Lucero v. Lucero

750 N.W.2d 377, 16 Neb. Ct. App. 706
CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 27, 2008
DocketA-07-914
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 750 N.W.2d 377 (Lucero v. Lucero) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lucero v. Lucero, 750 N.W.2d 377, 16 Neb. Ct. App. 706 (Neb. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

750 N.W.2d 377 (2008)
16 Neb. App. 706

Renee K. LUCERO, Appellant,
v.
Ivan M. LUCERO, Appellee.

No. A-07-914.

Court of Appeals of Nebraska.

May 27, 2008.

*380 Robert M. Brenner, of Robert M. Brenner Law Office, Gering, for appellant.

Leonard G. Tabor, of Leonard G. Tabor Law Office, Gering, for appellee.

SIEVERS, MOORE, and CASSEL, Judges.

*379 SIEVERS, Judge.

Renee K. Lucero appeals the decision of the district court for Garden County, Nebraska, modifying child custody, the parties' respective child support obligations, and the visitation provisions. The district court (1) ordered Renee to pay *381 child support in the amount of $439 per month retroactive to June 1, 2007, and (2) retroactively terminated Ivan M. Lucero's child support obligation as of January 31, 2007. We have determined that the matter should be submitted for decision without oral argument pursuant to our authority under Neb. Ct. R. of Prac. 11B(1) (rev. 2006).

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Initially, to avoid any confusion, we point out an error by the court reporter. The title page on the testimony in the bill of exceptions recites that the proceedings were had "on August 6, 2006." It is clear from everything else in the proceedings and our record that the trial occurred August 6, 2007.

Renee and Ivan were married at one time and lived in Colorado. The parties have a son, Jerad, born August 15, 1993. Renee and Ivan were divorced in Colorado, and although the date is unclear from the record, we know the decree was entered either in 1999 or 2002. Sometime after the divorce, Renee and Jerad moved to Nebraska and Ivan moved to Florida. And while the divorce decree is not in our record, it is clear that Renee had physical custody of Jerad.

Renee filed a motion to modify the parties' decree pertaining to child support and visitation issues in the district court for Garden County. In an order filed on November 29, 2004, the district court stated: "NOW on this 14th day of September, 2004, [this] matter comes on by stipulation between the parties concerning child visitation, child support and transportation issues." Based on the oral stipulation of the parties, the district court awarded Ivan 2 months of summer visitation with Jerad, awarded Ivan visitation for one-half of Jerad's Christmas break from school, ordered the parties to each pay half of Jerad's transportation costs for summer and Christmas visitations, and ordered Ivan to pay $524 per month in child support beginning September 1, 2004. The district court stated, "This order shall supersede the previous Colorado order."

On January 30, 2007, Ivan filed a motion to modify the decree, alleging a material change of circumstances. Ivan alleged that (1) the original dissolution decree was entered in the District Court for Jefferson County, Colorado, in 2002 and thereafter said action was transferred to Nebraska; (2) on September 14, 2004, an order was entered by the Garden County District Court which in part ordered Ivan to pay $524 per month in child support commencing September 1, 2004; and (3) there was a material change of circumstances because Jerad was now living with Ivan in Jacksonville, Florida, a move that Renee agreed to, and Jerad started school in Jacksonville on January 8, 2007. Ivan asked the district court to modify the decree previously entered by (1) granting him custody of Jerad; (2) terminating Ivan's child support as of January 1, 2007; (3) determining the proper amount of child support to be paid by Renee; (4) determining the appropriate percentage of Jerad's medical expenses to be paid by each party; and (5) setting a specific visitation schedule for Renee. On May 11, 2007, Ivan filed an amended motion for modification further alleging that Jerad lived with Ivan in Jacksonville for all of 2007, and he specifically asked the district court to credit him for the child support payments he had been making since January 1, 2007.

Renee entered her voluntary appearance on February 5, 2007. On May 22, she filed her response to Ivan's amended motion for modification and her own cross-motion for modification on visitation. In her answer, Renee (1) admitted that Jerad had been *382 living in Jacksonville "since part of January, 2007 to the present date," but alleged that Jerad would return to Renee on June 2 and remain with her until at least August 4; (2) alleged that a deviation in the award of child support should be granted because the costs of transportation for contact and visitation with Jerad are now greater and that the costs are within "Section J," the parenting time adjustments of the Nebraska Child Support Guidelines (Guidelines) — she also alleged that the child support should be reduced up to 80 percent during summer visitations; and (3) alleged that setting her child support obligation to commence on January 1, 2007, precedes the filing of the motion and voluntary appearance of Renee and thus would be prejudicial and unjust to her and affect her ability to support another child who needs her support. In her cross-motion on visitation, Renee alleged that given the fact that Jerad may or will return to Ivan, the court must set specific visitation periods for Renee because past issues and problems have occurred which a specific order would address.

In an order filed on August 14, 2007, the district court noted that the parties stipulated at the beginning of trial that (1) Jerad had been living with Ivan in Jacksonville since January 8; (2) the parties should be awarded joint legal custody of Jerad, with Ivan having physical custody; (3) Jerad's residence will be in the State of Florida; (4) visitation should occur during the "Christmas/Winter break" from school and during the summer break from school; (5) Jerad should be with Renee for the majority of the summer; and (6) the cost of transportation should be divided equally between the parties. Therefore, the court ordered that the parties were to have joint legal custody of Jerad with Ivan having physical custody. The district court set a specific visitation schedule for Renee which included summer visitation to "begin one week after the last day of school and is to end one week prior to the commencement of school," 10 days during the "Christmas/Winter break," and unlimited visitation during any time period Renee is visiting in Florida. The district court ordered that the cost of Jerad's round trip airline tickets for visitations with Renee are to be divided equally between the parties, with Renee paying for such costs up front and Ivan reimbursing Renee for one-half of the cost within 30 days of the receipt of the confirmation of flight and the cost thereof from Renee.

The district court further ordered that (1) Ivan's child support obligation was retroactively terminated as of January 31, 2007; (2) any amount paid by Ivan after January 31 is to be credited to any arrears and accrued interest that Ivan owes for child support and then any remaining overpayment "shall ...

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Bluebook (online)
750 N.W.2d 377, 16 Neb. Ct. App. 706, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lucero-v-lucero-nebctapp-2008.