Scott Thomas McNamee v. Sharon Jones McNamee

CourtCourt of Appeals of Virginia
DecidedFebruary 1, 2011
Docket1070102
StatusUnpublished

This text of Scott Thomas McNamee v. Sharon Jones McNamee (Scott Thomas McNamee v. Sharon Jones McNamee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott Thomas McNamee v. Sharon Jones McNamee, (Va. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA

Present: Judges Humphreys, Kelsey and Haley Argued at Richmond, Virginia

SCOTT THOMAS McNAMEE MEMORANDUM OPINION * BY v. Record No. 1070-10-2 JUDGE ROBERT J. HUMPHREYS FEBRUARY 1, 2011 SHARON JONES McNAMEE

FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF HENRICO COUNTY Catherine C. Hammond, Judge

Shannon S. Otto (Locke Partin DeBoer & Quinn, on briefs), for appellant.

F. Byron Parker, Jr. (Parker & McMakin Law Group, on brief), for appellee.

Scott Thomas McNamee (“husband”) appeals a ruling of the Circuit Court of Henrico

County (“the circuit court”) denying his motion to amend spousal support to Sharon Jones

McNamee (“wife”). On appeal, husband argues the trial court erred in 1) relying on Code

§ 20-109(A) to evaluate husband’s motion to amend support; 2) denying husband’s motion to

amend support; 3) concluding that husband owed spousal support arrearages to wife;

4) calculating the parties’ gross incomes for purposes of determining child support and, as a

result, erred in calculating child support; and 5) taking evidence and ruling on the issue of

husband’s alleged failure to pay the unreimbursed medical expenses for the parties’ minor child.

For the following reasons, we affirm in part, reverse and remand in part, and reverse and vacate

in part.

* Pursuant to Code § 17.1-413, this opinion is not designated for publication. I. ANALYSIS

Spousal support decisions are within the broad discretion of the trial court, and this

Court’s “review is limited to determining whether the trial court clearly abused its discretion.”

Miller v. Cox, 44 Va. App. 674, 679, 607 S.E.2d 126, 128 (2005) (citing Gamble v. Gamble, 14

Va. App. 558, 574, 421 S.E.2d 635, 644 (1992)). “We will not disturb the trial court’s decision

where it is based on an ore tenus hearing, unless it is ‘plainly wrong or without evidence in the

record to support it.’” Furr v. Furr, 13 Va. App. 479, 481, 413 S.E.2d 72, 73 (1992) (quoting

Schoenwetter v. Schoenwetter, 8 Va. App. 601, 605, 383 S.E.2d 28, 30 (1989)). Finally, it is the

trial court’s duty, when sitting as the finder of fact, to resolve conflicts in the evidence. City of

Bedford v. Zimmerman, 262 Va. 81, 86, 547 S.E.2d 211, 214 (2001).

A. Issues Procedurally Defaulted

Husband’s contentions that the trial court erred in relying on Code § 20-109(A) to

evaluate husband’s motion to amend support and in calculating the parties’ gross incomes for

purposes of determining child support and, as a result, erred in calculating child support, were

not timely objected to with the grounds stated at a point in time when the circuit court could

properly act upon husband’s contentions. 1 Scialdone v. Commonwealth, 279 Va. 422, 437, 689

S.E.2d 716, 724 (2010) (“To satisfy [Rule 5A:18], ‘an objection must be made . . . at a point in

the proceeding when the trial court is in a position, not only to consider the asserted error, but

also to rectify the effect of the asserted error.’” (quoting Johnson v. Raviotta, 264 Va. 27, 33, 563

S.E.2d 727, 731 (2002))). Thus, pursuant to Rule 5A:18, we do not consider the merits of either

1 Effective July 1, 2010, Rule 5A:18 was revised to state that “[n]o ruling of the trial court . . . will be considered as a basis for reversal unless an objection was stated with reasonable certainty at the time of the ruling . . . .” Because the proceedings below were completed prior to this revision taking effect, we will rely on the language of Rule 5A:18 that was then in effect. See Fails v. Va. State Bar, 265 Va. 3, 5 n.1, 574 S.E.2d 530, 531 n.1 (2003) (applying the Rule of Court in effect at the time of the proceedings below).

-2- argument on appeal. Lee v. Lee, 12 Va. App. 512, 515-17, 404 S.E.2d 736, 738-39 (1991) (en

banc).

Although Rule 5A:18 allows exceptions for good cause or to meet the ends of justice,

appellant does not argue that we should invoke these exceptions. See Redman v.

