Ciottone v. Ciottone ( 2015 )


Menu:
  • ******************************************************
    The ‘‘officially released’’ date that appears near the
    beginning of each opinion is the date the opinion will
    be published in the Connecticut Law Journal or the
    date it was released as a slip opinion. The operative
    date for the beginning of all time periods for filing
    postopinion motions and petitions for certification is
    the ‘‘officially released’’ date appearing in the opinion.
    In no event will any such motions be accepted before
    the ‘‘officially released’’ date.
    All opinions are subject to modification and technical
    correction prior to official publication in the Connecti-
    cut Reports and Connecticut Appellate Reports. In the
    event of discrepancies between the electronic version
    of an opinion and the print version appearing in the
    Connecticut Law Journal and subsequently in the Con-
    necticut Reports or Connecticut Appellate Reports, the
    latest print version is to be considered authoritative.
    The syllabus and procedural history accompanying
    the opinion as it appears on the Commission on Official
    Legal Publications Electronic Bulletin Board Service
    and in the Connecticut Law Journal and bound volumes
    of official reports are copyrighted by the Secretary of
    the State, State of Connecticut, and may not be repro-
    duced and distributed without the express written per-
    mission of the Commission on Official Legal
    Publications, Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut.
    ******************************************************
    ANGELA D. CIOTTONE v. JONATHAN CIOTTONE
    (AC 36530)
    Lavine, Sheldon and Bishop, Js.
    Argued October 15, 2014—officially released January 20, 2015
    (Appeal from Superior Court, judicial district of
    Hartford, Prestley, J. [motion to modify]; Bozzuto, J.
    [motion for contempt])
    Angela D. Ciottone, self-represented, the appellant
    (plaintiff).
    Keith Yagaloff, for the appellee (defendant).
    Opinion
    BISHOP, J. In this appeal from the trial court’s judg-
    ment of contempt and its attendant order of counsel
    fees, the plaintiff, Angela D. Ciottone, claims that,
    because the terms of her marital dissolution judgment
    and pertinent postjudgment orders were not clear and
    unambiguous, the court’s finding of contempt and its
    allied remedial orders were not legally warranted. We
    affirm the judgment of the trial court.
    The plaintiff’s marriage to the defendant, Jonathan
    Ciottone, was dissolved on January 19, 2007, on terms
    based on the parties’ written agreement. Relevant to
    our present consideration, the parties’ agreement
    included a multipage parenting plan regarding their son,
    Jonathan, Jr., then nearly three years old. The parties
    returned to court in 2011, both seeking modifications
    of the dissolution judgment. Following a hearing, the
    court, Prestley, J., issued extensive written orders,
    dated May 25, 2012, which provided specific contours
    to the parties’ continuing shared custody of Jonathan,
    Jr. The court’s orders included, inter alia, the following
    provision: ‘‘The mother shall schedule nonemergency
    medical appointments for the child. She shall provide
    adequate and immediate notice to the father with
    enough time to allow for him, at his option, to attend.
    The mother shall inquire in writing as to the father’s
    availability for appointments in advance of any schedul-
    ing or rescheduling. Emergency appointments may be
    scheduled by either parent subject to immediate notifi-
    cation to the other.’’ Elsewhere, the court’s order fur-
    ther included a provision regarding summer vacation
    and camp for Jonathan, Jr., that modified the existing
    order for each parent to have two nonconsecutive
    weeks of vacation with Jonathan, Jr. The order stated:
    ‘‘Absent mutual written agreement as to the child’s
    attendance at summer camp, the mother may first select
    a summer camp for the child. The father may then select
    a second camp. . . . Absent mutual written agreement,
    the child shall not attend more than two (2) camps in
    the summer, and neither camp shall exceed three (3)
    weeks. Beginning in 2013, the summer vacation sched-
    ule shall be exchanged by March 1; the summer camp
    selections shall be exchanged by May 1.’’
