Timothy James Houck v. Guyolyn Ousterhout ( 2002 )

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF MISSISSIPPI
NO. 2002-CA-01024-SCT
TIMOTHY JAMES HOUCK
v.
GUYOLYN OUSTERHOUT
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 5/22/2002
TRIAL JUDGE: HON. JOHNNY LEE WILLIAMS
COURT FROM WHICH APPEALED: LAMAR COUNTY CHANCERY COURT
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ORVIS A. SHIYOU
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE: PHILIP DAVID BRIDGES
NATURE OF THE CASE: CIVIL - CUSTODY
DISPOSITION: AFFIRMED - 12/31/2003
MOTION FOR REHEARING FILED:
MANDATE ISSUED:
BEFORE PITTMAN, C.J., WALLER AND GRAVES, JJ.
WALLER, JUSTICE, FOR THE COURT:
¶1. Timothy James Houck and his former wife, Guyolyn Ousterhout, agreed to divide custody of their
five children, and entered into an agreed order which relieved Houck of any further obligations for the
payment of child support in exchange for a lump sum payment of $1,500. Later Ousterhout sought
nullification of that agreed order, and the Chancery Court of Lamar County voided the agreed order and
awarded back support, along with a modification of future child support. We affirm the chancellor's
judgment.
FACTS
¶2. Timothy James Houck and Guyolyn Ousterhout were divorced on March 10, 1993. The
chancellor awarded custody of their five children to Ousterhout and ordered Houck to pay $1,200 per
month in child support, one-half of all medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance, and one-half
of college tuition, including room, board and transportation, for four years.
¶3. Sometimes after the divorce, the two eldest children began living with Houck. After the
Department of Human Services filed suit against Ousterhout, she was ordered to pay child support of $200
per month.
¶4. In 1996, because two children were living with Houck and three with Ousterhout, the parties
entered an agreed order modifying the divorce decree. The order stated that "[m]aterial changes ha[d]
occurred in the life of Timothy James Houck which prevent[ed] him from being able to pay his child support
as directed." The parties agreed that Houck would pay Ousterhout a lump-sum of $1,500 in consideration
of Ousterhout's waiver of "all past, present and future child support payments," and that "[b]oth parties
hereby agree to forever release one another from any obligation, now or in the future, of child support
payments by or to either party."
¶5. In November of 2000, Houck filed a petition seeking custody of the three unemancipated children,
and alleged that Ousterhout had not allowed him to have visitation with them. Ousterhout responded that,
because Houck was not paying child support and college and medical expenses, she would not meet
Houck halfway to allow him to have visitation. She also requested attorney's fees, nullification of the 1996
agreed order, and an award of back child support.
¶6. The chancellor, finding that the 1996 agreement violated public policy, voided the agreement and
awarded back child support to Ousterhout (for the benefit of the children) in the amount of $89,848.65,
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plus interest at the rate of 8% per annum. The chancellor also modified the amount of future child support
to $300 per month. Houck appeals.
¶7. Finding that parents may not agree to relieve one parent of his or her obligation to pay child
support, we affirm the nullification of the agreement, the amount of the child support awarded, and the
interest rate set by the chancellor.
DISCUSSION
I. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR ERRED IN
RENDERING THE JULY 31, 1996, AGREEMENT
NULL AND VOID.
¶8. The modification relieving Houck of any obligation to pay child support to a custodial parent is null
and void. Child support payments are made to the custodial parent for the benefit of the child. Tanner
v. Roland, 598 So. 2d 783, 786 (Miss. 1992); Lawrence v. Lawrence, 574 So. 2d 1376, 1381
(Miss. 1991). The child's right to his parent's support cannot be bargained or contracted away by his
parents. Tanner, 598 So. 2d at 786; Calton v. Calton, 485 So. 2d 309, 310-11 (Miss. 1986).
¶9. We have consistently held that child support payments vest in the child as they accrue. Once they
have become vested, just as they cannot be contracted away by the parents, they cannot be modified or
forgiven by the courts. Tanner, 598 So. 2d at 786; Varner v. Varner, 588 So. 2d 428, 432-33 (Miss.
