Michael G. Hays v. Shanna Hays

49 N.E.3d 1030, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 3, 2016 WL 126446
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 12, 2016
Docket62A04-1501-DR-33
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 49 N.E.3d 1030 (Michael G. Hays v. Shanna Hays) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michael G. Hays v. Shanna Hays, 49 N.E.3d 1030, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 3, 2016 WL 126446 (Ind. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Robb, Judge.

Case Summary and Issues

[1] In 2008, the marriage of Michael Hays (“Father”) and Shanna Hays (“Mother”) was dissolved pursuant to a Stipulated Decree of Divorce (“Decree”) in the State of Wyoming. The Decree made provisions for the custody and support of the parties’ three children, fixing Father’s arrearage through November 2007 at $27,372.00 and ordering him to pay suppórt of $777.00 per month. In 2011,- Father filed- petitions for modification -of child custody and visitation in both Wyoming and Wisconsin, where he and the parties’ oldest child then resided. Wyoming transferred jurisdiction of the proceeding to Wisconsin. In January 2012, Mother registered the Decree and petitioned for modification of child support in Indiana, where she and two of the children were residing. The parties agreed Wisconsin would have jurisdiction regarding the oldest child and Indiana would have jurisdiction regarding the two younger children. Father theri filed a petition to determine his child support arrearage in the Wyoming court. The Wyoming court — after a hearing Mother did not attend — reduced Father’s arrearage to $0.00. Father was eventually given legal custody of all 1 three children. In December 2014, on Mother’s Trial Rule 60(B) motion, the Indiana court declared the Wyoming court’s order on Father’s arrearage null and void.

[2] At the end of 2012, both parties requested allocation of the tax deductions for the children. At the beginning of 2013, the'trial court ordered'that neither party claim the children as dependents on their federal, state, or local tax returns pending further order of the court. The trial court’s December 2014 order is silent as to the tax exemptions .and the order that neither party claim the children on their taxes remains in effect.

[3] Father now appeal's, -raisirig two issues for our review: 1) whether the trial court erred in declaring the Wyoming order on arrearage to be null and void; and 2) whether the trial court erred in failing to--address the tax exemptions. Concluding the trial court’s grant of Trial Rule 60(B) relief to Mother by declaring Wyoming’s arrearage determination null and *1032 void is erroneous, we reverse. Concluding further that the trial court’s order precluding either party from taking the dependent exemption on their taxes should be vacated, we remand. ■

Facts and Procedural History

[4] Father and Mother were divorced in Wyoming in February 2008. Their Stipulated Decree of Divorce included the following relevant provisions regarding child support for their three children, N., R., and T.:

It is proper for Mother to have primary custody, care and control of the minor children, subject to ... reasonable visitation by [Father],
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The parties have agreed that [Father] shall pay child support to [Mother] in the amount of $777.00 per month. [Father] shall commence paying child support on December 1, 2007. Father may be hable for child support arrearages since November 28, 2004. Such arrear-ages shall be subject to the agreement between the parties as stated below.
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It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that .., [a]ll child support payments shall be paid to the Clerk of District Court ... Newcastle, Wyoming. ,.. The Clerk shall forward the support payments to [Mother] at the address supplied by [Mother].
It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that in order to facilitate payment of child support, immediate income withholding is required.
⅜ í¡;
d.Enforcement. Wyoming Statute § 20-2-113 provides that any installment of child support not paid when due shall automatically become a judgment against the obligated parent on the due date. Wyoming Statute § 1 — 16—103(b) makes child support not paid within 32 days of the- due date subject, to a ten percent (10%) late, payment penalty....
e. Changes. For goo.d cause (See Wyoming Statute .§ 20-2-311) either party may petition the court for a modification of support. The parents may agree to increase . the . obligated parent’s child support obligation and, if no public funds are being expended for the support, of their children, they may agree to reduce the obligated parent’s child support obli•gation. Any modification agreement must be. in writing, signed by both parties, and accompanied by a financial affidavit on a form approved by the Wyoming Supreme Court. The agreement and affidavits may be filed with the clerk and must be approved by the court. Regardless of the parties’ agreement, modification of child support is not effective unless it is approved by a written order of the court.
f. Child Support Arrearages. The parties agree there is a time-value to money and agree any arrearages which may be owed to Mother shall be reduced if paid as specified below. The parties hereby agree that in exchange for sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000.00) cash, payable .as follows, Mother shall waive any ar-rearages which may be owed to her. Father shall pay two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) to Mother upon the entry of this order. Father shall then pay the remaining fourteen thousand dollars ($14,000.00) within six (6) months of the entry of this order. If Father fails, neglects, or refuses to pay the entire sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000.00) within six (6) months after entry of this order, the full sum of twenty-seven thousand three hundred seventy-two dollars ($27,372.00) shall become immediately due and payable by Father to Mother. This sum, if it becomes due and payable, shall be considered to reflect the unpaid *1033 child support (arrearages) from December, 2004, through November, 2007. This sum is and shall be a judgment by operation of law pursuant to Wyo. .Stat. § 20-2-310(c). The judgment shall bear the statutory rate of interest beginning six (6) months and one (l) day from the entry of this Order.

Appellant’s Appendix at • 137, 141-44 (emphasis omitted).

[5] Soon after the divorce, Mother moved to West Virginia with the children. In mid-2008,' Mother and the children moved to Indiana. At some point prior to August 2009, Father moved to Wisconsin; in August 2009, N went tó live with Father. Mother consented to the arrangement but there was no court order formally modifying custody.

-, [6] In July 2011, Father filed in the Wyoming court a petition for modification of child custody and visitation requesting primary physical custody of all three children be modified. Mother moved to dismiss the petition for lack of jurisdiction and because Wyoming was an inconvenient forum, citing provisions from Wyoming’s version of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (“UCCJA”). See id. at 167-68 (citing Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 20-5-302, - 307). Then, in September 2011, Father filed a petition for modification of child custody and visitation in a Wisconsin court.

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49 N.E.3d 1030, 2016 Ind. App. LEXIS 3, 2016 WL 126446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michael-g-hays-v-shanna-hays-indctapp-2016.