleonitsmerits-dismissit-ortoimposesanctionsforitsfiling.  0 ThejudgmentofthelowercourtisreversedandthecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountyforanyfurtherproceedingsthatmaybecomenecessary.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellee.  0      8       0      8     _____________________________  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,  0      8     PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.CONCUR:̜.._____________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE̜//_____________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE 926 Л  ǞXXY @.7INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @(ATNASHVILLE7 7XYXǞԈ  МJAMESROWLANDMOORE, 8   )     0      8   ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   8   )  AppealNo.    0      8   )  01A019708CV00444     0      8   )     VS.  0      8   )  DavidsonCircuit     0      8   )  No.94D2612     0      8   )   |  KARENOWENMOORE,   8   )  Reversedand   H!  #  tl    0      8   )  Remanded d\  Defendant/Appellee. 8   ) TL ЛǞXXY @uu'JUDGMENT  4, XYXǞ  0 Thiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromthe `X МCircuitCourtofDavidsonCounty,briefsandargumentofcounsel;uponconsiderationwhereof,thisCourtisoftheopinionthatinthejudgmentofthetrialcourtthereisreversibleerror.  0 InaccordancewiththeopinionoftheCourtfiledherein,itis,therefore,orderedandadjudgedthatthejudgmentofthetrialcourtisreversed.ThecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountyforanyfurtherproceedingnecessaryandforthecollectionofthecostsaccruedbelow.  0 CostsofthisappealaretaxedagainstKarenOwenMoore,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  0      8 ______________________________________̜  0      8 BENH.CANTRELL,PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.̛̜  0      8 ______________________________________  0      8 WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  0      8 ______________________________________  0      8 WILLIAM78B.CAIN,JUDGE8