1991); Premeaux v. Smith, 569 So. 2d 681, 685 (Miss. 1990); Thurman v. Thurman, 559 So. 2d
1014, 1016-17 (Miss. 1990); Cumberland v. Cumberland, 564 So. 2d 839, 847 (Miss. 1990);
Brand v. Brand, 482 So. 2d 236, 237 (Miss. 1986). Each payment that becomes due and remains
unpaid "becomes 'a judgment' against the supporting parent." Tanner, 598 So. 2d at 786; Brand, 482
So. 2d at 237; Cunliffe v. Swartzfager, 437 So. 2d 43, 45-46 (Miss. 1983); Howard v. Howard,
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191 So. 2d 528, 531 (Miss. 1966). The only defense thereto is payment. Tanner, 598 So. 2d at 786;
Varner, 588 So. 2d at 433. That two of the children are now emancipated does not preclude Ousterhout
from seeking recovery of the arrearage from Houck. Tanner, 598 So. 2d at 786; Varner, 588 So. 2d
at 433.
¶10. Accrued child support payments cannot be extinguished by a court: "A court cannot relieve the civil
liabilityfor support payments that have already accrued." Hailey v. Holden, 457 So. 2d 947, 951 (Miss.
1984) (citingCunliffe, 437 So. 2d at 43; Duncan v. Duncan, 417 So. 2d 908 (Miss. 1982);Howard,
191 So. 2d at 528). We have found a chancellor to be in error for suspending execution on a judgment
for past due child support. Brand, 482 So. 2d at 238-39. We have likewise held that a chancellor erred
in finding that payment of only that part of the past due child support which had accrued prior to the warring
couple's protracted child support litigation extinguished his liability. Cumberland, 564 So. 2d at 847-48;
see also Thurman, 559 So. 2d at 1016-17 (Where a supporting parent had paid roughly half the amount
owed under a prior decree for two months and none during the third month in question, the chancellor erred
in finding that the parent was liable only for the difference between the unpaid amounts and the greatly
reduced modified monthly obligation.).
¶11. Consistent with these decisions, we affirm the chancellor's nullification of the 1996 modification.
II. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR ERRED IN
CONTINUING TO USE THE $1,200 PER MONTH
CHILD SUPPORT AWARD GIVEN IN THE
ORIGINAL DIVORCE DECREE.
¶12. We have carefully reviewed the record and the chancellor's calculation of the award of back child
support. He divided the original $1,200 monthly award by five children and came up with $240 per month
per child. He then took into account the amount of time that the two eldest children lived with Houck, the
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$200 per month that Ousterhout was ordered to pay, and the $1,500 Houck paid in consideration for the
1996 agreement. Finally, the chancellor added in one-half of medical expenses and tuition which Houck
had not paid. We cannot find any error in the chancellor's determination that Houck owed Ousterhout
$89,848.65 in back child support.
¶13. Houck's only argument against the amount of the award is that, pursuant to the 1996 agreement,
he was not liable for any child support since the date of the agreement. This argument was discussed and
dismissed in Issue I, above. We therefore affirm the chancellor's award of $89,848.65 in back child
support.
III. WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR ERRED IN
AWARDING INTEREST ON CHILD SUPPORT AT
8% PER ANNUM.
¶14. Houck argues that, first, he does not owe any arrearages, and second, that 8% "does not appear
to be fair . . . in today's economy." He cites no case law in support of his argument.
¶15. The chancellor had the discretion to set the rate of interest. Miss. Code Ann. § 75-17-7 (Rev.
2000).1 There is no question that the chancellor had the authority to award interest on delinquent child
support payments. As to the amount of interest awarded, we have affirmed an award of 8% per annum
1
Miss. Code Ann. § 75-17-7 (Rev. 2000) provides as follows:
All judgments or decrees founded on any sale or contract shall bear
interest at the same rate as the contract evidencing the debt on which the
judgment or decree was rendered. All other judgments or decrees shall
bear interest at a per annum rate set by the judge hearing the complaint
from a date determined by such judge to be fair but in no event prior to
the filing of the complaint.
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rate of interest on past due child support payments. Adams v. Adams, 591 So. 2d 431, 436 (Miss.
1991). Notwithstanding today's lower interest rates, the child support payments owed by Houck were due
over several years in which interest rates fluctuated. We find that the chancellor did not abuse his discretion
as to this issue and that this assignment of error is without merit.
CONCLUSION
¶16. We affirm the chancellor's nullification of the 1996 agreement which waived past, present and future
child support as being violative of public policy. We also affirm the award of back child support of
$89,848.65 and the award of interest at the rate of 8% per annum.
¶17. AFFIRMED.
PITTMAN, C.J., SMITH, P.J., COBB, CARLSON AND GRAVES, JJ., CONCUR.
McRAE, P.J., DISSENTS WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION. EASLEY, J.,
CONCURS IN PART AND DISSENTS IN PART WITHOUT SEPARATE WRITTEN
OPINION. DIAZ, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.
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