[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6746047,"mediaKeyId","5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09","parentId",5131595,"title","Judge takes Johnson v. Johnson motion to alter or amend under advisement after multi-hour hearing","audioSeconds",929,"startMs",2218000,"endMs",3147000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09&start=2218&end=3147","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09/thumbnail_2218000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6746047/Tennessee/Judge-takes-Johnson-v-Johnson-motion-to-alter-or-amend-under-advisement-after-multi-hour-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746047-854dda36a6958c091b6f83f4d5d00192/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493193&Signature=U7RNz5fDlauGRT5jfhwUmlP1PWQMmtzn-oNExm7Mk2lnUbHd5-6s5bjs3ybsu9XKf54ufaOrSxbSyLFCF~CZ5i9mPpmIsOkPpI7NiXDzqxZdxKFJHTX5wU1zO6ELJEqTMwiO1C~JdlGvYpKXyQzF6FPnKncVl4-Dt51t4V074rm4Axws5p2j01dhC3yc4~~-LzKkHXuPVRO0viSOwkiL95P3sDFgSmwZt-pCQIFHoj5H9J12~fuB8IcDtKdI1sDkomEW-JdwDVr-hJmw-i9Fzjs8Va~gj7BvNMNnsGlOhZYM16NJ0X7So~eGhtS50gvLT96~0kAWjxpVUXFyQhOrQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-03T21:28:04Z","article","The Cheatham County court spent the bulk of a contested docket hearing on Troy Bruce Johnson's motion to alter or amend the final divorce decree entered following a default proceeding. Defense counsel presented testimony, bank statements, and an itemized summary purporting to show $94,265.96 in payments by Johnson for the family between the April 2022 separation and the decree's entry; counsel asked the court to reduce or eliminate a $26,016 retroactive child-support judgment and to adjust the retirement-account judgment and other money judgments accordingly.

Key contested factual points contained in the transcript and exhibits included:

- A 2022 gross Vanguard/retirement distribution of $56,001.52 (1099-R) that the defense says was subject to $11,002.30 in federal withholding and a 10% early-withdrawal penalty; the decree awarded the wife one-half of the distribution and the defense asked the court to calculate the award based on net proceeds actually realized rather than the gross distribution.

- Defense counsel asserted Johnson made large recurring payments (mortgage, pool, car, insurance, groceries, sports fees and other family expenses) after separation totaling about $94,265.96; counsel argued that sum should offset retroactive child-support arrearages and portions of other judgments.

- Plaintiff's counsel countered that the divorce decree and incorporated child-support worksheets properly set arrearages and other money judgments, that tax and payroll records needed to be examined, and that there was insufficient basis to set aside or materially alter the prior decree.

- Documentary exhibits admitted and discussed included bank statements, payment histories for mortgage and pool loans, Venmo/POS summaries, HSA charges for medical care, school and sports payments, and documents showing payoff amounts at closing, including a $20,125.54 payoff of a post-decree loan recorded in the closing payoff statement.

- The record includes testimony that a deed-of-trust/loan in the $20,000 range was recorded contemporaneously with the entry of the divorce decree; the defendant invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege when questioned about forging signatures and other conduct related to that loan.

- The parties disputed personal property that the defendant claims was awarded to him in the decree but was not delivered; a partial inventory was produced and the parties identified some items that were delivered to counsel's office and some still in dispute.

After receiving extensive testimony and exhibits, the presiding judge declined to rule from the bench. The judge said he would review the complete record, the prior orders of the court, and applicable authority, take the motion under advisement and return a written ruling. The judge set a further contested-docket appearance (the court announced the next setting on the record as the fourteenth on the contested docket) for continued proceedings and directed the parties to submit any supplemental authorities if they wished.

No final monetary adjustments or changes to the decree were ordered at that hearing; multiple factual and evidentiary issues (tax returns for 2023/2024, valuation of disputed personal property, and reconciliation of bank-account deposits and withdrawals) remained open on the record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7-3-25 Cheatham Chancery","oneSentenceSummary","A Cheatham County judge took under advisement a defense motion to alter or amend a prior final divorce decree after a multi-hour hearing in which testimony and dozens of documentary exhibits were admitted on retirement-account withdrawals, mortgage and pool payments, child-support arrearages and personal-property disputes.","taxTitle","Judge David D. Wolfe State of Tennessee, Judicial, Tennessee","taxId",66321,"location","Tennessee","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6746052,"Cheatham County court appoints administrator, closes two estates and grants a name change",368,407000,775000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09&start=407&end=775","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09/thumbnail_407000.jpg","/articles/6746052/Tennessee/Cheatham-County-court-appoints-administrator-closes-two-estates-and-grants-a-name-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746052-cc8cad127c2185fb690e7789eec0b48d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493193&Signature=V9dkRjD1MIIKqq8O8YO9Z-XWj-fZ8RACGUEeoZXVT~TqX6xQT5oxkJ6mHP1-xjX5h6IqllKMltbjAijxjHltBVHmXNOZKZuqNHXiTxEBpSc~n6u79~luo2O5A4O66BiwzpsgyxAgWteeu9UIiiPBW3-~48BoVszvDFwj01dCxoDjoTMzk4AwcNyuJ09fKcZ8N0-DBpXpOZuukCWMncS6NaCrp4OEZ8uuQgnsApwm7k6E4CzxbMFabCzoPD0pilOxmItm9Qnop6v-ZVorbzWBlNGcXUCfyOEq4GTzCatTYLwyCn7SmEEnrgqLxZ870WenGYL4CUtNgI1ZWykSJS0hmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cheatham County court handled several uncontested in-court petitions during the hearing, including an appointment of an administrator, closure of an estate, and a petition for a legal name change.