Commonwealth, 25 Va. App. 215, 221, 487 S.E.2d 269, 272 (1997). We will not consider such

an argument sua sponte. Edwards v. Commonwealth, 41 Va. App. 752, 761, 589 S.E.2d 444,

448 (2003) (en banc).

B. Motion to Amend Support

Husband contends that the circuit court erred in denying his motion to amend spousal

support because the evidence established material changes in circumstances not contemplated by

the parties at the time of the initial award and these changes justified modification of the support.

Because we hold that husband did not timely object to the circuit court’s application of the

standard provided in Code § 20-109(A), we analyze this issue in light of the standard set forth in

Code § 20-109(A) pursuant to the Property Settlement Agreement (“PSA”). 2

“Upon the petition of either party the court may increase . . . spousal support and

maintenance . . . as the circumstances may make proper.” Code § 20-109(A). ‘“In a petition for

modification of . . . spousal support, the burden is on the moving party to prove [by a

preponderance of the evidence] a material change in circumstances that warrants modification of

support.’” Roberts v. Roberts, 41 Va. App. 513, 528, 586 S.E.2d 290, 297 (2003) (second

alteration in original) (quoting Richardson v. Richardson, 30 Va. App. 341, 347, 516 S.E.2d 726,

729 (1999)). “Whether a change of circumstances exists is a factual finding that will not be

2 The PSA provides the following with regard to modification of spousal support: “It is hereby agreed that the spousal support provisions herein may be modified by written agreement of the parties upon a material financial change of circumstances for either party, or as otherwise decided by a competent court of jurisdiction.” (Emphasis added). -3- disturbed on appeal if the finding is supported by credible evidence.” Ohlen v. Shively, 16

Va. App. 419, 423, 430 S.E.2d 559, 561 (1993) (quoting Visikides v. Derr, 3 Va. App. 69, 70,

348 S.E.2d 40, 41 (1986)).

With regard to any material change in circumstances, “[t]he petitioner must demonstrate

a material change in circumstances from the most recent support award,” id. (citing Antonelli v.

Antonelli, 242 Va. 152, 154, 409 S.E.2d 117, 119 (1991)), and “[t]he material change must relate

to either the need for support or the ability to pay,” Barton v. Barton, 31 Va. App. 175, 177-78,

522 S.E.2d 373, 374 (1999) (citations omitted). “Courts must make support awards based upon

‘current circumstances and what the circumstances will be within the immediate or reasonably

foreseeable future.’” Id. at 178, 522 S.E.2d at 375 (quoting Srinivasan v. Srinivasan, 10 Va.

App. 728, 735, 396 S.E.2d 675, 679 (1990)). “What is ‘reasonably foreseeable’ depends on the

circumstances of the particular case.” Furr, 13 Va. App. at 482, 413 S.E.2d at 74. Thus, “[i]n

considering a denial of a request for a reduction of support payments, courts must look to

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Scialdone v. Com.
689 S.E.2d 716 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 2010)
Fails v. Virginia State Bar
574 S.E.2d 530 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 2003)
Johnson v. Raviotta
563 S.E.2d 727 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 2002)
City of Bedford v. Zimmerman
547 S.E.2d 211 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 2001)
Reid v. Boyle
527 S.E.2d 137 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 2000)
White v. White
509 S.E.2d 323 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1999)
Andrews v. Creacey
696 S.E.2d 218 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2010)
Shiembob v. Shiembob
685 S.E.2d 192 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2009)
Doering v. Doering
676 S.E.2d 353 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2009)
Brown v. Brown
674 S.E.2d 597 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2009)
Fadness v. Fadness
667 S.E.2d 857 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2008)
Parks v. Parks
666 S.E.2d 547 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2008)
Miller v. Cox
607 S.E.2d 126 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2005)
Estate of Hackler v. Hackler
602 S.E.2d 426 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2004)
Smith v. Smith
589 S.E.2d 439 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2003)
Edwards v. Commonwealth
589 S.E.2d 444 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2003)
Roberts v. Roberts
586 S.E.2d 290 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2003)
Shoup v. Shoup
556 S.E.2d 783 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2001)
Barton v. Barton
522 S.E.2d 373 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1999)
Richardson v. Richardson
516 S.E.2d 726 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Scott Thomas McNamee v. Sharon Jones McNamee, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-thomas-mcnamee-v-sharon-jones-mcnamee-vactapp-2011.