Chin, K. v. Walker-Chin, K.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided April 23, 2019·No. 2118 EDA 2018·Unpublished

Opinion

J-S02017-19

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

KINGSLEY CHIN, : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA Appellant : : : v. : : : KIM WALKER-CHIN : No. 2118 EDA 2018

Appeal from the Order Entered, June 29, 2018, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Family Court at No(s): 8460 March Term 2007.

BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J.E., KUNSELMAN, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.

MEMORANDUM BY KUNSELMAN, J.: FILED APRIL 23, 2019

The impetus for this appeal is noncompliance with a divorce settlement

agreement. Both parties petitioned the family court to enforce the agreement,

and both petitioned the court to find the other in contempt. Only Kim Walker-

Chin (Wife) was successful. Dr. Kingsley Chin (Husband) appeals. After

review, we affirm in part and reverse in part.

This case has particularly tortured procedural history. The relevant facts

are these:

In September 2008, the parties settled their divorce via a property

settlement agreement (PSA), which was incorporated but not merged with the

decree. In 2015, Wife brought an action to enforce the PSA following

Husband’s noncompliance. She also petitioned the trial court to find him in

contempt. Husband counterclaimed, also seeking enforcement and contempt. J-S02017-19

Over a two-year stretch, the court conducted hearings, issued a series of

interim orders and even signed a bench warrant for Husband’s arrest. The

litigation culminated with final order on June 29, 2018, wherein the court

determined, inter alia:

 Wife is not in contempt for her failure to refinance marital property.

 Husband is in contempt for his failure to comply with the December 23, 2015 enforcement order.

 Husband shall pay Wife $105,010 to account for the outstanding “Mantis” balance; Husband to pay Wife interest on the outstanding Mantis balance in the amount of $21,382.66.

 The parties stipulated that Husband owes Wife $1,023,673 under the terms of their PSA; Husband shall pay Wife interest on this sum in the amount of $28,709.80.

 Husband shall pay Wife counsel fees in the amount of $37,893 and costs in the amount of $21,415. Payment is due by October 1, 2018.

 If Husband does not have the liquid assets necessary to pay Wife, Husband shall file amended tax returns by August 15, 2018.

See Order of Court, dated June 29, 2018.

Husband filed this timely appeal. Although his brief contains 11 intertwined

questions involved, he addresses some issues together. See Husband’s Brief

at 8-11. We have condensed them to nine questions. We restate those issues

and reorder them for clarity and ease of disposition:

1. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in concluding that Wife’s efforts to refinance mortgages on martial

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real estate from 2008-2012 were sufficient to overcome a finding of contempt?

2. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in granting Wife’s Petition for Contempt despite the fact that she had unclean hands for failing to refinance?

3. Did the trial court abuse its discretion by concluding that Husband was in contempt because he had a present ability to pay?

4. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in failing to consider how Wife’s failure to refinance and make mortgage payments impacted Husband’s ability to comply with the court’s enforcement order and the parties’ agreement?

5. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in determining that Husband had not complied with the property settlement agreement regarding the Mantis payments?

6. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in determining that Husband owed interest on the Mantis payments?

7. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in calculating how much interest Husband owed on the $1.5 million property transfer?

8. Did the trial court abuse its discretion by requiring Husband to pay Wife’s counsel and expert fees?

9. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in issuing arbitrary deadlines for Husband to comply with its enforcement orders?

See id.

Regarding contempt orders, our scope of review is very narrow, and we

place great reliance on the court’s discretion. Thomas v. Thomas, 194 A.3d

220, 225 (Pa. Super. 2018) (citation omitted). The court abuses its discretion

if it misapplies the law or exercises its discretion in a manner lacking reason.

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Id. (Citing Harcar v. Harcar, 982 A.2d 1230, 1234 (Pa. Super. 2009). Each

court is the exclusive judge of contempts against its process. The contempt

power is essential to the preservation of the court's authority and prevents

the administration of justice from falling into disrepute. Id. (Citing Habjan v.

Habjan, 73 A.3d 630, 637 (Pa. Super. 2013). Absent an error of law or an

abuse of discretion, we will not disrupt a finding of civil contempt if the record

supports the court's findings. Id. (Citation omitted).

We begin with Husband’s first two claims that the trial court must have

found Wife in contempt when she failed to refinance certain mortgages,

pursuant to their PSA. Specifically, Husband argues that Wife had the income

to refinance. See Husband’s Brief at 8, ¶2; 33. He concludes that her failure

to refinance rendered her hands unclean, which should have negated the

contempt finding against him. See id. at 49-53.

In proceedings for civil contempt of court, the general rule is that the

burden of proof rests with the complaining party to demonstrate that the

defendant is in noncompliance with a court order. MacDougall v.

MacDougall, 49 A.3d 890, 892 (Pa. Super. 2012). “To sustain a finding of

civil contempt, the complainant must prove, by a preponderance of the

evidence, that: (1) the contemnor had notice of the specific order or decree

which he is alleged to have disobeyed; (2) the act constituting the contemnor's

violation was volitional; and (3) the contemnor acted with wrongful intent.”

Id.

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Nevertheless, “a mere showing of noncompliance with a court order, or

even misconduct, is never sufficient alone to prove civil contempt.” Habjan,

73 A.3d at 637. “If the alleged contemnor is unable to perform and has, in

good faith, attempted to comply with the court order, then contempt is not

proven.” Cunningham v. Cunningham, 182 A.3d 464, 471 (Pa. Super.

2018).

Moreover, the doctrine of unclean hands provides that a court may

deprive a party of equitable relief where, to the detriment of the other party,

the party applying for such relief is guilty of bad conduct relating to the matter

at issue. See Morgan v. Morgan, 193 A.3d 999, 1005 (Pa. Super. 2018)

(citations omitted). The doctrine of unclean hands gives wide range to the

equity court’s use of discretion in refusing to aid the unclean litigant; and in

exercising this discretion, the court is free to refuse to apply the doctrine if

consideration of the record as a whole convinces the court that application of

the doctrine will cause an inequitable result. Id. (Citation omitted).

The trial court thoroughly delineated the reasons why Wife’s failure to

refinance did not constitute contempt or render her hands unclean:

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Chin, K. v. Walker-Chin, K., (Pa. Ct. App. 2019).

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