    On August 1, 2012, by agreement of the parties,1 the
    court, Carbonneau, J., issued the following written
    order: ‘‘The mother and father shall alternate attending
    nonemergency medical and dental appointments for
    Jonathan, Jr., per the scheduling requirements in . . .
    the 5/25/12 orders. If the child becomes sick in the care
    of either parent, that parent shall be responsible for
    obtaining appropriate treatment or making appoint-
    ments. Absent an emergency, both parents shall not
    attend medical or dental appointments together.’’ Addi-
    tional written orders were issued by Judge Prestley on
    November 16, 2012, pursuant to motions filed by the
    plaintiff. There, the court denied the plaintiff’s motion
    to modify child support and made detailed orders
    regarding reimbursements for Jonathan, Jr.’s extracur-
    ricular and health care expenses. As to the latter, the
    court ordered: ‘‘Although the original judgment pro-
    vided that the plaintiff would provide health insurance
    for the child, the defendant’s wife’s policy currently
    provides health insurance for the child’s benefit. The
    defendant shall not be responsible for any portion of the
    extraordinary cost of the plaintiff’s health [insurance]
    premium. The defendant may continue to pay unreim-
    bursed expenses out of his wife’s flexible spending
    account without any credit for this due to the plaintiff.’’
    Additionally, the court ordered: ‘‘Insurance information
    on all insurance maintained that covers the child’s
    health care expenses shall be given to the child’s provid-
    ers. It is presumed that the health care providers will
    submit claims first to the primary carrier and then to
    the secondary carrier. The parties shall then divide
    unreimbursed medical expenses or co-pays equally.’’2
    Following the court’s November 16, 2012 order, the
    plaintiff, by motion dated December 4, 2012, sought:
    ‘‘Clarification, Reconsideration, and Reargument.’’
    Through this motion, the plaintiff sought a further order
    as to whether ‘‘a child medical expense covered under
    the mother’s health care plan with the exception of a
    co-pay can then also be claimed to be an unreimbursed
    medical expense under father’s plan.’’ After a hearing,
    this motion was denied by the court by order dated
    April 25, 2013.3
    Thereafter, the defendant filed a motion for contempt
    dated April 26, 2013, and the plaintiff filed a motion for
    contempt dated May 21, 2013, a motion for compensa-
    tion dated October 2, 2013, a motion for attorney’s and
    expert’s fees dated October 20, 2013, and a motion to
    modify child support dated November 4, 2013. It is the
    court’s response to the defendant’s motion for contempt
    that is the subject of this appeal.4
    In his motion for contempt, the defendant made the
    following claims: (1) that the plaintiff had failed to reim-
    burse him for certain expenses incurred on behalf of
    Jonathan, Jr., including expenses for his activities as
    well as for certain health care expenses, in accordance
    with the provisions of the dissolution judgment and
    subsequent orders; (2) that the plaintiff had failed to
    utilize the defendant’s employment-related health insur-
    ance as secondary insurance coverage for Jonathan,
    Jr.; (3) that the plaintiff had violated the court’s orders
    regarding the obligation of each parent to notify the
    other of his and her preferred dates of summer vacation
    with Jonathan, Jr., and the intended dates for his camp;
    (4) that the plaintiff had failed to adhere to the court’s
    order that the parties alternate taking Jonathan, Jr., to
    his medical appointments; (5) that the plaintiff had
    failed to keep to the parenting schedule; and (6) that the
    plaintiff, by her conduct, had undermined his parental
    rights and failed to adhere to the judgment’s co-parent-
    ing provisions.
    Over the course of several days, the court, Bozzuto,
    J., heard testimony regarding the parties’ respective
    motions. The court orally rendered its decision from
    the bench on January 27, 2014. Judge Bozzuto began
    by making the following observation: ‘‘The issues sub-
    ject of the defendant’s motion for contempt have been
    addressed and adjudicated by the court extensively on
    prior dates, to no avail. Preliminarily, the court would
    note that it found the plaintiff’s testimony and presenta-
    tion to the court riddled with distortions and exaggera-
    tions.’’ Judge Bozzuto continued: ‘‘It’s the mundane that
    the plaintiff distorts and manipulates into something it
    is not. The plaintiff also manipulates the plain language
    [of] orders in an effort to exert control and/or diminish
    the defendant.’’ The court concluded: ‘‘As to defendant’s
    motion [for contempt], the court finds that the defen-
    dant has met his burden of proof, and the court finds
    the plaintiff in wilful violation of the court’s orders.’’
