Rovner v. Rovner

778 S.W.2d 905, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 2762, 1989 WL 134759
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 28, 1989
Docket05-88-01094-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 778 S.W.2d 905 (Rovner v. Rovner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rovner v. Rovner, 778 S.W.2d 905, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 2762, 1989 WL 134759 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

WILLIAMS, Chief Justice (Retired).

Nancy Elaine Rovner (Wife) appeals from the denial of her motion for contempt for the failure of Ivan David Rovner (Husband) to pay adequate child support. In four points of error, Wife argues that the trial court erred in: (1) failing to render judgment for her for the total amount of arrearage; (2) failing to award her court costs and attorney’s fees; (3) refusing to receive certain evidence; and (4) holding that Husband had paid and extinguished the judgment. In two cross-points, Husband contends that the trial court erred in holding that certain phrases in the “Agreed Judgment of Divorce” (agreed judgment) were sufficiently clear so as to be enforced. After examination of the facts of this case, we affirm in part and reverse and render in part the judgment of the trial court.

FACTS

The parties to this suit were divorced on January 10, 1986, by an agreed judgment. This dispute arose over unpaid child support which the Husband contracted to pay and which he was ordered by the court to pay.

On October 27, 1987, Wife sent Husband a number of bills that covered certain medical and education expenses of the child. Husband requested some explanation of these bills which Wife sent. In January 1988, Wife sent additional receipts with a request for reimbursement.

On March 30, 1988, Wife filed a motion for contempt for failure to pay child support. 3 During the proceeding, Wife attempted to call a witness by deposition. The trial court sustained Husband’s objection to the deposition testimony.

After considering the evidence, pleadings and argument of counsel, the trial court denied the motion for contempt and made the following findings:

2. That the provisions of the Agreed Judgment of Divorce entered in this cause requiring Respondent [Husband] to pay:
(a) “all medical, hospitalization and health care costs of the minor child” not covered by insurance; and
(b) “all tuition, books, room and board” related to the attendance of the child at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia;
are sufficiently clear so as to be enforced by reduction of unpaid amounts to money judgment.
3. That the following items and amounts are enforceable by money judgment and are heretofore unpaid:
Medical $ 630.00
Hospital -0-
Other health care costs $ 291.37
Tuition $ 400.00
Books $ 744.97
Room & Board -0-
TOTAL $2,066.34
*907 4. That IVAN DAVID ROVNER, has paid in open court, the sum of $3,357.98, which is in excess of the unpaid sum.
5. That the provisions of the said Agreed Judgment of Divorce requiring Respondent to pay “all associated costs and fees” related to the attendance of the child, ... at the said Woodward Academy is too vague so as to be enforced by reduction of unpaid amounts to money judgment;
6. That each party should pay their own attorney’s fees and costs.

JUDGMENT FOR ARREARAGE

Wife, in her first point of error, argues that the trial court erred in failing to render judgment for the total amount of ar-rearage. Specifically, she contends that the trial court erred in holding that the phrase in the agreed judgment “any other associated costs or fees related to the attendance of the minor child, ... at the Woodward Academy, Atlanta, Georgia” was too vague to be enforced. She contends that there was no evidence of vagueness or ambiguity presented and that, as a matter of law, the phrase was not vague. Therefore, she argues, the trial court’s failure to grant judgment for such associated costs and fees was against all the evidence and against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence. Husband responds that the trial court did not err and that if “other associated costs” has any meaning at all, the proper method to determine the meaning would be a separate suit for a declaratory judgment or suit for breach of contract.

During the hearing of this case, Wife’s attorney stated:

“Your Honor, I would like to clarify. We are seeking to enforce a judgment, not a contract. This is a motion to enforce a judgment.... This is a motion to enforce a judgment and which as [Husband’s attorney] briefed and argued very precipitously that once this document was signed by the Court it had all the integrity of a judgment.... This is an action on a judgment.”

We will rely on the attorney’s statements and our examination of the record to determine that this is not a suit on a contract. This is a suit to reduce to judgment late child support payments. This is not a suit to enforce contractual obligations. Therefore, the rules governing the enforcement of an order, and not the rules governing the enforcement of a contract, will be applied.

The test of the certainty required of an order enforceable by contempt is that it must spell out the details of compliance in clear, specific, and unambiguous terms so that the person affected by the order will readily know what obligations are imposed on him. Ex Parte Slavin, 412 S.W.2d 43, 44 (Tex.1967). By that test, the phrase “any other associated costs or fees” is not sufficiently specific. See Ex Parte Shelton, 582 S.W.2d 637, 638 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1979, no writ). Since that part is unenforceable by contempt, it also will not support a judgment for back child support payments. Marichal v. Marichal, 768 S.W.2d 383, 386 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1989, no writ); Templet v. Templet, 728 S.W.2d 844, 847 (Tex.App.—Beaumont 1987, no writ); Howard v. Texas Dept. of Human Resources, 677 S.W.2d 667, 668 (Tex.App.—Dallas 1984, no writ); Richey v. Bolerjack, 594 S.W.2d 795, 798 (Tex.Civ. App.—Tyler 1980, no writ). Wife’s first point of error is overruled.

ATTORNEY’S FEES

Wife, in her second point of error, argues that the trial court erred in failing to award her attorney’s fees and court costs. She argues that even if the family code alone is applied (which must be done in this case), section 14.33(c) of the family code requires the court to order the obligor, Husband, to pay movant, Wife, reasonable attorney’s fees and all court costs, in addition to the past due and owing child support payments. Section 14.33(c) provides:

(c) Obligor to pay attorney’s fees and costs; Exception.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
778 S.W.2d 905, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 2762, 1989 WL 134759, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rovner-v-rovner-texapp-1989.