Sisney v. Clay

829 S.W.2d 9, 1992 Mo. App. LEXIS 168, 1992 WL 15239
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 4, 1992
DocketNo. WD 44350
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 829 S.W.2d 9 (Sisney v. Clay) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sisney v. Clay, 829 S.W.2d 9, 1992 Mo. App. LEXIS 168, 1992 WL 15239 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

BRECKENRIDGE, Judge.

Timothy Lee Clay appeals from the action of the trial court in sustaining Janet Irene Sisney’s motion for summary judgment, filed in response to his motion to quash garnishment and his motion for determination of child support arrearage. The judgment of the trial court is reversed. In his appeal, Mr. Clay argues that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to Ms. Sisney because the amount of child support arrearage was still in issue notwithstanding the application of § 454.515, RSMo 1986.1 Mr. Clay contends said statute did not apply to the instant case because § 454.400 et seq. set forth child support collection procedures applicable solely to enforcement by the state and § 454.515 establishes a procedure intended for the creation of a lien on real estate owned by an obligor who is delinquent in child support.

Mr. Clay and Ms. Sisney were granted a dissolution of marriage on April 10,1979 in California. Ms. Sisney was awarded custody of the two children born of the marriage. Mr. Clay was ordered to pay $160.00 per month in child support. A judgment modifying the decree was entered on July 8, 1986, by the Circuit Court of Clay County, Missouri. This judgment transferred custody of one of the children to Mr. Clay and reduced the child support payments owed by Mr. Clay to Ms. Sisney to $80.00 per month. On July 19,1988, Ms. Sisney filed an arrearage affidavit with the [11]*11circuit court which included a history and statement of interest due, and mailed a copy of said affidavit to Mr. Clay. On that same date, Ms. Sisney also filed a motion requesting an order requiring that payments be made to the circuit clerk as trustee, pursuant to § 452.345.2. On July 26, 1988, the court entered its order requiring Mr. Clay to make his child support payments to the clerk of the court as trustee for Ms. Sisney, effective August 8, 1988.

In August, 1988, Ms. Sisney began a garnishment on Mr. Clay’s naval reserve pay. Subsequently, on May 12, 1989, Mr. Clay filed a motion to quash garnishment. On April 6, 1990, Mr. Clay filed a motion for determination of child support arrear-age, arguing that the amount of child support arrearage sought by Ms. Sisney in her garnishment was incorrect. Ms. Sisney moved for summary judgment claiming that the issue was res judicata since Mr. Clay did not request a hearing within thirty days after receipt of the arrearage affidavit and § 454.515.4, states that, “If no hearing is requested, the affidavit shall be conclusive for all purposes.” The trial court sustained Ms. Sisney’s motion and Mr. Clay appeals.

Mr. Clay contends that the trial court erred in granting summary judgment on Ms. Sisney’s motion because the amount of child support arrearage remained in issue notwithstanding § 454.515. Mr. Clay argues that the procedure used by Ms. Sisney was an inappropriate vehicle for collecting support from him because § 454.400 through § 454.516 establish a procedure whereby the state enforces child support obligations. He contends that, in particular, § 454.515 outlines a procedure to establish a lien on real estate in the county where the arrearage affidavit is filed. Mr. Clay owned no real estate in that county.

Section 454.400 begins a series of statutes entitled, “Child Support, Enforcement by State.” The statutes following outline a comprehensive plan whereby the state acts to enforce support obligations. The Eastern District, in Wills v. Wills, 750 S.W.2d 567, 571 (Mo.App.1988), outlined the purpose of the statutory scheme:

In 1986, the General Assembly, responding to this growing crisis in child support, adopted the Child Support Enforcement Act, §§ 454.400-454.528, R.S.Mo., 1986. In many respects the Missouri Act tracked the provisions and requirements of the federal enactment, but in many respects, our General Assembly went beyond the provisions of the federal act. H.B. 1479, Laws, 1986 p. 1052. HB 1479 is an act relating to “establishing and enforcing support obligations.” It was adopted to establish and enforce support obligations. The primary thrust of the Missouri Act is to provide a tool for enforcement measures by which the state, acting through the Division of Child Support Enforcement of the Department of Social Services, prosecuting attorneys, or attorneys in cooperation with the Division, can require errant or absent parents who receive public assistance to fulfill their parental responsibilities: The Act is primarily applicable to those situations where there has been an assignment of support payments to the state of Missouri pursuant to § 208.-040 or where the Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement is providing “support enforcement services” pursuant to §§ 454.425 and 452.345.1. The Act is also applicable to persons who are not on public assistance. The Act requires the Division of Child Support Enforcement to render services to persons who are not recipients of public assistance. See § 454.425.

(footnotes omitted).

The action in Wills was initiated by the former wife seeking garnishment in aid of execution so as to satisfy her former husband’s child support arrearage. Id. at 568. The court allowed such action to be taken by the wife, ordering an evidentiary hearing to determine if a partnership interest existed as to the funds sought to be garnished and ordering the funds released if no partnership was found. Id. at 575-76.

There is a scarcity of law on the issue presented by this case, both in Missouri and in other jurisdictions. Neither the appellant, nor the respondent, present any [12]*12case law dealing with the question involved. Ordinary rules of statutory construction must therefore be utilized in order to determine the applicability of the Act to private actions.

The primary rule of statutory construction is that the intent of the legislature is to be ascertained by the language used in the statute and effect should be given to that intent, if possible, considering the plain and ordinary meaning of the words used in the statute. Weston Point Condominium Owners Ass’n v. Floro, 796 S.W.2d 928, 930 (Mo.App.1990).

Mr. Clay contends the title of the series of statutes under review is “Child Support, Enforcement by State.” The title of a legislative act is considered as part of that act and is weighed when construing the act. Harry H. Houf & Sons Contractors, Inc. v. City of Wellsville, 796 S.W.2d 435, 437 (Mo.App.1990). Although such a title would support the view that the statutes within the series are only to be used by the state, a review of the original Act reveals that the heading “Child Support, Enforcement by State,” does not appear in said Act. Such heading therefore, is not a “title” for purposes of statutory construction and does not provide evidence of legislative intent.

In addition, the individual statutes belie the interpretation espoused by Mr. Clay. The statute at issue, § 454.515 does not refer to the state but instead refers to “the person entitled to receive payments under the judgment.” Other statutes also make no mention of any state action.

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829 S.W.2d 9, 1992 Mo. App. LEXIS 168, 1992 WL 15239, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sisney-v-clay-moctapp-1992.