Heidemann v. Heidemann

533 P.2d 96, 96 Idaho 602, 1974 Ida. LEXIS 483
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 27, 1974
Docket11700
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 533 P.2d 96 (Heidemann v. Heidemann) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heidemann v. Heidemann, 533 P.2d 96, 96 Idaho 602, 1974 Ida. LEXIS 483 (Idaho 1974).

Opinion

DONALDSON, Justice.

The parties, Dorothy Heidemann and Lauren Heidemann, were married February 20, 1954, and subsequently divorced March 16, 1962. The custody of a child, Eric Heidemann, age 31/2 at the time of the divorce, was awarded to appellant Dorothy Heidemann. Upon motion by appellant, the decree was modified March 30, 1962, to provide that respondent Lauren Heidemann pay $50 per month child support. The decree was further modified March 18, 1964, allowing the respondent reasonable visitation rights including the *603 right to have the minor child continuously for a period of one month each summer commencing with the year 1964. Upon motion by respondent, the decree was again modified February 16, 1965, requiring the appellant to have the child ready for delivery at a pre-arranged time and place, and the court suspended further child support payments until delivery of the child was received by the respondent.

Appellant moved the court March 30, 1974 to enter an order granting judgment against the respondent for back child support in the amount of $3,600. She further moved the court to modify the divorce decree to provide that respondent pay $125 per month child support plus $300 attorney’s fees. Affidavits were filed, hearing was held, and the district court denied appellant’s motion in all respects stating:

“* * * I think the order issued in February of 1965 is controlling and that there has been every obstacle possible to a violation of that order and to noncompliance created. And I don’t think that the plaintiff should be enabled, in contempt of court, to deliberately flaunt the orders that have been issued, to make every stumbling block possible on the visitation and be allowed to profit from it.
Now, I would like to see Mr. Heidemann, if he can, voluntarily contribute towards the boy at this age. But I am not going to hang another order over his head where the plaintiff herself has been in violation of every order that has been issued.”

The appellant contends that the district court was in error and abused its discretion in refusing to order judgment against respondent for back child support in the amount of $3,600.

The record shows that respondent attempted to visit his child in 1963 when the appellant and child were living in Las Vegas. Respondent was denied visitation and returned to Idaho whereby he instituted modification proceedings. The resultant order dated March 18, 1964, in addition to providing respondent with reasonable visitation rights, provided in part:

“Plaintiff shall keep the defendant advised of her address and the location of her residence so that defendant will be able to exercise said visitation and part time custody.
Before picking up said minor child for said one month period each summer, defendant shall be required to give the plaintiff three weeks notice in advance of the date and time when he will pick up said minor child and obtain the consent of the plaintiff to said designated time; provided, however, that plaintiff shall not by refusal of said consent prevent the defendant from having said child for said one rSonth period at some time during the summer months of the year 1964 and at some time during the months when school is in vacation during the summer of each year thereafter until said child reaches the age of majority * * *

The respondent contends that he went to California in the summer of 1964 to obtain. custody and no one was present at the agreed time and place. The respondent filed an Order to Show Cause why appellant should not be found in contempt of court for failure to furnish visitation privileges. The appellant denied that she refused visitation rights to appellant and contends that the child was ready and that the respondent did not come. After a hearing, the district court ordered:

“Not later than April 15, 1965, the plaintiff shall notify the law firm of Ray-born, ■ Rayborn & Rayborn, P. O. Box 321, Twin Falls, Idaho, in writing, of the date when the school which the minor child of the parties is attending lets out in the spring of 1965.
At twelve o’clock noon on the first Monday following the day when said school lets out in the spring of 1965, the defendant shall appear at 124 De La Grulla, San Clemente, California, at which time and place he shall receive and take custody of the minor child of *604 the parties, Eric Heidemann. The plaintiff is hereby specifically ordered to have said child at said address at said time and to then deliver him to defendant. The defendant shall be entitled to then have custody of said child for a full period of one month and shall at the end of said month return said child to said address. If plaintiff is not residing at said address at said time, she is hereby ordered to nevertheless have said child at said address at said time, unless this Order is amended by the provisions of a later Order of this Court hereafter. Plaintiff shall not be excused from failure to have skid child at said address at said time for any reason whatsoever, unless this Order is hereafter amended by Order of this Court.
All child support payments from defendant to plaintiff for the support of Eric Heidemann are hereby suspended commencing with the month of February, 1965, and said suspension shall continue until defendant has received said minor child and had custody of said child for a full period of one month.”

The appellant did not notify in writing the law firm of Rayborn, Rayborn & Ray-born, Twin Falls, Idaho, of the school termination date. The appellant testified at the hearing that she notified the respondent’s attorneys by telephone of the proper date. However, respondent’s Exhibit I introduced during the hearing shows there was no communication between the parties at that time. Since that time the appellant has failed to notify the respondent of her current address.

The district court’s finding that the appellant was in violation of the trial court’s orders of 1964 and 1965 is supported by ample evidence and the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing judgment for back child support. We agree with the district court’s finding that the order of 1965 is controlling and the time for appeal of that order has long since passed.

Notwithstanding the above, the appellant argues that payments for the support of children are for their benefit and not for the benefit of the former wife. As such, appellant contends, this Court should refuse to recognize disobedience of the decree by the former wife as a ground for withholding such payments.

The Court faced this issue in the case of Kirkwood v. Kirkwood, 83 Idaho 444, 363 P.2d 1016 (1961). Therein evidence sustained the finding that the wife denied the husband right of visitation with his children. However, the Court examined the showing made by the wife and concluded that:

“ * * * the children will need the support payments. Therefore, such payments cannot be withheld as a means of enforcing plaintiff’s compliance with the decree and order defining defendant’s right of visitation.

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Bluebook (online)
533 P.2d 96, 96 Idaho 602, 1974 Ida. LEXIS 483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heidemann-v-heidemann-idaho-1974.