In Re Marriage of Nicks

This appeal raises a question as to the equitable apportionment of property under the Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, and the interrelation between the property provisions of that Act and the principles of property law.

The parties, a couple in their early 20’s, were married in November 1975. Some six weeks before their marriage, they acquired certain real estate as joint tenants. Considerable labor and expenditures towards construction of a house on the property were contributed by the husband’s father. In June 1976, the husband signed a promissory note payable in one year to this…