Russell Allen Street was sworn and testified that he is the sole heir of Elaine Brenda Braver, that Braver had no children and left no will, and that he asked the court to appoint him administrator of the estate and to waive bond and inventory requirements. The presiding judge approved the appointment and the waivers as requested.

Separately, Elliot Troy testified as executor over the estate of Marsha Lynn Bennett. He confirmed the will had been probated and that required estate paperwork had been filed; the court found no opposition and ordered the estate closed on the record.

In a petition for a legal name change, Janice Marine Eagleson asked the court to change her surname to McNeese, explaining she wanted to resume the name used by her grown children and grandchildren. After the statutory screening questions were asked and no concerns about fraud or avoidance of creditors were raised on the record, the judge granted the name-change petition and directed the clerk to issue the signed order.

Each of these items was resolved on the record without contested litigation; the clerk will issue orders corresponding to the judge's oral rulings.","The court appointed Russell Allen Street as administrator for an estate, closed another estate after an executor's report, and granted a petitioner's request to change her name back to McNeese. These were handled as routine, uncontested probate and personal-status matters.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6746058,"Judge grants adoption of 10-year-old Sean; finds biological parents abandoned child",399,804000,1203000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09&start=804&end=1203","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5131595-f18cb17281a92b7a1a8f05c450c28e09/thumbnail_804000.jpg","/articles/6746058/Tennessee/Judge-grants-adoption-of-10-year-old-Sean-finds-biological-parents-abandoned-child","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6746058-ececa61a15d4340b181a2771cd5a0319/orig.mp4?Expires=1770493193&Signature=gl4gOo1rRQ76BZBLzgXebpoG74g-YHJmvsVu5SeOMoZokrnxlsqwmronkZoelrYMOeYgb9B8KCf82hl44uU035gQ0-t~sWl5g1fcxLKqseqL40r1WJOTL77NX0wSJZIedBY~kBoA~V19ZZ~J9D3rnN14A-WjLU0fkikWUrJHVMiwKAOakr1iRR-ZlIUR-3er99vja9ZErxb3TpH9QLmqxabqDl4D0mAeVXFJUr1D20X2AX5Fd3Blku3RfBqdDfDUgVlhmgertpGKgCOtKQHmtOIt3eYBxm3AXVaOuiSrtZyuzWYpf-Az6I6QfIrnmd8uRrmN8Jlordw-lDV1wNC7PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Cheatham County judge on the record granted an adoption petition that will make Gabriel Toth the legal parent of 10-year-old Sean, finding the change is in the child's paramount best interest.

The judge made explicit factual findings on the record, stating both biological parents had failed to provide support and had engaged only in \"token\" visitation during the statutory period prior to the filing of the adoption petition, and that those facts satisfied the statutory definition of abandonment. The court said the adoption will have the same legal consequences as if Sean were the adoptive parent's biological child, including inheritance and parental obligations.

Gabriel Toth testified that he has had custody since May 2019 and that Sean has lived continuously in his home since that time. The court also spoke directly with Sean on the record to confirm the child's understanding of the proceeding and to ensure the child assented to the adoption in a manner the court considered appropriate for his age.

No guardian ad litem or separate social study was announced on the record in this hearing; the judge's order rests on his statutory findings and testimony presented at the adoption hearing. The adoption was entered by the court at the conclusion of the matter.

The order also directs the clerk to enter a final adoption decree and to update the child's legal records accordingly. The judge emphasized the permanence of the decision and the adoptive parent's long-term responsibilities.

Court file references: adoption petition, custody history in May 2019, and on-the-record findings of abandonment and best interest by the judge.","A Cheatham County judge found that both biological parents failed to provide support or meaningful visitation and granted Gabriel Toth's petition to adopt 10-year-old Sean. The court made statutory findings of abandonment and ordered the adoption to be entered, creating a permanent parent-child legal relationship.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Judge takes Johnson v. Johnson motion to alter or amend under advisement after multi-hour hearing

Cheatham County court appoints administrator, closes two estates and grants a name change

Judge grants adoption of 10-year-old Sean; finds biological parents abandoned child