Case Title: DONALD JOSEPH EVERITTS V. CAREY HUNTER ININNS, f/k/a CAREY HUNTER EVERITTS

Citation: 

Docket Number: S-07-0153

State: wyoming

Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

Date: 2008-04-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
DONALD JOSEPH EVERITTS V. CAREY HUNTER ININNS, f/k/a CAREY HUNTER EVERITTS2008 WY 41180 P.3d 919Case Number: S-07-0153Decided: 04/09/2008Modified: 04/11/2008
APRIL 
TERM, A.D. 2008

 
 
DONALD 
JOSEPH EVERITTS,Appellant(Defendant),v.CAREY HUNTER 
ININNS, f/k/a CAREY HUNTER 
EVERITTS,Appellee(Plaintiff).

 
 
Appeal 
from the DistrictCourtofTetonCounty

The 
Honorable Nancy J. Guthrie, Judge

 
 

Representing 
Appellant:

Matthew 
F.G. Castano of Brown & Hiser LLC, Laramie, Wyoming

 
 

Representing 
Appellee:

Lea 
Kuvinka of Kuvinka & Kuvinka, P.C., Jackson, Wyoming

 
 
Before 
VOIGT, C.J., and GOLDEN, HILL, KITE, and BURKE, 
JJ.

 
 
HILL, 
Justice.

 
 
[¶1]      Appellant, Donald 
Joseph Everitts (Husband), seeks review of an order of the district court which 
denied his motion for an order to show cause why Appellee, Carey Hunter Ininns 
(fka Everitts) (Wife), should not be held in contempt for failure to obey the 
district court's custody and visitation provisions, as they were set out in the 
parties' stipulated Settlement Agreement which was adopted into the divorce 
decree.  In addition, Husband 
contends that the district court's order operated in such a manner as to modify 
visitation, without there having been a petition to modify custody/visitation 
presented to the district court for consideration.  We will affirm the district court's 
"Order on Defendant's [Husband's] Petition to Show Cause."

 
 
ISSUES

 
 
[¶2]      Husband raises 
these issues:

 
 
            
1.  Whether a court may modify a divorce decree without a party 
filing a petition for modification and a finding of material change of 
circumstances.

            
2.  Whether in the course of interpreting this Decree of 
Divorce and Settlement Agreement, the district court impermissibly considered 
evidence beyond the four corners of the document.

 
 
Wife 
responds with this query:

 
 
            
Did the district court abuse its discretion in entering the Order on 
Defendant's Petition to Show Cause?

 
 
FACTS 
AND PROCEEDINGS

 
 
[¶3]      A Decree of 
Divorce was entered in the district court on August 13, 2004, in which the 
parties' marriage was dissolved.  
The terms of the divorce were agreed to by the parties and memorialized 
in a Settlement Agreement that was filed in the district court on July 28, 
2004.  The parties are the parents 
of a son [Child] who was born in 1995.  
The only controversy that has arisen concerns the matter of 
visitation.  The Settlement 
Agreement was detailed in addressing this issue, in significant part because of 
Husband's unusual working schedule.  
His work took him out of the country for about a month at a time, after 
which he would be home for about a month.  
We set out the details below:

 
 
            
4.  CHILD CUSTODY 
AND VISITATION.  The parties 
have carefully considered the matter of the custody of Child, and in doing so, 
they have been guided by considerations touching upon his welfare.  The parties are convinced that the 
interests of [Child] will best be served through an arrangement which provides 
for joint legal custody.  The Wife 
shall be the primary physical custodian of [Child].  The parties shall share time with 
[Child] in accordance with the following schedule:

            
(a)  The Husband is currently employed on a work schedule out 
of the country four weeks on and four weeks off.  Attached to this agreement as Exhibit C 
is a calendar from July through December, 2004 designating the nights when 
[Child] shall stay with the Husband and nights when [Child] shall stay with 
Wife.  The parties shall follow this 
schedule through December 31, 2004, and thereafter on a similar basis.  The schedule differs depending on 
whether it is during the school year or during the summer recess.  The usual school holidays shall be 
shared as follows:

                        
i.  Christmas Vacation:  To the extent possible based on the 
Husband's schedule, the parties will share one-half of each Christmas 
holiday.  The Wife shall have the 
first half of the Christmas holiday in 2004, and the second half of the holiday 
in 2005.  The Husband shall have the 
second half of the Christmas holiday in 2004 and the first half in 2005.  The parties shall thereafter alternate 
their time with [Child] on this basis.

