FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT
: ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE:
J. DAVID ROELLGEN L. EDWARD CUMMINGS
BRIAN C. DICKERSON Vincennes, Indiana
Emison Doolittle Kolb & Roellgen
Vincennes, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
THOMAS W. BATTERMAN, )
)
Appellant-Petitioner, )
)
vs. ) No. 42A04-0312-CV-661
)
LAUREL K. (BATTERMAN ) BENDER, )
)
Appellee-Resondent. )
APPEAL FROM THE KNOX CIRCUIT COURT
The Honorable Sherry L. Biddinger Gregg, Judge
Cause No. 42C01-0304-DR-144
May 28, 2004
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
BAKER, Judge
In this interlocutory appeal of right pursuant to Indiana Appellate Rule 14(A)(1), appellant-petitioner
Thomas Batterman appeals the trial courts order concerning a temporary child support order
in favor of appellee-respondent Laurel Batterman. Specifically, Thomas raises three issues: whether
Indiana had jurisdiction where the foreign child support order had not been properly
registered, whether Indiana substantive law should apply, and whether Indiana had the authority
to modify the child support order without an evidentiary hearing. Finding that
Thomas invited any error and that Indiana law applies in this matter, we
affirm.
FACTS
Thomas and Laurel were married in Wisconsin and had two children there.
In 1990 the State of Wisconsin granted them a dissolution and gave custody
of the two children to Laurel. The Wisconsin court ordered Thomas to
pay child support in the amount of $650 per month.
In 2000, Laurel and the children moved to Vincennes, Indiana. Thomas remained
in Wisconsin. On April 1, 2003, Thomas filed a motion for modification
of his Wisconsin child support order and for the Knox Circuit Court to
assume jurisdiction. On August 12, 2003, the trial court entered an order
on jurisdictional issues, concluding that Thomas and Laurel had consented to jurisdiction in
Indiana and the substantive law of Indiana and that Thomas had not complied
with the requirement to register the Wisconsin child support order.
The trial court held a status conference on September 15, during which the
trial court and counsel made rough calculations of child support under the Indiana
Child Support Guidelines. The trial court thereafter entered an order that gave
the parties thirty days to reach an agreement regarding temporary child support, but
if no agreement could be reached then the trial court would enter a
temporary child support determination. The trial court also permitted the parties to
file briefs on that issue. On October 1, 2003, Thomas filed a
motion to correct error, which the trial court denied, in which he argued
that the Wisconsin child support order was properly registered and that Wisconsin law
should be applied. On October 30, 2003, fifteen days after the court
imposed a deadline in which to file briefs, Thomas filed his objection to
an increase in child support, and therein stated that the law of Wisconsin
should be applied in the proceedings. On December 1, 2003, the trial
court entered its Temporary Child Support Order that required Thomas to pay $244
per week in child support through the Clerk of the Knox Circuit Court,
which was retroactively effective as of June 2003, creating an arrearage of $1956.
Thomas now appeals.
DISCUSSION AND DECISION
I. Registration of Wisconsin Order
Thomas first argues that the Wisconsin child support order was not properly registered
in Indiana. Specifically, Thomas contends that this action must be dismissed for
lack of jurisdiction because he did not comply with the requirements to register
the order.
If the facts before the trial court are not in dispute, then the
question of subject matter jurisdiction is purely one of law. Tate v.
Fenwick, 766 N.E.2d 423, 423 (Ind. 2002). Under those circumstances no deference
is afforded the trial courts conclusion because appellate courts independently, and without the
slightest deference to trial court determinations, evaluate those issues they deem to be
questions of law. Id. However, a party may not take advantage
of an error that he commits, invites, or which is the natural consequence
of his own neglect or misconduct. Evans v. Evans, 766 N.E.2d 1240,
1245 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002). Invited error is not subject to review
by this court. Ad Craft, Inc. v. Area Plan Commn of Evansville
and Vanderburgh County, 716 N.E.2d 6, 19 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
In relevant part, Indiana Code section 31-18-6-11, part of the Interstate Family Support
Act (IFSA), provides:
After a child support order issued in another state has been registered in
Indiana, unless the provisions of section 13 of this chapter apply, the responding
Indiana tribunal may modify the order only if, after notice and hearing, the
responding tribunal finds that:
(1) the:
(A) child, individual obligee, and obligor do not reside in the issuing state;
(B) petitioner who is a nonresident of Indiana seeks modification; and
(C) respondent is subject to the personal jurisdiction of the Indiana tribunal;
or
(2) an individual party or the child is subject to the personal jurisdiction
of the tribunal and all of the individual parties have filed a written
consent in the issuing tribunal providing that an Indiana tribunal may modify the
support order and assume continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the order.
Thomas argues that the trial court had no jurisdiction to enter the temporary
child support order because none of these requirements have been met. However,
Thomass attorney recognized his obligation to register the judgment and order in a
May 12, 2003 hearing. Appellants App. p. 8. Furthermore, the trial
courts order of May 15, 2003, directed Thomas to promptly register the Wisconsin
child support order with the State of Indiana. Appellants App. p. 55.
On October 1, 2003, Thomas filed a motion to correct error in
which he argued that it was error to contend that the Wisconsin child
support order was not properly registered. Appellants App. p. 118-19. Thus,
the filing of the Wisconsin order was entirely in the hands of Thomas,
and any problem with the registration of the order is directly attributable to
him. Inasmuch as we will not review invited error, Thomass arguments on
this issue are unavailing.
