FI RST DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, GOBEI L and PI PKI N, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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D E A D LIN E S A R E N O LO N G E R TO LLE D IN T

H I S

C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

Septem ber 29, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A1 53 9 . EKHORUTOM W EN v . J A MISON.

P I P K I N , J u d g e.

W e g ran ted an ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary ap p eal f i l e d by Os ag i e

Ek h oru t om

wen (“ t h e fat her”) t o as cert ai n wh et h er t h e t ri al co urt erred i n ch an g i n g a

ch i l d s u p p o rt o bl i g at i o n fro m $ 1 6 0 per m o n t h t o $ 58 7 p er m o n t h bas ed u p on a

“ cl eri cal erro r” an d award i n g o v er $2 9 ,0 0 0 i n p as t du e ch i l d s u p p o rt

. Fo r reas o n s t h at

fo l l o w , we fi n d t h e t ri al co urt erred , an d we t h us rev ers e.

Th e rel ev an t fact s s h ow t h at t h e fat her was i n a rel at i o n s h i p w i t h D o m i n i s h a

J am i s o n (“ t h e m o t h er”), an d t h ey h ad t wo ch i l d r e n o ut of wed l ock

, J

. E. wh o was

b o rn in 2 0 1 1 a n d N

. E wh o was b o rn i n 2 0 1 5. In 20 1 3

, d u ri n g a b reak i n t h e

rel at i o n s h i p , t h e fat h er p et i t i o n ed t o l eg i ti m at e J

. E., an d t h e pet i ti o n w as g ran t ed in

Feb ru ary 2 0 1 4

. Th e o rd er award ed b o t h p aren t s jo i n t l eg al cu s t o dy

, al t h ou g h t h em o th er was g iv en pri m ary p h y s i cal cu st o d y

. Th e o rd er al s o req u ired t h e fat h er t o p ay

ch i l d s up p o rt

. Th e fat her t es ti fi ed h i s i n co m e was $ 1 ,6 0 0 p er m o n th

, bu t t h e t ri al

co u rt fo u n d t h e fat her’ s i n co m e t o b e $3 ,6 0 0 p er m o n t h. Acco rd i ng t o a Ch i l d Su p p o rt

W o rk s h eet an d a Ch i l d Su pp o rt Ad d en d u m , t h e ch il d s up p ort o b l i g at i o n was $ 5 8 7 p er

m o nt h

. Th e co u rt ’ s ord er, h o wev er, req u ired th e fat h er t o p ay $ 1 60 p er m o nt h i n ch i ld

s u p p ort

.

Fo l l owi n g t h e p aren t s ’ reco n ci l iat i o n, N. E. was bo rn

. In 2 01 6

, th e rel at i o n s h ip

en d ed

. Acco rd i ng t o t h e fat h er, t h e m o t her wi l l i n g l y l eft t h e ch i l d ren i n h i s cu s t o d y

.

Th e m o t h er s ub s eq u en t l y t h reat en ed t o t ak e t h e ch il d ren away fro m t h e fat h er an d

, in

2 0 1 8

, t h e fat h er fi l ed a p et i ti o n t o l eg i ti m at e N. E. an d an em erg en cy m o t i o n t o

m o di fy cu s t o d y

. 1

Th e act i o n was t ran s ferred t o Cl ay t o n Co u nt y Su p eri o r Co u rt , wh i ch g ran t ed

t h e leg i t i m at i o n p et it i o n an d t ran s ferred t h e m at t er b ack t o DeKal b Co u n t y Su p eri o r

Co u rt

. 2 Fo l l o wi n g a heari n g , th e t ri al co urt award ed b o t h p aren t s jo in t l eg al cu s t o d y ,

1 Th e m o t h er an s wered an d ap p ears t o h av e as sert ed a co u n t ercl ai m fo r u n p ai d ch i l d

s u p p o rt

. Th e m o t h er fi l ed a s ep arat e co n t em p t act i on fo r fai l i n g t o p ay ch i l d s u pp o rt in t h e

am o u n t of $ 1 6 0 p er m o n t h

, w h i ch was h eard b y an ot h er ju d g e. Th e co n t em p t p ro ceed i n g

ap p ears t o h av e res o l v ed t h e m o t h er’ s cl ai m fo r p ay m en t o f p as t d u e ch i l d s u p p o rt

.

2 A l t h o u g h t h e act i o n ori g i n at ed i n DeKal b Co u n t y , th e l eg it i m at io n act i o n wa s

t ran s ferred t o Cl ay t o n Co u n t y b as ed u p o n th e m o t h er’ s co u n ty o f res id en cy

. S e e OCGA

2an d award ed th e fat h er p ri m ary p h y s i cal cu s t od y

. In ru l i n g o n ch i l d s u p p o rt

, t h e t ri al

co u rt n o t ed t h at i t s Feb ru ary 20 1 4 o rd er award i n g $ 1 6 0 p er m on t h was i n co n s i s t en t

wi t h t h e Ch i ld Su p p o rt W o rk s h eet an d t h e Ch i l d Su p p o rt Ad d en du m

. Th e t ri al co u rt

co n cl u d ed t h at t h e $ 16 0 was a s cri v en er’ s erro r. In re c o g n i t i o n of th e s cri v en er’ s

erro r, t h e t ri al co u rt fo u n d t h e:

Fat h er t o b e i n ch i l d s u p po rt arrears o f $ 4 27 ($ 5 87
- 1 6 0 = $ 4 2 7 ) fo r a

t o t al o f 6 8 m o nt h s (M arch 2 0 1 4 t o Oct o b er 2 0 1 9 i s 6 8 m o n t h s ). Th us , Fat h er o w es Mo t h er a t o t al of $ 2 9 ,0 3 6 ($ 4 2 7 x 6 8 m o n t h s). Th i s sh al l

b e p ai d at a rat e o f $ 4 2 7 [p er m o nt h ] b eg in n i ng Decem b er 1 , 2 0 19

.

