Chad Burton v. Keesha (Burton) Richardville (mem. dec.)

CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 31, 2019
Docket19A-DR-1482
StatusPublished

This text of Chad Burton v. Keesha (Burton) Richardville (mem. dec.) (Chad Burton v. Keesha (Burton) Richardville (mem. dec.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chad Burton v. Keesha (Burton) Richardville (mem. dec.), (Ind. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED regarded as precedent or cited before any Dec 31 2019, 7:59 am court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE Boyd A. Toler Joseph L. Verkamp Petersburg, Indiana Jasper, Indiana

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Chad Burton, December 31, 2019 Appellant-Respondent, Court of Appeals Case No. 19A-DR-1482 v. Appeal from the Daviess Circuit Court Keesha (Burton) Richardville, The Honorable Gregory A. Smith, Appellee-Petitioner. Judge Trial Court Cause No. 14C01-1002-DR-89

Mathias, Judge.

[1] Chad Burton (“Father”) appeals from an order of the Daviess Circuit Court

denying his motion for modification of child custody and denying his motion to

hold Keesha (Burton) Richardville (“Mother”) in contempt. He raises several

issues, which we consolidate and restate as:

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-DR-1482 | December 31, 2019 Page 1 of 19 I. Whether the trial court erred when it declined to modify physical custody; and

II. Whether the trial court abused its discretion in declining to find Mother in contempt of court.

[2] We affirm the denial of custody modification, reverse the trial court’s decision

on the issue of Mother’s contempt, and remand with instructions.

Facts and Procedural History [3] Mother and Father have one minor child, M.B., who was born in May 2007.

The parties’ marriage was dissolved by decree in May 2010. The dissolution

decree provided that Mother and Father would share joint legal custody of

M.B., that Mother would have primary physical custody, and that Father

would have standard parenting time. Father agreed to pay child support in the

amount of $129 per week. Mother received the marital residence and agreed to

accept the full responsibility for the mortgage on the residence. Appellant’s

App. pp. 14–23.

[4] Since the parties’ divorce, Mother has been M.B.’s primary caregiver. The

parties both reside in and M.B. attends school in Daviess County. Father’s

employment results in approximately $1,115 in pay per week, and Mother’s

employment results in approximately $748 in pay per week. Mother, a nurse, is

occasionally subject to call-in during emergency situations. M.B., age twelve as

of the date of the trial court’s order in this case, is a good student and

participates in various athletic activities. She has one stepsister and two half-

sisters, all of whom are younger than M.B. Both Mother’s and Father’s Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-DR-1482 | December 31, 2019 Page 2 of 19 households have experienced changes in the years since their divorce. Mother

remarried and gave birth to a second daughter with her husband. Divorce

proceedings in Mother’s second marriage were ongoing at the time of the

hearing in this custody modification matter. Father also remarried; his wife has

a daughter from a previous relationship who lives in the home with Father, and

together, Father and his wife have one daughter.

[5] On August 29, 2018, Father filed a Petition to Modify Child Custody and

Support. His petition alleged that substantial change in the parties’

circumstances necessitated a modification of custody. Appellant’s App. p. 27.

Father sought for the trial court to grant him primary physical custody of M.B.,

order Mother to pay child support, and for Mother to have standard parenting

time. Id. at 28. Father subsequently filed a Verified Motion for Contempt on

October 10, 2018, alleging that Mother had failed to make timely payments of

the mortgage on their marital residence, in violation of the settlement

agreement that was part of the trial court’s dissolution decree. Id. at 29.

[6] An evidentiary hearing was held on April 23, 2019, regarding both of Father’s

motions. Father alleged the following changed circumstances necessitated that

the trial court grant his motion to modify custody: Father’s wish to have

primary physical custody of M.B.; M.B.’s changed relationship with Mother;

M.B.’s wish to be in the primary physical custody of Father; M.B.’s age; M.B.’s

health; and M.B.’s adjustment to home and school. Father also alleged that

Mother had willfully refused to make mortgage payments, resulting in damage

to his credit score, which he argued warranted the trial court finding Mother in

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-DR-1482 | December 31, 2019 Page 3 of 19 contempt. After hearing, the trial court interviewed M.B. in camera. On May

31, 2019, the trial court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law in its

order denying Father’s motion to modify custody and denying his motion for

contempt. This appeal followed. Additional facts will be provided as needed.

I. Custody Modification

[7] The general provision governing custody modification is found in Indiana Code

section 31-17-2-21. Modifications are permitted only if the modification is in the

best interests of the child and there has been a substantial change in one or

more of the factors identified in Indiana Code section 31-17-2-8 (“Section 8”).

Ind. Code § 31-17-2-21(a). The Section 8 factors relevant to the child’s best

interests are:

(1) The age and sex of the child.

(2) The wishes of the child’s parent or parents.

(3) The wishes of the child, with more consideration given to the child’s wishes if the child is at least fourteen (14) years of age.

(4) The interaction and interrelationship of the child with:

(A) the child’s parent or parents;

(B) the child’s sibling; and

(C) any other person who may significantly affect the child’s best interests.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-DR-1482 | December 31, 2019 Page 4 of 19 (5) The child’s adjustment to the child’s:

(A) home;

(B) school; and

(C) community.

(6) The mental and physical health of all individuals involved.

(7) Evidence of a pattern of domestic or family violence by either parent.

(8) Evidence that the child has been cared for by a de facto custodian, and if the evidence is sufficient, the court shall consider the factors described in section 8.5(b) of this chapter.

(9) A designation in a power of attorney of:

(A) the child’s parent; or

(B) a person found to be a de facto custodian of the child.

I.C. § 31-17-2-8.

[8] A parent who seeks modification of custody bears the burden of proving that

the existing custody order should be altered. Julie C., 924 N.E.2d at 1256 (citing

Kirk v. Kirk, 770 N.E.2d 304, 307 (Ind. 2002)). When evaluating whether a

change to one or more Section 8 factors is a substantial change, the context of

the whole environment must be judged, and “the effect on the child is what

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-DR-1482 | December 31, 2019 Page 5 of 19 renders a change substantial or inconsequential.” Jarrell v. Jarrell, 5 N.E.3d

1186, 1193 (Ind. Ct. App. 2014), trans. denied. The statutory requirement that a

court find a substantial change in at least one factor, in addition to determining

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