II. Choice of Law
Thomas next argues that the trial court erred by applying the law of
Indiana in determining the retroactive temporary child support order. Specifically, he contends
that the substantive law of Wisconsin should be applied to control enforcement and
modification.
Indiana Code section 31-18-6-4, part of the IFSA, provides that the law of
the issuing state governs the nature, extent, amount, and duration of current payments
and other obligations of support. . . . However, Indiana Code section
31-18-3-1 et seq. of the IFSA applies to various proceedings, including registration of
an order for child support of another state for modification under I.C. 31-18-6.
Ind. Code § 31-18-3-1(b)(5). Indiana Code section 31-18-3-3 states, Except as
otherwise provided by this article, a responding Indiana tribunal . . . (2)
shall determine the duty of support and the amount payable under the child
support guidelines adopted by the Indiana supreme court and any other relevant Indiana
law.
Although Thomas correctly notes that Indiana Code section 31-18-6-4 provides for the application
of the substantive law of the issuing state, that statute applies to the
enforcement in Indiana of a foreign support order after it has been registered
in this state. Tate v. Fenwick, 766 N.E.2d 423, 426 (Ind. Ct.
App. 2002). In contrast, here, we are dealing with the modification of
a child support order of another state because both Thomas and Laurel have
requested a modification of the order issued in Wisconsin. Thus, we look
to Indiana Code section 31-18-6-11, which is aptly titled Modification of Child Support
Order of Another State. As noted above, Indiana Code section 31-18-3-1 et
seq. applies to such a case, and Indiana Code section 31-18-3-3 calls for
Indiana substantive law unless otherwise provided. Thomas directs us to no statute
or case law that requires the law of the issuing jurisdiction to be
applied where the issue is the modification in Indiana of a foreign support
order. Inasmuch as Indiana is the responding tribunal in this case, the
Indiana Child Support Guidelines were correctly used to determine the appropriate amount of
support.
III. Modification Without Hearing
Finally, Thomas contends that the Temporary Child Support Order is invalid because the
trial court did not hold a hearing. Specifically, he maintains that the
trial court was without evidence or with inaccurate evidence to consider the relevant
factors for purposes of calculation of child support and that the order should
not have been retroactive.
In a child support modification matter, we will not disturb the trial courts
order unless it is clearly erroneous. In re Marriage of Richardson, 622
N.E.2d 178, 179 (Ind. 1993); Marmaduke v. Marmaduke, 640 N.E.2d 441, 443 (Ind.
Ct. App. 1994). The trial courts factual findings will not be found
to be clearly erroneous unless the evidence supports no facts or reasonable inferences
supporting the findings. Kinsey v. Kinsey, 619 N.E.2d 929, 932 (Ind. Ct.
App. 1993). In determining whether the trial courts findings are clearly erroneous,
we will not reweigh the evidence or determine the credibility of the witnesses,
and we will consider only the evidence on record which supports the judgment
and the reasonable inferences which can be drawn from that evidence. Id.
Modification of a child support order under Indiana Code section 31-16-8-1(a) requires a
showing of changed circumstances so substantial and continuing as to make the terms
unreasonable. The trial courts calculation of child support obligations pursuant to the
child support guidelines is presumptively valid. Matula v. Bower, 634 N.E.2d 537,
539 (Ind. Ct. App. 1994). Moreover, the party seeking deviation from the
guideline amount must convince the court that the guideline amount is unjust or
inappropriate under the existing circumstances. Id.; Ind. Child Support Guidelines 3(F)(2).
We also note that [w]aiver is an intentional relinquishment of a known right
involving both knowledge of the existence of the right and the intention to
relinquish it. Hamlin v. Sourwine, 666 N.E.2d 404, 409 (Ind. Ct. App.
1996).
Here, both parties participated in a meeting with the trial court on September
15, 2003, to establish preliminary calculations of child support. Appellants App. p.
143. Both Thomas and Laurel provided income tax returns, and Laurel provided
a recent wage statement. After the conference, the trial court entered an
order that gave both parties thirty days to agree upon an amount or
to file briefs in support of their position. Appellants App. p. 114-15.
Laurel filed a response that argued that Thomas owed $272 per week
in child support. Appellants App. p. 143-153. Thomas failed to respond
within the allotted time. When he did file an objection to Laurels
argument for increased child support more than two weeks after the due date
the trial court had set, he provided no supporting evidence or affidavits to
assist the trial court in its determination. Appellants App. p. 154-60.
Thomas knew he had an opportunity to provide the trial court with relevant
evidence, yet he did not do so. Therefore, he has waived his
right to assert that the trial court did not have sufficient evidence or
failed to consider accurate evidence in making its temporary child support order.
Moreover, counsel for both Laurel and Thomas had agreed that the order on
child support would be retroactively effective. Appellants App. p. 23-24. Any
error that may have occurred was invited by Thomas based on this agreement.
See Evans, 766 N.E.2d at 1245. Therefore, Thomas may not complain
now that the order should not have been retroactive.
CONCLUSION
Thomas has waived his arguments as to whether the Wisconsin order was properly
registered and whether the trial court had sufficient evidence to enter the temporary
child support order and apply it retroactively inasmuch as he invited any error
that may have occurred. Furthermore, the trial court properly utilized Indiana law
throughout these proceedings.
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
FRIEDLANDER, J., and BAILEY, J., concur.