    As to the defendant’s specific contempt allegations,
    the court made the following findings and orders: ‘‘[T]he
    plaintiff has failed, without excuse, to comply with the
    court’s order to pay to the defendant $951.50 and also
    failed to reimburse the defendant for winter basketball,
    a medical bill . . . an orthodontic retainer, and another
    bill for medical services. All totaled, the court finds
    the plaintiff owes the defendant $296.98, which is in
    addition to the $951.50. Further, the plaintiff misused
    and manipulated the summer camp and vacation sched-
    ule. Additionally, the plaintiff, through her tortured
    reading, has clearly violated the court’s order to alter-
    nate all nonemergency medical appointments of the
    minor child. Also, the plaintiff has failed to submit any
    remaining unreimbursed medical expenses through the
    defendant’s insurance as secondary insurance for the
    minor child.’’
    In addition to making a finding of the plaintiff’s wilful
    violation of its orders, the court entered the following
    remedial orders: ‘‘One, the sum of $296.91 plus $951.50
    shall be paid by the plaintiff to the defendant by way
    of the defendant being relieved of his $300 quarterly
    payment to the plaintiff for the next four full payments.
    Additionally, the fifth quarterly payment shall be
    reduced by $48.48.5
    ‘‘Two, the plaintiff shall, within fourteen days, notify
    in writing, with a certified copy to defendant’s counsel,
    all of the child’s medical providers that her insurance,
    with all appropriate information, is the primary insur-
    ance for the child and that the defendant’s insurance,
    with all appropriate information, is the secondary insur-
    ance for the minor child, to be processed in accordance
    therewith. The plaintiff shall take whatever additional
    steps are necessary to effectuate the intent of the court’s
    order dated November 16, 2012. To be clear, all of the
    child’s medical and dental expenses are to be submitted
    to the plaintiff’s insurance first, then to the defendant’s
    insurance second. Any amount left over shall be split
    between the parties 50-50.
    ‘‘Three, as for summer camp and vacation, the court
    orders that the defendant provide the plaintiff with his
    choice of summer vacation by March 1, 2014. There-
    after, and not before, the plaintiff shall make her sum-
    mer vacation selection by no later than April 30,
    2014. . . .
    ‘‘The defendant shall have first choice for summer
    vacation and summer camp for 2014 and 2015 in accor-
    dance with the process set forth above. The plaintiff
    shall have first choice for summer vacation and summer
    camp for 2016, in accordance with the process set forth
    above. The parties shall alternate thereafter in accor-
    dance with the same schedule.
    ‘‘Four, as instruction to both parties, the court reiter-
    ates the court’s order of August 1, 2012, regarding alter-
    nating all nonemergency [medical] appointments. An
    emergency [medical] appointment, which is the only
    appointment not subject to the alternation, is an
    appointment that is scheduled for the minor child no
    more than three hours in advance. All other medical
    and dental appointments shall be alternated consistent
    with the court’s existing order.
    ‘‘Five, the court further orders the plaintiff to pay
    attorney’s fees in the amount of $1500 to Attorney Yaga-
    loff, such sum to be paid as follows: $750 within 60
    days, and the remaining $750 to be paid within 90 days of
    today’s date.’’ (Footnote added.) This appeal followed.
    On appeal, the plaintiff claims, generally, that Judge
    Prestley’s orders that formed the foundation of the
    defendant’s motion for contempt were ambiguous and
    unclear and, therefore, not amenable to enforcement
    through the mechanism of the court’s contempt power.