                        
ii.  Spring Break:  
The Husband shall have the first half of Spring Break in 2005 and the 
second half in 2006.  The Wife shall 
have the second half of Spring Break in 2005 and the first half in 
2006.

                        
iii. Thanksgiving:  
The Husband shall have [Child] for Thanksgiving vacation in 2004 and even 
years thereafter as indicated on the schedule attached hereto.  The Wife shall have [Child] for 
Thanksgiving vacation in 2005 and odd years thereafter.

            
(b)  Should the Husband's schedule not permit him to see 
[Child] during the precise period agreed upon for a particular holiday, the 
parties agree to work together in good faith toward sharing the time for that 
particular holiday in a manner that works for each of 
them.

            
(c)  The Husband will typically arrive home from his work 
overseas on Thursday evening.  
During the school year he will pick up [Child] after school on 
Friday.  During the summer he will 
pick up [Child] at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

            
(d)  During the summer recess the Husband may have [Child] for 
two separate periods of two continuous weeks to be arranged by the parties 
before the end of the school year.

            
(e)  The Husband shall provide the Wife at least seven (7) days 
notice of his return date from work, and more notice if possible.  Notification shall be via 
e-mail.

            
(f)  Should the Husband's employment overseas terminate, or 
change substantially, a new timesharing arrangement will be 
negotiated.

            
(g)  Each parent will have the right to visit with [Child] for 
a dinner out during his/her off week, unless [Child] is out of town, camping, 
traveling, or the like.

            
(h)  The parties shall exert every reasonable effort to 
maintain reasonable access and unhampered contact between each of them and the 
Child, and they shall confer with each other on all important matters pertaining 
to the health, welfare, education, and upbringing of the Child, with a view at 
arriving at a harmonious policy calculated to promote the best interest of the 
Child.  Each party promises that 
neither shall do anything that shall estrange the Child from the other, or 
hamper the natural development of [Child's] love for each of the parties, nor 
shall either make statements in the presence of the Child that are designed to 
embarrass, malign, or negate the other party, nor shall they allow others to do 
so in the presence of the Child.  
Each party shall promptly notify the other in case of a serious illness 
concerning the Child.  "Serious 
illness" shall mean any illness that confines the Child to bed for more than two 
days, or when the Child is placed in the hospital for any reason by a physician, 
or other circumstance other than the ordinary illnesses of life such as common 
colds, coughs, and flu.  Selection 
of medical treatment, surgical, hospital, dental, institutional, or psychiatric 
care shall be agreed upon mutually by the parties, except in case of emergency, 
and in such emergency situation, whoever shall have physical custody of the 
Child shall decide upon medical treatment, and then immediately attempt to 
notify the other parent.

                        
i.  The parties acknowledge and agree that in sharing the 
Child's time as set forth in the above schedule, they have a duty to exercise 
the same so as to benefit the Child to the greatest extent possible, and so as 
not to interfere with [Child's] attendance at school or schoolwork or 
extracurricular activities, except to the least extent 
possible.

                        
ii.  Each party agrees to keep the other advised of his or her 
current address, telephone number, and place of 
employment.

            
(i)  Both parents shall exercise the following rights in the 
best interest of their Child;

                        
i.  Right to inspect and receive the Child's medical and dental 
records, and the right to consult with any treating physician or dentist of the 
Child;

                        
ii.  Right to consult with school officials concerning the 
Child's welfare and educational status, and the right to inspect and receive 
student records;

                        
iii.  Right to receive or have forwarded promptly from the 
appropriate parent or school, copies of all school reports, calendar of school 
events, notices of parent-teacher conferences and school 
programs;

                        
iv.  Right to be informed of any extracurricular activities the 
other parent has arranged for the Child;

            
(j)  Both parents agree to abide by the following 
guidelines:

                        
i.  Provide the Child with an emotional environment in which 
they are free to continue to love the other parent and to spend time with 
[Child].

                        
ii.  Encourage good feelings from the Child about the other 
parent and their [sic] extended family;

                        
iii.  Communicate with the other parent openly, honestly, and 
regularly to avoid misunderstandings that are, or could be, harmful to the 
Child;

                        
iv.  Plan together as parents rather than through the 
Child;

                        
v.  Plan and consult with the other parent in advance for time 
with the Child.

