Cross v. Mastowski

170 Misc. 2d 500, 650 N.Y.S.2d 511, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 432
CourtNew York City Family Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1996
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 170 Misc. 2d 500 (Cross v. Mastowski) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York City Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cross v. Mastowski, 170 Misc. 2d 500, 650 N.Y.S.2d 511, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 432 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Michael J. Miller, J.

Pursuant to Social Services Law § 111-b (12) (d) and Family [502]*502Court Act § 454 (5) respondent has filed a request for court review of the August 8, 1996 determination of the Monroe County Child Support Enforcement Unit (MCCSEU) to notify the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend his driving privileges due to accrued child support arrears under a Florida divorce judgment. Respondent also alleges that he is current in his payments made pursuant to a New York child support order for which amount he has not been given credit by the MCCSEU.

By Monroe County Family Court order entered on May 4, 1994 respondent was ordered to pay petitioner $50 per month for support of the parties’ son, David Cross, in a Uniform Support of Dependents Law (USDL) support matter brought by petitioner under article 3-A of the Domestic Relations Law. Petitioner also initiated a divorce proceeding in Florida which resulted in a final judgment of dissolution of marriage dated September 19, 1994. The Florida judgment included a provision for respondent’s payment of child support for David at the rate of $70 per week. Respondent alleges that he has paid child support consistently under the New York order and is current with his payments on that order, an allegation which is not opposed by petitioner. On May 8, 1996 petitioner filed the September 1994 Florida judgment with this court. Respondent was sent a notice of registration of support order by certified mail pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 37-a giving him 20 days to petition to vacate the registration. He never did so and the registration was confirmed. Pursuant to Social Services Law § 111-b the MCCSEU then determined to suspend respondent’s driving privileges due to the fact that the accrued child support arrears under the Florida order totaled an amount greater than the amount of current support due under the Florida judgment for a period of four months. (Social Services Law § 111-b [12] [b] [1].) Respondent then submitted a written challenge to the MCCSEU which was denied. The MCCSEU determined that the 1994 New York order was superseded by the registration of the 1994 Florida judgment of divorce and established arrears of $6,323.26 dating from the issuance of the original temporary support order in the Florida proceeding through March 7, 1996. In addition, the MCCSEU stated that issues of direct pay, financial hardship, or the validity of an order must be determined by a court. Respondent has now requested this court’s review of that determination.

Respondent argues that the Florida judgment was entered upon default and therefore should not have been allowed [503]*503registration in New York State. Respondent also argues that the subsequent Florida order was obtained through petitioner’s fraud upon the Florida court and is therefore not a valid order which petitioner is entitled to enforce in New York. He further argues that the initial New York reciprocal support order should continue to be accepted in this State as the valid support order between the parties and should not be superseded by the filing of the Florida order.

Petitioner opposes respondent’s objection arguing that respondent, having failed to move to vacate the registration of the Florida order, cannot now challenge the New York registration of the order in this proceeding, that the reciprocal proceeding and the divorce proceeding were mutually exclusive having no effect upon each other and that respondent’s challenge to the Florida order on the basis of fraud must be brought in Florida.

Family Court is empowered by Family Court Act § 454 (5) to review a support collection unit’s denial of a challenge to their decision to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend a support obligor’s license due to accumulated support arrears. Based upon the court’s review of the record and the submissions of the respondent and the support collection unit the court may either: "(i) deny the objections and remand to the support collection unit or (ii) affirm the objections if the court finds the determination of the support collection unit is based upon a clearly erroneous determination of fact or error of law, whereupon the court shall direct the support collection unit not to notify the department of motor vehicles to suspend the support obligor’s driving privileges.” (Family Ct Act § 454 [5].)

The court finds no clearly erroneous determination of fact or error of law with regard to the decision to request the suspension of respondent’s license. Therefore, that portion of the MCCSEU decision is affirmed.

Each of respondent’s arguments against the license suspension determination must fail as a matter of law. Respondent argues that the subsequent judgment of divorce may not supersede the New York reciprocal order. However, a USDL proceeding is merely an additional statutory remedy available for the establishment and/or collection of child support within New York State. By definition, the use of a USDL proceeding has no effect on any other remedy available in relation to the same subject matter. (Domestic Relations Law § 41 [1].) A petitioner may pursue both a USDL proceeding and a nonUSDL action to enforce the same rights. (Matter of Minch v [504]*504Minch, 117 AD2d 737 [2d Dept 1986].) The jurisdiction acquired over a respondent in a reciprocal proceeding is independent of and unrelated to the continuing jurisdiction obtained in a substantive non-USDL proceeding such as a divorce action. (Smith v Smith, 124 Misc 2d 633 [Fam Ct, Suffolk County 1984].)

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Related

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2006 Ohio 1362 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
170 Misc. 2d 500, 650 N.Y.S.2d 511, 1996 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cross-v-mastowski-nycfamct-1996.