    She claims, as well, that the evidence presented to Judge
    Bozzuto was insufficient to conclude that she wilfully
    violated the court’s orders regarding unreimbursed
    health care expenses, submission of claims to the defen-
    dant’s health insurance, the vacation and camp sched-
    ule, and nonemergency medical appointments.
    With respect to her obligation to pay certain unreim-
    bursed health care expenses, the plaintiff claims that
    the term ‘‘unreimbursed health care expenses’’ is
    unclear and imprecise. Additionally, she claims that the
    trial court failed, improperly, to clarify whether she was
    entitled to deduct overpayments made by the defen-
    dant’s insurance carrier for which she believes she is
    entitled to credit. Further, the plaintiff claims that the
    order that the defendant’s health insurance serve as
    secondary coverage is ambiguous, and, moreover, that
    she did not wilfully violate that order. As to issues
    relating to Jonathan, Jr.’s attendance at summer camp
    and the parties’ respective summer vacation schedules
    with Jonathan, Jr., the plaintiff appears to claim that the
    court issued its remedial orders on this topic without
    affording her due process. She fails, however, to brief
    the manner in which she believes her due process rights
    were violated. As to alternating nonemergency visits to
    medical care providers, the plaintiff claims that the
    evidence adduced at the hearing on this topic was insuf-
    ficient to warrant the court’s contempt finding. In large
    measure, the plaintiff’s brief consists of a rehashing of
    issues presented to the court during extensive eviden-
    tiary hearings that culminated in the subject contempt
    findings and associated orders.6
    Our Supreme Court, in the case of In re Leah S., 
    284 Conn. 685
    , 
    935 A.2d 1021
    (2007), set forth the parame-
    ters of our review of a trial court’s finding of contempt
    in a civil matter. The court stated: ‘‘[O]ur analysis of a
    judgment of contempt consists of two levels of inquiry.
    First, we must resolve the threshold question of
    whether the underlying order constituted a court order
    that was sufficiently clear and unambiguous so as to
    support a judgment of contempt. . . . This is a legal
    inquiry subject to de novo review. . . . Second, if we
    conclude that the underlying court order was suffi-
    ciently clear and unambiguous, we must then determine
    whether the trial court abused its discretion in issuing,
    or refusing to issue, a judgment of contempt, which
    includes a review of the trial court’s determination of
    whether the violation was wilful or excused by a good
    faith dispute or misunderstanding.’’ (Citations omitted.)
    
    Id., 693–94. As
    to the first prong of our analysis, the record makes
    it apparent that the orders that underlie the defendant’s
    motion for contempt were clear and unambiguous. Sec-
    ond, the record amply supports the court’s finding that
    the plaintiff’s failure to abide by the court’s orders
    was wilful.
    The first part of the defendant’s motion for contempt
    deals with the plaintiff’s failure to pay her share of
    unreimbursed health care expenses incurred on behalf
    of Jonathan, Jr. Our review of relevant transcripts
    reveals that the claim of ambiguity advanced by the
    plaintiff on review was previously raised by her and
    was fully, and repeatedly, resolved by the court at hear-
    ings in January, April and November of 2013. For exam-
    ple, the court made plain at a hearing on January 28,
    2013, that unreimbursed health care expenses for Jona-
    than, Jr., means those expenses not paid for by the
    parties’ available insurance and that the defendant was
    entitled to utilize funds in his present wife’s flexible
    spending account to pay his portion of unreimbursed
    health care expenses.7 As to the definition of the unreim-
    bursed health care expenses, as previously noted
    herein, Judge Prestley made that term amply clear to
    the parties on January 28, 2013. See footnote 2 of this
    opinion. For a reasonably educated and attentive liti-
    gant, the court’s explanation on the record should have
    been sufficient to make the order regarding unreim-
    bursed health care expenses clear and unambiguous.8
    The plaintiff claims that she did not wilfully violate
    this order because she believed she was entitled to
    certain ‘‘set offs.’’ In regard to the specific amounts the