                        
vi.  The parties believe that it may be appropriate from time 
to time to remove the Child from school a day or so prior to or following 
extended school vacations, in order to allow a parent to add an extra several 
days to his or her out-of-town vacation time with the Child, and each parent 
agrees to be flexible and cooperate with the other in this 
regard;

                        
vii.  Do not, in front of the Child, take sides or take issue 
with decisions or actions made by the other parent;

                        
viii.  Present a united front in handling any problems with the 
Child;

                        
ix.  Take a consistent and predictable role in the Child's 
life, using time with the Child to strengthen relationships with the 
Child;

                        
x.  Be flexible in arranging dates and times with the Child so 
these plans do not interfere with important family events or prior planned 
activities of the other parent or the Child, keeping in mind that staying on 
schedule in all ways possible is very important to the Child and that changing 
the Child's schedule is very difficult on the Child.

            
(k)  If either party desires to move from TetonCounty he or she shall give the 
other party at least 90 days written notice, and the parties shall negotiate a 
new time sharing agreement regarding [Child].  [Underlining in 
original.]

 
 
[¶4]      Exhibit C to the 
Settlement Agreement was made up of calendar pages for the months of July 
through December of 2004.  From that 
exhibit it could be ascertained that:

 
 
            
1.  For the month of July 2004, Child was to be with Husband on 
July 23, 24, 25, and 31.  Notes on 
that calendar page indicated [1.  
Except as otherwise indicated each exchange shall consist of delivering 
[Child] to school or to the other parent by 9:00 a.m., which ever is 
applicable.  2.   [Child] 
shall be with Wife on all days not otherwise specifically 
designated.].

 
 
            
2.  For the month of August 2004, Child was to be with Husband 
from August 1 through August 14, and was to be delivered to Wife at 5:00 p.m. on 
August 15.

 
 
            
3.  For the month of September 2004, Child was to be with 
Husband on September 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26 and 30.  That page also indicated that Child was 
to be delivered to Wife at 9:00 a.m. on September 25, and to Husband at 9:00 
a.m. on September 26.

 
 
            
4.  For the month of October Child was to be with Husband on 
October 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9.  Child 
was to be delivered to Wife at 5:00 p.m. on October 10.

 
 
            
5.  For the month of November 2004, Child was to be with 
Husband on November 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28.  Child was to be delivered to Wife at 
9:00 a.m. on November 21.

 
 
            
6.  For the month of December 2004, Child was to be with 
Husband on December 2, 3, and 4.  
Husband was to deliver Child to Wife at 5:00 p.m. on December 5, 
2004.  That calendar page also noted 
that Husband was to return on January 6, 2005.

 
 
[¶5]      With respect to 
establishing a visitation schedule, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-2-201(d) (LexisNexis 
2007) provides that:

 
 
The 
court shall order custody in well defined terms to promote understanding and 
compliance by the parties.  Custody 
shall be crafted to promote the best interests of the children, and may include 
any combination of joint, shared or sole custody.

 
 
Wyo. 
Stat. Ann. § 20-2-202(a)(i) goes on to suggest that the district court 
should:  "Order visitation in enough 
detail to promote understanding and compliance."

 
 
[¶6]      On August 3, 
2006, Husband filed a Petition for Order to Show Cause pursuant to Wyo. Stat. 
Ann. § 20-2-204 (LexisNexis 2007), which provides:

 
 
§ 
20-2-204. Enforcement and modification.

            
(a)  Either parent may petition to enforce or modify any court 
order regarding custody and visitation.

            
(b)  A court having 
jurisdiction under  W.S. 20-2-203 
may, upon appropriate motion of a party, require a parent to appear before the 
court and show just cause why the parent should not be held in contempt, upon a 
showing that the parent has willfully violated an order concerning the care, 
custody and visitation of the children.  In order to enforce and require future 
compliance with an order the court may find that the parent is in contempt of 
court, award attorney's fees, costs and any other relief as the court may deem 
necessary under the circumstances to the party aggrieved by the violation of an 
order.

