Simon

Appellant Patricia A. Simon (Patricia) and respondent Leroy Simon (Leroy) were married on April 16, 1967 and separated April 26, 1971. A petition for dissolution of marriage was filed by Leroy in May of 1971. An interlocutory judgment of dissolution of marriage was granted on February 1, 1972. A final judgment in the matter was entered October 26, 1973. No disposition was made in the proceedings respecting property owned by the parties.

During the course of the marriage and before separation, Patricia and Leroy purchased two parcels of real property, viz., a single family residence in Los Angeles in 1969 and an unimproved lot in Riverside County in 1971. The residence was purchased with a $1,000 down payment and title was taken in the couples’ names as husband and wife and as joint tenants. After separation Leroy continued to live in the residence with the couple’s only child and made all the payments associated with the property. The Riverside parcel was purchased for an initial payment of $100 by way of a land sale contract which both Patricia and Leroy executed. Three monthly payments of $30 were made prior to separation. The remaining balance was thereafter paid by…