    court found owing by the plaintiff, the sums of $951.50
    and $296.91, the plaintiff’s obligation to pay the sum of
    $951.50 was based on a previous computation by the
    court. At a hearing on April 29, 2013, Judge Prestley
    had made an initial finding that the plaintiff owed the
    sum of $985.50 to the defendant based on her obligation
    to share unreimbursed health care expenses for Jona-
    than, Jr., and the court ordered that it be paid at the
    rate of $100 a month. Later, in the same hearing, Judge
    Prestley reduced the figure to $951.50, giving the plain-
    tiff a credit of $34 toward this obligation as a result of
    a net sum owed to the plaintiff by the defendant.9 Thus,
    the sum of $951.50 was fixed and definite. Indeed, on
    a subsequent hearing date on the defendant’s motion
    for contempt, the plaintiff acknowledged this obliga-
    tion. She explained that she did not pay this amount
    because she felt entitled to set off against it certain
    sums she later claimed to have become due to her from
    the defendant. In determining that the plaintiff’s failure
    to pay the sum of $951.50 was wilful, the court needed
    to look no further than the transcripts of prior hearings
    in which the plaintiff had acknowledged her awareness
    of Judge Prestley’s computation, the order that she pay
    it, and her failure to do so based on her claim of justifi-
    cation.
    Judge Bozzuto’s finding that the plaintiff wilfully
    withheld the additional sum of $296.91 finds support
    in the record as well. At the continued hearing on the
    contempt motion on January 9, 2014, the defendant
    testified that the plaintiff owed him an additional
    $376.50, beyond the sum of $951.50, based on his calcu-
    lation of the amounts that the plaintiff should have paid
    to him for her share of Jonathan, Jr.’s unreimbursed
    health care and activity expenses. After testimony and
    argument, the court found that the sum of $296.91 was
    due on the basis of its previous orders. There is ample
    evidentiary support for the court’s determination in
    this regard.
    We now turn to the plaintiff’s obligation to utilize
    her health care insurance as the primary coverage for
    Jonathan, Jr.’s health related needs and the defendant’s
    health insurance as secondary coverage. The record
    reflects that, in spite of the clarity of the order, the
    plaintiff continued to object to it and failed repeatedly
    to comply with its dictates. At the November 19, 2013
    hearing on the defendant’s motion for contempt, he
    testified that health care providers’ bills were not being
    submitted to his insurance carrier for secondary cover-
    age because the plaintiff had informed the providers
    not to use the secondary coverage. Judge Bozzuto, of
    course, was entitled to credit this testimony and to find,
    on the basis of the testimony, that the plaintiff had
    violated the court’s order in this regard. This order
    suffers from no ambiguity. The court’s finding that the
    plaintiff wilfully violated it is supported by the record.
    Next, with respect to the court’s orders regarding the
    obligation of the parties to notify each other of their
    intended summer vacation dates by March 1, 2013, and
    of their desired weeks for enrolling Jonathan, Jr., in
    summer camp by May 1, 2013, the court heard evidence
    that, instead of complying with this order, the plaintiff
    notified the defendant in January, 2013, of the dates of
    both her intended vacation as well as the summer camp
    dates before he had the opportunity to indicate his
    preferred vacation dates.10 The defendant testified that
    he protested to the plaintiff that, although she had the
    first choice for vacation dates in 2013, the order
    required her to permit him then to choose his vacation
    time before dates were selected for Jonathan, Jr.’s
    camp. The defendant testified that, when the plaintiff
    responded ‘‘not in a nice way,’’ he decided to work
    around the plaintiff’s dates, accommodating his vaca-
    tion dates and his selection of Jonathan, Jr.’s camp dates
    to the plaintiff’s declared schedule, and he notified the
    plaintiff of the dates he had selected. The defendant
    testified that, thereafter, the plaintiff unilaterally
    changed her vacation schedule, and that change
    encroached on the defendant’s summer schedule. The
    court found that the plaintiff wilfully violated the rele-
    vant order regarding summer vacation and camp.