            
(c)  A court having jurisdiction may modify an order concerning 
the care, custody and visitation of the children if there is a showing by either 
parent of a material change in circumstances since the entry of the order in 
question and that the modification would be in the best interests of the 
children pursuant to W.S. 20-2-201(a).  
In any proceeding in which a parent seeks to modify an order concerning 
child custody or visitation, proof of repeated, unreasonable failure by the 
custodial parent to allow visitation to the other parent in violation of an 
order may be considered as evidence of a material change of circumstances.  [Emphasis added.]

 
 
[¶7]      Husband claimed 
that Wife:

 
 
            
3.  [Wife] has in complete derogation of the parties' 
Settlement Agreement, paragraph 4, has done the following:

                        
(a)  Failed to provide her mailing 
address;

                        
(b)  Blocked [Husband] from receiving any of his e-mails (see 
her attached e-mail of February 18th, 2005);

                        
(c)  Plans visitation by using [Child] as the conduit to 
communicate.

            
4.  [Wife] has in complete derogation of the parties' 
Settlement Agreement willfully and intentionally:  "Failed to exert every reasonable effort 
to maintain reasonable access and unhampered contact between each of them and 
[Child]," as follows:

                        
(a)  When phone messages are left on [Wife's] answering machine 
from out of the country, no return e-mail is made by Ms. Ininns or 
[Child].

                        
(b)  [Wife] will not permit [Husband] to pick up [Child] from 
Ski Race team practice at Snow King.

                        
(c)  [Wife] will not permit the parties' minor [Child] to go to 
[Husband's] house after school to play with [Child's] friends while she is 
driving the Wilson school bus.

                        
(d)  [Wife] recently forcefully restrained the parties' minor 
Child from going to a baseball game with [Husband], alleging that because she 
paid the one Hundred Fifty ($150.00) sign-up fee only she was permitted to take 
him to the game, and

                        
(e)  Has otherwise interfered or made it impossible to set up a 
regular phone schedule with [Child] in order that [Child] be available on 
specific days and times of each week when the [Husband] calls from overseas 
where he is working.

            
5.  [Wife] has breached the parties' Settlement Agreement by 
failing to negotiate "a new timesharing agreement" for [Child] despite the fact 
that [Husband's] overseas employment terminated on April 28th, 2006. 
(see her attached e-mail of May 31st, 2006).

            
6.  Despite the fact that [Husband], due to his work, has 
missed every other Christmas vacation as well as Spring Break since Christmas of 
2004, [Wife] has failed and refused and continues willfully to refuse to abide 
by paragraph 4(b) of the Settlement Agreement, which requires her to work 
together with [Husband] in good faith toward sharing the time for that 
holiday.  [Wife's] position has 
adamantly been either use it or lose it, in derogation of paragraph 3 of the 
Divorce Decree, which states in part that "[Husband] be awarded liberal 
visitation" with the parties' minor child.

            
7.  Pursuant to the parties' Settlement Agreement paragraph 
12(b), which in part states that:

"In the 
event that either party breaches this Agreement or is in default with respect to 
the same, he or she shall pay to the other party the attorney's fees and other 
reasonable costs incurred by the non-defaulting party as a result of the breach 
or default" and W.S. 20-2-204, [Husband] requests that the Court order [Wife] to 
pay all Court costs and [Husband's] attorney's fees for breaching the Settlement 
Agreement.

            
8.  [Wife], although admitting to third parties that [Child] 
would rather be with his father (Petitioner) when his father is back to 
Jackson from 
work, has willfully and intentionally sought to deny [Husband] access to their 
son in order to punish [Husband].  
See the attached affidavit of Ned Brown, which by reference is made a 
part hereof.

 
 
[¶8]      The affidavit of 
Ned Brown was not attached to the Petition, but a few e-mails are attached, and 
to the extent they have any evidentiary value, they suggest that the idealism 
expressed in the Settlement Agreement has not worked very well in real 
life.  For 
instance:

 
 
[¶9]      On or about 
February 18, 2005, this e-mail exchange took place.  Wife e-mailed 
Husband:

 
 
"I think 
that you have obviously been miss guided.  
I am the custodial parent during the school year.  Last checked school was still in 
session.  Your schedule has is no 
different then before.  You leave 
you come back.  I will no longer be 
accepting mail from you.  You will 
have to have your lawyer contact Lea about any schedule change.  While were at it maybe we should revisit 
child support since your making so much more money and you have the guest apt. 
rented. [sic]"  Husband 
responded:  "Custodial parenting 
being contested.  Apartment not 
rented.  Not making anymore 
money.  Stuff your greed. 
[sic]."

