Lamp v. Lamp, Unpublished Decision (11-19-2004)

2004 Ohio 6262
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 19, 2004
DocketCase No. CT2003-0054.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2004 Ohio 6262 (Lamp v. Lamp, Unpublished Decision (11-19-2004)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lamp v. Lamp, Unpublished Decision (11-19-2004), 2004 Ohio 6262 (Ohio Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Plaintiff-appellant Don C. Lamp [hereinafter appellant] appeals from a judgment of the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Division, which modified an existing order for parenting time and denied appellant's motion for contempt against defendant-appellee Lisa A. Lamp [hereinafter appellee].

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
{¶ 2} Appellant and appellee were married on March 26, 1982. Three children were born of their marriage.

{¶ 3} On August 28, 2002, appellant filed a petition for dissolution. Attached to the petition, was a Separation Agreement signed by the parties. By the time the Separation Agreement was signed, only two of the parties' children remained minors.

{¶ 4} On October 7, 2002, the trial court issued a Decree of Dissolution. In that Decree, the trial court stated that it found that the Separation Agreement submitted by the parties was fair, just, and equitable. Accordingly, the trial court dissolved the marriage and adopted the terms of the Separation Agreement as an order of the court.

{¶ 5} Subsequently, on July 25, 2003, appellee filed a motion for contempt. In that motion, appellee claimed that appellant had failed to comply with the Decree of Dissolution regarding parenting time and that the appellant had violated the Separation Agreement by harassing appellee. In addition, on July 28, 2003, appellee filed a Motion for Modification of Parental Rights, Temporary and Permanent Child Custody, Escrow of Termination of Child Support Standard Parenting Time During the Pendency of this Matter. Appellee sought to be designated as the sole residential parent and legal custodian for the one child who remained a minor. In addition, appellee sought temporary and permanent child support, an order escrowing all child support payments during the pendency of this matter, and for any and all child support orders against appellee to be terminated once appellee was designated as sole residential parent and legal custodian of the minor child.

{¶ 6} The trial court set the motions for hearing. The parties were ordered to participate in mediation assessment. Magistrate's Order, filed August 8, 2003.

{¶ 7} On September 5, 2003, a Magistrate's Order was issued which found appellee's motion for a temporary order granting her parenting time with the parties' minor child was well taken, in part. The Magistrate ordered that appellee have parenting time with the child each week "from 6:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday." In response, appellant filed a motion to "resist" the temporary order on visitation. On September 9, 2003, the Magistrate denied appellant's motion, finding that appellant had failed to show why he should be permitted to "resist" the September 5, 2003, temporary order.

{¶ 8} Thereafter on September 10, 2003, appellant filed a motion for temporary return to the agreed upon rules of visitation found in the Separation Agreement, designated as Article 6 of the Separation Agreement. That same day, appellant filed a motion in contempt against appellee's attorney and appellee herself. In that motion for contempt, appellant argued that appellee had violated the Separation Agreement by harassing appellant.

{¶ 9} A hearing on all of the pending motions was held before a Magistrate on October 14, 2003. Subsequently, the Magistrate issued a Magistrate's Decision in which the Magistrate found that appellee had shown that appellant had restricted or entirely prevented appellee from exercising parenting time. The Magistrate noted that appellant appeared to be quite intent on preventing appellee from maintaining a normal relationship with the minor child although the Magistrate noted that none of the relationships in the Lamp family had been normal.1

{¶ 10} Thus, the Magistrate recommended that the trial court deny the motion to reallocate parental rights and responsibilities. However, the Magistrate concluded that because the parties were unwilling and unable to implement Article 6 of their Separation Agreement which relates to parenting time, a modification of the existing parenting time order was necessary to serve the best interest of the minor child. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered that effective immediately, the court's order adopting Article 6 of the Separation Agreement should be dissolved and in lieu thereof, appellee should exercise parenting time with the minor child as follows:

{¶ 11} "1) From September through May, each week from 6:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

{¶ 12} "2) From the first Friday in June through the last Sunday in August, every other week from Friday at 6:00 p.m. to the following Friday at 6:00 p.m.

{¶ 13} "3) Notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3 above, during alternating holidays as provided in Paragraph 3(A) through 3(C), 3(F), and 3(G) of the Court's Standard Parenting Time Order (Journal Vol. 44, Page 651).

{¶ 14} "4) Both parties shall comply with Paragraphs 4 through 13 and Paragraphs 16 through 21 of the Court's Standard Parenting Time Order (Journal Vol. 44, Page 651)." (Emphasis original).

{¶ 15} As to the motions for contempt, the Magistrate recommended that the trial court find that the parties' motions charging each other with contempt for harassment in violation of Article I of the Separation Agreement, should be denied. However, the Magistrate did recommend that appellant be found in contempt for violating Article 6 of the Separation Agreement concerning appellee's parenting time. Thus, the Magistrate stated that appellant should be found guilty of contempt and committed to the County Jail for 30 days. The Magistrate recommended that the sentence be suspended on the condition that appellant purge his contempt by paying to appellee no later than November 30, 2003, the sum of $500.00 as reimbursement for reasonable attorney fees incurred in the prosecution of the contempt motion. Lastly, the Magistrate recommended that appellant's motion to hold appellee's attorney in contempt be dismissed because appellant failed to present any evidence relating to the contempt motion.

{¶ 16} On October 27, 2003, appellant filed a Request for Appeal. In that request, appellant stated the specific rulings from which appellant sought to appeal. Appellant stated then that he wished to appeal the Magistrate's Decision in its entirety on the grounds of a denial of due process of law. Appellant also stated that he wished to introduce new testimony in evidence.2

{¶ 17} On October 31, 2003, the trial court stated that appellant had timely filed Objections to the Magistrate's Decision, essentially finding that appellant's Request for Appeal constituted Objections. However, the trial court noted that pursuant to Civ. R. 53, the party objecting to the Magistrate's Decision must file a transcript of the hearing conducted by the Magistrate. Neither party had done so. Accordingly, the trial court gave both appellant and appellee 20 days to file the transcript.

{¶ 18} On December 5, 2003, the trial court issued a Judgment Entry in which it stated that it had reviewed the Objections as filed and the transcript. In the Entry, the trial court overruled all objections.

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Bluebook (online)
2004 Ohio 6262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamp-v-lamp-unpublished-decision-11-19-2004-ohioctapp-2004.