Kovach v. Lewis

2012 Ohio 1512
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided March 29, 2012·No. 11-COA-018·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

NORMAN A. KOVACH : JUDGES:

:

: Hon. Patricia A. Delaney , P.J.

Plaintiff-Appellee : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, J.

: Hon. William B. Hoffman, J.

-vs- :

: Case No. 11-COA-018 WENDY L. LEWIS :

:

:

Defendant-Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Appeal from the Ashland County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, Case No. 20840160

JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: March 29, 2012

APPEARANCES: For Appellant: For Appellee:

BRENT L. ENGLISH DEBORAH E. WOODWARD M.K. Ferguson Plaza, Suite 470 1130 E. Main St., #187 1500 W. 3rd St. Ashland, OH 44805 Cleveland, OH 44113-1422

Delaney, P.J.

{¶1} Defendant-Appellant Wendy L. Lewis (“Mother”) appeals the May 19, 2011 judgment entry of the Ashland County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division. Plaintiff-Appellee is Norman A. Kovach (“Father”).

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} Mother and Father were in a romantic relationship and one child was born of the relationship on January 9, 2008. Mother alleged that before she became pregnant and after the birth of their child, Father orally agreed to pay one-half of the uninsured birth expenses. The parties’ relationship ended in June 2008.

{¶3} On September 12, 2008, Father filed a Complaint to Establish Parental Rights with a Plan for Shared Parenting requesting the trial court to enter a Shared Parenting order. By judgment on December 8, 2008, the parties agreed Father was the father of the child. The trial court set the matter for further proceedings to determine the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.

{¶4} A hearing was held on March 2, 2009 on Father’s Complaint for Parental Rights. At the time of the hearing, both parents were employed. Father was a STNA at Keystone Pointe and worked 37 ½ hours per week, earning $9.75 per hour. Mother was a registered nurse and worked in disease management. She earned approximately $60,000 per year.

{¶5} The trial court issued its judgment on May 14, 2009. The trial court found it was in the best interests of the child that the court order shared parenting. Mother and Father were named the residential parents and legal custodians of the child. The trial court modified Father’s proposed Shared Parenting Plan for the best

interests of the child. As to the Parenting Schedule, the trial court ordered the child would be with Father on a two-week schedule. On week one, the child would be with Father from Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. to Sunday at 6:00 p.m. On week two, the child would be with Father from Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. to Friday at 1:00 p.m. Mother would have the child on a two-week schedule on the days not designated as the days the child would be with Father.

{¶6} The trial court ordered Father to pay $23.23 per week in child support.

{¶7} On July 23, 2009, Mother filed a pro se letter with the trial court requesting modification of the May 14, 2009 judgment entry as to the Parenting Schedule, Father’s home environment, and child support. In her request for modification of the Parenting Schedule, Mother stated Father had obtained new employment on July 7, 2009. Father worked as a corrections officer with the North Central Community Institution located in Marion, Ohio. His work hours were from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., with Wednesdays and Thursdays off.

{¶8} Based on the May 14, 2009 judgment entry, the trial court issued a Shared Parenting Decree and Plan on July 31, 2009. The Parenting Schedule and child support stated above were included in the Decree and Plan. Mother did not appeal the July 31, 2009 judgment.

{¶9} Mother submitted another pro se letter to the trial court on August 10, 2009 requesting modification of the Parenting Schedule.

{¶10} On January 15, 2010, Mother, through counsel, filed a Motion for Order requiring Father to pay half of the uninsured birth expenses and a Motion to Modify

Child Support. Mother also filed a Motion to Modify Shared Parenting Decree/Plan and Motion to Terminate Shared Parenting Plan.

{¶11} While Mother’s motions were pending before the trial court, on February 10, 2010, Mother was charged with one count of child endangerment, a first-degree misdemeanor. Mother was charged after Mother left the two-year old child in her car while she was in the Ashland Wal-Mart for 29 minutes and 42 seconds. State of Ohio v. Wendy Lewis, 192 Ohio App.3d 153, 2011-Ohio-187 (5th Dist.), ¶ 6. A passerby notified the police when she observed the child alone in the vehicle crying loudly. Id. at ¶ 2. A jury found Mother guilty as charged. Id. at ¶ 11. Mother appealed the decision to this court and we affirmed. Id.

{¶12} Father filed a Motion to Modify Allocation of Parental Rights and Responsibilities on March 5, 2010. Father asked that he be designated the sole residential parent.

{¶13} The trial court held a hearing on the motions on July 12, 2010. At the hearing, Mother requested the trial court not terminate the Shared Parenting Plan, but modify the Plan to take into consideration the parties’ work schedules to determine the Parenting Schedule.

{¶14} The following evidence was adduced at the hearing. On January 21, 2010, Mother was laid off from her job and was now receiving unemployment in the amount of $1,700 per month. Mother received additional income from boarding and showing horses. Mother owns her home and the child has his own bedroom at the home.

{¶15} Father still worked as a corrections officer, earning $16.35 per hour. He left for work at 8:00 p.m. and arrived home from work at 7:30 a.m. with Wednesdays and Thursdays off. Father lives in his three bedroom home with his mother, brother, niece, and thirteen dogs. The brother and niece reside in the basement with their three dogs. Father has his own bedroom, his ten small dogs use the second bedroom, and the child sleeps in the third bedroom with his grandmother. While Father is working or sleeping, the grandmother cares for the child. The grandmother acknowledged there was mold in the bathroom that she sprayed with bleach.

{¶16} Mother testified her uninsured birth expenses were $5,402.08, which she has paid in full. Mother stated she and Father agreed to share in the birth expenses and Father has not paid his share.

{¶17} The trial court issued its decision on May 19, 2011. The trial court denied the motions to terminate the Shared Parenting Decree and Plan. Instead, the trial court modified the Plan incorporated into the Decree to have Father with the child from Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. to Friday at 6:00 p.m. on week two of his scheduled weeks. The trial court then calculated child support as $80.70 using the Child Support Computation Worksheet. The trial court deviated from the worksheet to set child support obligations of the parents at zero because the parents were with the child for an equal amount of time.

{¶18} The trial court also denied Mother’s motion for birth expenses. The trial court found the evidence presented by Mother did not establish there was an agreement between the parties for Father to pay one-half the expenses. The trial

court also found Mother waived her claim by failing to raise it earlier in the proceedings and/or the claim was barred by the doctrine of laches.

{¶19} It is from this decision Mother now appeals.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶20} Mother raises three Assignments of Error:

{¶21} “I. THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR BY FAILING TO CONSIDER APPELLANT’S REQUEST TO MAXIMIZE THE PARTIES’ SON’S CONTACT WITH EACH OF HIS PARENTS BY ACCOUNTING FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE WORK SCHEDULES.

{¶22} “II. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND APPLIED THE WRONG STATUTE TO COMPUTE CHILD SUPPORT IN THIS CASE.

{¶23} “III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT APPELLANT’S CLAIM FOR ONE-HALF OF THE UNINSURED BIRTH EXPENSES SHE INCURRED FOR THEIR SON HAD BEEN WAIVED OR WAS BARRED BY THE DOCTRINE OF LACHES.”

ANALYSIS

I.

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