 
 
[¶10]   On or about May 31, 2006, Husband 
sent this e-mail to Wife:

 
 
I will 
be returning to work end of july.  
In the meantime, I propose that I go to California, without [Child], leaving June 6 
returning June 15th.  You 
take [Child] July 1st and I pick him up July 8th.  I then will bring [Child] back on the 
24th of July and you have him the rest of the summer.  This equates to the designated time for 
the total summer. [sic]

 
 
Wife 
responded:

 
 
AND JUST 
WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.  I NEED A SCHEDULE THAT'S SET IN STONE, 
NO GREY AREA'S. ONE THAT DOES NOT EVOLVE AROUND YOUR LIFE'S SCHEDULE, BUT 
[CHILD'S] LIFE.  YOU MIGHT CHECK OUT 
THE SCHEDULE THAT YOU AGREED TO WHEN OUR DIVORCE WAS FINALIZED. 
[SIC]

 
 
Husband 
then countered:

 
 
Get a 
calendar and write your 28/28 on it.  
I'm not settling for anything less.  
You seem to forget you had [Child] the whole month of july and part of 
august.  You also seem to forget 
that I have [Child] every other Sunday when you are home.  I see this is going no where.  While you are forgetting things, don't 
forget that you had [Child] last christmas. [sic]

 
 
[¶11]   On August 9, 2006, Wife responded 
to Husband's petition, denying the bulk of his allegations.  Wife asked the district court to order 
mediation.  On August 11, 2006, the 
district court entered an order requiring the parties to mediate their 
disputes.

 
 
[¶12]   On January 26, 2007, Wife filed a 
motion to dismiss Husband's petition, essentially contending that things 
remained about the same as they had been at the time of the divorce, and that 
the schedule agreed to by the parties at the time of the divorce should remain 
in force.  Husband filed a motion 
opposing Wife's motion, essentially contending that his employment had changed 
and that Wife refused to meaningfully try to accommodate his overseas work 
schedule.  The district court set 
those opposing positions for hearing on March 28, 2007.

 
 
[¶13]   The hearing was held as scheduled, 
but it was not reported so we do not know what transpired at the hearing.  The district court issued this order 
after the hearing:

 
 
            
1.  There are no grounds to hold [Wife] in contempt of 
Court.  The [Husband's] Petition to 
Show Cause is hereby dismissed.

            
2.  The parties are to continue following the schedule outlined 
in the Settlement Agreement dated July 28, 2004, including the [Wife] having the 
child on the 2nd Sunday of each rotation commencing at 9:00 a.m. and 
the 4th Sunday of each rotation commencing at 
5:00 p.m.  Unless otherwise agreed 
by the parties, the regular schedule shall not be changed to make-up for time 
missed, including holidays.

            
3.  The parties are encouraged to continue mediating with 
regard to the schedule.

 
 
DISCUSSION

 
 
[¶14]   It was Husband's burden to bring us 
a complete record upon which to base a decision.  Nickle v. Board of County Commissioners of 
Platte County, 2007 WY 115, ¶ 17, 162 P.3d 1208, 1213 (Wyo. 2007).  A hearing was held on the matters at 
issue in this case, and the above-cited rule requires us to assume that the 
transcript of that hearing would support the district court's resolution of this 
case.  We have held " that an order 
originating in a contempt proceeding, which does not even purport to find a 
party in contempt is interlocutory only and therefore not appealable."  Stone v. Stone, 842 P.2d 545, 547-49 
(Wyo. 1992); also see generally FML v. 
TW, 2007 WY 73, ¶¶ 5-10, 157 P.3d 455, 458-59 (Wyo. 2007).  However, here the district court's order 
goes beyond just denying Husband's request that Wife be found in contempt.  Although it appears on the face of 
things that the district court merely iterated provisions of the original 
decree, absent a transcript we cannot be certain of that.  For these reasons we affirm the district 
court's order because the absence of the transcript of the hearing will permit 
no other result.

 
 
CONCLUSION

 
 
[¶15]   The district court's order is 
affirmed.