    The plaintiff claims that the order was subject to
    reasonable interpretation. She argues that the require-
    ment that the parties notify each other by March 1st of
    their vacation schedules, with her having first choice
    in 2013, and by May 1st of their summer camp selections
    for Jonathan, Jr., means that those are the latest dates
    by which to make these elections. She argues that the
    order, by its terms, does not preclude her from notifying
    the defendant of her selected dates, all at once, months
    ahead of time. Additionally, she claimed before the trial
    court that the late change in her summer plans for
    herself and for Jonathan, Jr.’s camp was justified by
    the late dismissal of students due to having to make
    up snow days.
    Contrary to the plaintiff’s claim, this order suffers
    from no ambiguity. On review, we find no fault with
    the court’s assessment of this claim as a mere distortion
    of a plain order. Similarly, the court’s determination
    that she wilfully violated this order finds ample support
    in the record. The plaintiff’s patent disregard of this
    order well warranted the court’s finding of contempt.
    Although not set forth as a distinct claim, the plaintiff
    also appears to claim that the court’s remedial orders
    upon finding her in contempt, in some undefined fash-
    ion, deprived her of due process. In this claim, she is
    wide of the mark. Faced with a party in contempt of
    court, it is within the court’s province to fashion appro-
    priate remedial orders. ‘‘Courts have in general the
    power to fashion a remedy appropriate to the vindica-
    tion of a prior . . . judgment. . . . Having found non-
    compliance, the court, in the exercise of its equitable
    powers, necessarily ha[s] the authority to fashion what-
    ever orders [are] required to protect the integrity of [its
    original] judgment.’’ (Internal quotation marks omit-
    ted.) Behrns v. Behrns, 
    124 Conn. App. 794
    , 821, 
    6 A.3d 184
    (2010). In the case at hand, the court’s remedial
    orders were justified and appropriately tailored to
    the violations.
    In enunciating its orders, the court also found that
    the plaintiff attempted to distort the requirement that
    the parties alternate taking Jonathan, Jr., to nonemer-
    gency medical appointments and, as a result, the plain-
    tiff was in contempt of those orders. During the hearing
    on his motion for contempt, the defendant provided
    the court with an evidentiary basis for its finding that
    the plaintiff failed, wilfully, to alternate taking Jonathan,
    Jr., to his scheduled medical appointments. The follow-
    ing exemplifies how the plaintiff distorts the court’s
    order. The plaintiff argued at trial, and persists in claim-
    ing on appeal, that because the parent then with physi-
    cal custody of Jonathan, Jr., has the right to take him
    for medical care should he be sick, that provision per-
    mits her, unilaterally, and without notifying the defen-
    dant, to take Jonathan, Jr., to medical care visits to
    treat certain chronic conditions. The court’s response
    to this claim was apt. The court acted within its discre-
    tion in finding that the plaintiff had distorted the com-
    mon sense meaning of this obligation in order to create
    a nonexisting ambiguity.
    The judgment is affirmed.
    In this opinion the other judges concurred.
    1
    Neither party filed a motion to modify the May 25, 2012 orders. The
    guardian ad litem, however, requested a status conference, noting: ‘‘Despite
    the [May 25, 2012] orders being clear and concise, conflict between the
    parties continues; although, the level and source of conflict, depending on
    which party you speak with, is different.’’
    2
    Although, historically, the parents’ relative obligations to maintain health
    insurance coverage for Jonathan, Jr., changed due to the parties’ changed
    circumstances, at all times relevant to any of the issues presently on appeal,
    the court’s order has been that the plaintiff’s employment-related health
    care insurance would provide primary coverage for Jonathan, Jr., and the
    defendant’s employment-related health care insurance would provide sec-
    ondary coverage.
