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New claimant applied for disabled widow’s insurance policies pros with the worker’s money list, although Secretary denied their own application since claimant did not meet up with the 9-week period-of-relationship criteria in the 42 You. 416(c). Which assertion is actually upheld from the area court. The new claimant next appealed on the U.S. Court out of Appeals into the Earliest Circuit. The court off is attractive indexed one Puerto Rico will not recognize common-legislation marriages and that the requirements to own setting up a valid relationship inside the Puerto Rico are ready ahead into the Article 69 of one’s Municipal Code, 31 L.P.Roentgen.An excellent. § 231. The fresh courtroom discovered that, in this situation, the requirements of Article 69 was basically demonstrably perhaps not satisfied nine weeks ahead of the worker’s demise. The latest court then unearthed that brand new claimant’s constitutional “equivalent protection” assault to your nine-few days cycle-of-relationship requirement try invalid not as much as Weinberger v. Salfi, 422 U.S. 749, 95 S.Ct. 2457, forty-five L.Ed.2d 522 (1975), and you will Mathews v. de- Castro, 429 U.S. 181, 97 S.Ct. 431, fifty L.Ed.2d 389 (1976). New claimant along with contended that, because the she try the fresh worker’s concubine, she got a right significantly less than Puerto Rican legislation so you’re able to inherit from the brand new worker’s home once the his widow, and you can she might be deemed become this new widow of one’s personnel around 42 U. 416(h)(1)(A). Brand new legal of appeals learned that, lower than Puerto Rican rules, a beneficial concubine regarding a member of staff features a right to a share of the house received over the course of concubinage however, really does n’t have a right to inherit an excellent widow’s show of your own dead worker’s intestate personal assets. Hence, brand new claimant could not be deemed to-be the brand new widow regarding this new staff lower than 42 You. 416(h)(1)(A) because of the application of what the law states from Puerto Rico into the intestate succession. Into the maintaining the newest section court’s decision affirming the fresh Secretary’s denial off it claim getting widow’s positives, the brand new courtroom out of appeals kept that claimant wasn’t entitled in order to professionals due to the fact handicapped widow of your own staff.
She debated one, while the she plus the staff had cohabited getting twenty years prior into date of its ceremonial relationships, its cohabitation got switched the relationship toward a legal matrimony really before 9-week period
Appellant Esther Ayuso Morales found Personal Safety impairment pros based upon their standing because “widow” of your own insured staff member Honorio Montanez Figueroa. Lower than 42 You. § 416(c) in order to be jovem EtiГіpia noiva considered as the a “widow” a woman should have started married for around 9 months during the time of their own partner’s death. Appellant’s matrimony happened within the 9-day several months. Benefits was in fact denied.
With the interest, she cravings you to this woman is still qualified just like the she cohabited that have their spouse to own two decades in advance of the marriage. She adds one, anyway, lower than 42 You. § 416(h)(1)(A) an applicant try an excellent widow if she would, “within the laws and regulations . . . [of Puerto Rico] determining the newest devolution of intestate private assets, have a similar position . . . as a partner . . . [or] widow. . . .” Come across essentially, Rombauer, Marital Standing and you will Qualification to possess Federal Legal Income Advantages: An ancient Questionnaire, 52 Tidy.L.Rev. 227, 257 et. seq. (1977). She states that the concubinage laws off Puerto Rico brings their own particularly reputation.
We simply cannot undertake appellant’s very first disagreement. We understand one some typically common law jurisdictions recognize low-ceremonial otherwise “common law marriage ceremonies.” This type of marriage ceremonies are built by the concur of your events because various other offer. F.W. Kuchlar, Law of Involvement and you will Relationships 1-5 (2d ed. 1978); get a hold of O.Age. Koegel, Common law ent in america (1922). However, common-law marriage ceremonies commonly approved for the Puerto Rico. New requisites out of a valid relationships for the Puerto Rico are set onward in Blog post 69 of your Municipal Code, 31 L.P.R.A good. § 231. Included among these requisites is the “[a]uthorization and you can affair away from a great matrimonial price depending on the models and you may solemnities given for legal reasons.” Regarding the absence of these types of variations and you will solemnities, there is certainly no wedding. Rivera v. Area Court out-of San Juan, 58 P.Roentgen.R. 352, 354 (1941); Vazquez Bote, Notas acerca de el matrimonio dentro de derecho puertoriqueno, 49-56 Rev. P.R. 491, 493-94, 510-a dozen (1973-75). Age. Lalaguana Dominguez, Estudios de derecho matrimonial 244-45 (1962).