Newberry v. Newberry

831 So. 2d 749, 2002 WL 31525290
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedNovember 15, 2002
Docket5D02-362
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 831 So. 2d 749 (Newberry v. Newberry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Newberry v. Newberry, 831 So. 2d 749, 2002 WL 31525290 (Fla. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

831 So.2d 749 (2002)

Michael R. NEWBERRY, Appellant,
v.
Brenda L. NEWBERRY, Appellee.

No. 5D02-362.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

November 15, 2002.

*750 Marcia K. Lippincott of Marcia K. Lippincott, P.A., Lake Mary, for Appellant.

James E. Shepherd of Shepherd, McCabe and Cooley, Longwood, for Appellee.

COBB, J.

On November 12, 1998, the appellant, Michael Newberry, filed a petition seeking modification of a final judgment of dissolution in regard to the primary residence of his son, Levy, born November 9, 1989. Two other minor children of the parties, Shayna (then seven years of age) and Ashley (then sixteen years of age), were also residing with their mother, Brenda Newberry, at that time. Michael's petition also asked for a commensurate reduction in child support in the event that his request for residential custody of Levy was granted.

Brenda Newberry, Michael's former wife, answered the petition, but she did not file a counter petition or ask for affirmative relief. While the modification petition was pending during the year 1999, the parties entered into two mediation agreements which provided that Ashely would live with Michael while Levy and Shayna would continue to live with Brenda; the parties could not agree on child support.

Prior to trial in July, 2001, Michael submitted a child support guideline worksheet which contained the following calculations:

Father's net monthly income:    $ 4,775.48
Mother's net monthly income:    + 1,982.68
                                __________
Combined Income:                $ 6,758.16
Total Monthly Obligation:       $ 1,856.00
Father's Share:                 $ 1,284.47
Mother's Share:                 $   571.33

Michael filed an amended petition seeking a change in residence for Levy and Shayna, essentially challenging the mediation agreement. Ashley, who reached majority in June 2000, had begun living with her father in June 1999, although Michael had not requested a reduction in his child support payment relative to her.

On November 6, 2001 the trial court entered final judgment denying the father's petition for modification, but increasing child support from $850.00 per month (which had been for three minor children) to $1,284.47 (for the two remaining minor children), and made the support award retroactive to the date of the filing of the father's original petition in November, 1998. This retroactive ruling resulted in an arrearage of $13,226.22.

We agree with the father's argument, succinctly summarized in his brief as follows:

The parties went to court on the father's modification petition that sought a change in the residence of the parties' three children with an accompanying change in child support, and nothing more. After the trial court denied the change in residence, it increased the child support the father had previously been ordered to pay without any pleading request for that relief. Moreover, this increase was ordered retroactively for children who were not involved in *751 the father's initial petition. This increase was also ordered retroactively despite the lack of evidence that the children's needs had increased. And this 2001 increase was ordered retroactively despite the fact that at the time the father's petition was filed (1998) the mother earned more than the father, and the father's 1998 income was substantially less than his 2001 income. The father was totally denied due process, and reversal is required.

A trial court lacks jurisdiction to enter any judgment on an issue not raised by the pleadings. Cortina v. Cortina, 98 So.2d 334 (Fla.1957). For example, a petition for contempt for nonpayment of child support does not give a court the power to reduce court ordered child support. Hammond v. Hammond 492 So.2d 837 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986). In this case, the father moved to modify the dissolution decree by changing the primary residential custody of the parties' children from the mother to himself. In addition, he requested an appropriate adjustment downward of child support to reflect the new living arrangements in the event his petition was successful. The mother made no affirmative requests of her own. Nevertheless, the trial court found the father's mere mention of child support permitted the court to increase the child support paid by the father. Moreover, the number of children covered by the prior order had been reduced from three to two[1]. This ruling by the trial court was clearly error.

We reject any claim that the issue was tried with the implicit consent of the parties. Immediately after the trial court announced that it was increasing the former husband's child support obligation and making the increase retroactive, the former husband's counsel stated "I must object to a couple of things for the record". The trial court responded:

Well, you don't have to object on the record, sir. You can object in Daytona, 38 miles north after I have entered the final judgment. Those are my findings of fact. That is my judgment.

We cannot say that the former husband consented to trial of this issue where the court rebuffed his effort at interposing his objections.

The trial court in this case blatantly violated the most basic of constitutional rights—due process of law. The father was given no notice or opportunity to be heard on the distinct issue of increasing the amount of child support he paid, much less being given credit for child support paid for Ashley while she was living with him pursuant to a mediation agreement between the parties. The trial court's judgment increasing child support, both prospectively and retroactively, is reversed.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

PLEUS, J. concurs.

SHARP, W., J. concurs in part and dissents in part, with opinion.

SHARP, W., J., concurring in part and dissenting in part.

I agree that appellant should receive a credit for the child support he paid appellee for Ashley after he filed his petition to modify.[1] I also agree that the retroactive *752 child support award should not have been calculated on appellant's highest current income, but rather the lesser sum originally set.

However, I disagree that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to hear the issue of child support for two reasons. First, I believe that, under present statutory law and rules of procedure, child support must be recalculated every time it comes before the court. Second, the record establishes that this issue was raised by appellant during and before the hearing, and tried by implied consent pursuant to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.190(b).[2]

The parties were divorced in 1996, after entering into a settlement agreement, which was incorporated in the final judgment. Appellee was designated the primary residential parent of the parties children, three of whom were minors. Appellant's child support obligation was set at $850 per month for the three children.

In November of 1998, appellant filed a petition for modification to obtain primary residential custody of one of the children, Levy, and to modify his child support obligation to "reflect the new living arrangement." Subsequently, the parties mediated the dispute and agreed that a different child, Ashley, would make her primary residence with appellant. However, the parties could not agree on the amount of child support, and that issue was left to be determined in a later proceeding.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
831 So. 2d 749, 2002 WL 31525290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newberry-v-newberry-fladistctapp-2002.