    3
    A review of the extensive trial court file reveals that, in response to the
    plaintiff’s motion for clarification, the court held a hearing on January 28,
    2013, during which Judge Prestley made her order regarding health care
    insurance amply clear. There, in response to a claim that the court’s order
    was ambiguous as to the meaning of unreimbursed health care expenses,
    the court stated: ‘‘I believe my order said that there was a primary insurer,
    there was a secondary insurer. The primary would file the claims, get that
    paid. Secondary would kick in. Whatever’s remaining after that would be
    called an unreimbursed expense.’’ Subsequently, the plaintiff renewed her
    motion for clarification, which the court denied on April 25, 2014.
    4
    The record reflects that when the court, Bozzuto, J., granted the defen-
    dant’s motion for contempt on January 27, 2014, the court denied all of the
    plaintiff’s motions. The court’s response to the plaintiff’s motions is not a
    subject of this appeal.
    5
    After an earlier postjudgment hearing, and in order to resolve a dispute
    between the parties regarding their respective obligations to pay for Jona-
    than, Jr.’s extracurricular activities, the court, Prestley, J., had ordered the
    defendant to pay $300 quarterly to the plaintiff.
    6
    As to the court’s award of counsel fees, the plaintiff makes no argument
    that the amount ordered was improper; rather, her claim appears to be
    limited to an argument that because the court erroneously found her in
    contempt, there should not have been any ensuing order for counsel fees.
    To be sure, the court received an affidavit from the defendant’s counsel
    setting forth his hourly rate of $250 and the time encompassed in his repre-
    sentation of the defendant on his contempt motion. The court found the
    hourly rate to be reasonable and took judicial notice of the amount of time
    spent in the hearings leading up to the court’s findings and orders. Because
    we affirm the court’s contempt order there is no basis to disturb the award
    of counsel fees.
    7
    For all time periods relevant to any of the issues on appeal, the existent
    court order has been that the plaintiff’s health insurance would provide
    primary coverage for Jonathan, Jr., and the defendant’s insurance would be
    secondary. In addition to his employment related health insurance, the
    defendant has the benefit of a flexible spending account in his present wife’s
    name. This account is funded by pretax distributions of the present wife’s
    earnings. The court repeatedly explained to the plaintiff that the defendant’s
    use of this fund to meet his obligation toward payment of unreimbursed
    health care expenses was entirely appropriate.
    8
    The record reflects that both parties are attorneys.
    9
    In her brief, the plaintiff points out that the court’s finding of $951.50
    was made on April 29, 2013, after the defendant had filed his motion for
    contempt. In our view, however, the determination by the court on April
    29, 2013, was simply a computation of amounts due from the plaintiff to
    the defendant on the basis of the existing court order for unreimbursed
    health care expenses and activities reimbursement. That the amount then
    presently due was crystallized after the defendant had filed his motion for
    contempt is of no avail to the plaintiff because, even if the court relied on
    the prior finding of $951.50 due, the court’s contempt finding was based on
    the plaintiff’s failure to comply with the court’s prior orders that she pay
    one half of the unreimbursed health care expenses incurred for Jonathan,
    Jr., and her proportionate share of expenses for his activities.
    10
    The record indicates that the parties agreed, through their marital disso-
    lution agreement, that each would have two nonconsecutive weeks of vaca-
    tion with Jonathan, Jr., in the summer time until he turned eight years old.
    The record also indicates that on May 25, 2012, the court issued extensive
    written orders that included the following order regarding summer vacations
    and camp: ‘‘Summer camp shall not be considered an extracurricular activity.
    Absent mutual written agreement as to the child’s attendance at summer
    camp, the mother may first select a summer camp for the child. The father
    may then select a second camp. No camp shall be more than twenty-five
    (25) miles from the other parent’s residence unless mutually agreed upon
    in advance and in writing. Either party may elect that the child not go to
    any camp during their selection period. Absent mutual written agreement,
    the child shall not attend more than two (2) camps in the summer and
    neither camp shall exceed three (3) weeks. Beginning in 2013, the summer
    vacation schedule shall be exchanged by March 1; the summer camp selec-
    tions shall be exchanged by May 1.’’
    

Document Info

Docket Number: AC36530

Filed Date: 1/20/2015

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 4/17/2021