Fo l l o wi ng t h e g ran t o f h i s d i s cret i o n ary ap p l i cat io n , t h e fat h er ap p eal s t h i s ru l i n g

.

Acco rd i ng to t h e fat h er, t h e t ri al co u rt erred in m od i fy i n g t h e F e b r u ary 2 0 1 4

o rd er o n th e b as is t h at t h e $ 1 60 ch i l d s u p p o rt o b l i g at i o n was a s cri v en er’ s erro r. Th e

fat h er co nt en d s t h at t h e m od i fi cat i o n d o es n o t co n s t it u t e t h e co rrect i o n o f a cl eri cal

m i s t ak e wi t h i n t h e m ean i n g o f OCGA § 9 -1 1 -6 0 (g ).

Ord i n ari l y , a t ri al co u rt ’ s p o wer t o am en d o r m o d i fy i t s ju d g m en t en d s wi t h t h e

t erm i n wh ich ju d g m en t was en t ered

. See Tr emb l e v. Tr emb l e , 2 88 Ga. 6 6 6

, 6 6 8 (1 )

(7 0 6 SE2 d 4 53 ) (2 0 11 ). A t ri al co u rt m ay , h o wev er, co rrect cl eri cal m i s t ak es i n o rd ers

§ 1 9-7 -2 2 (b ). Up o n ru l in g o n t h e l eg i t im acy i s s ue, t he Cl ay t o n Co un t y co u rt t ran s ferred

t h e m at t er b ack t o DeKal b Co u n t y Su peri o r Co u rt

.

3“ ari s i n g fro m o v ers i g h t o r o m i s s i o n ” at an y ti m e, u p o n i t s o wn i n i t i at i v e o r o n a

p art y ’ s m o ti o n

. O C G A § 9 -1 1 -6 0 (g ); Iver y v. Br own , 3 0 7 G a. Ap p

. 7 3 2

, 7 3 4 (7 0 6

SE2 d 1 20 ) (2 0 11 ). Cl eri cal erro rs o r o m i s s i o ns i n cl ud e i rreg u l ari t i es t h at are ap p aren t

fro m t h e face o f t h e reco rd o r m at h em at ical erro rs t h at are ob v i o u s fro m t h e ju d g m en t

.

See Ca p i t a l Ca r g o v. Po r t

o f Po r t Ro ya l , 2 6 1 Ga. Ap p. 8 0 3 , 8 0 5 (1 ) (5 8 4 SE2 d 5 4 )

(2 0 0 3). Ho wev er, O CGA § 9 -1 1 -6 0 (g ) d o es n o t p ro v i d e au t ho ri t y fo r m ak i n g

s u b s t an t i ve ch an g es t o an o rd er. See Po r t er -Ma r ti n v. Ma r t i n , 2 8 0 Ga. 1 5 0

, 1 5 1 (6 2 5

SE2 d 7 43 ) (2 0 0 6 ); s ee al s o An d r ew L. Pa r

ks

, In c. v. S u n Tr us t Ba nk

, 2 4 8 Ga. Ap p.

8 4 6

, 8 47 (5 4 5 SE2 d 31 ) (2 0 0 1 ) (h o l d i n g th at t ri al co u rt l ack ed au t h ori t y t o “ cl ari fy ”

a p ri o r ru l i ng i n a m an n er t hat al t ered a l i t ig an t ’ s “ s u b s t an t i v e ri g h t s ”).

Here, we d o no t b el iev e th at t he t ri al co u rt ’ s Feb ru ary 2 0 14 award o f $ 1 6 0 p er

m o nt h i n ch i l d s u p p o rt can b e co n s i d ered a m ere cl eri cal erro r wi t h in t h e m ean i n g o f

OCGA § 9 -1 1-6 0 (g ). T h e o rd er ex p res s l y p ro vi d ed fo r p ay m en t o f $ 1 6 0 p er m o n th

a n d n o ot h er am o u n t

. 3 Al t h o u g h t h e Ch i l d Su p po rt Ad d en du m an d Ch il d Su p p o r t

W o rk s h eet s h o wed a d ifferen t am o u n t, th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er co n t ai n ed n o referen ce

3 Th ere i s n o s u g g es t i o n t h at ei t h er t h e fat h er o r m o t h er b el i ev ed t h e ch i l d s u p p o rt

am o u n t t o b e $ 5 8 7

, an d t h e t ri al co u rt d ecl in ed t o h o l d t h e fat her i n co n t em p t fo r fai li n g

t o p ay at t he h i gh er am o un t.

4t o ei th er t h e wo rk s h eet o r th e ad d en d u m

. 4 Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces , t h e $ 1 6 0

s p eci fi ed i n th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er i s co n cl u s i v e. See Po rt er -Ma r t in

, 2 8 0 Ga. at 1 5 1

-

1 5 2 ; A n d r ew L. Pa rks

, In c. , 2 4 8 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 4 7

. T h e t r i a l co u rt t h u s erred in

m o di fy i n g t h e Feb ru ary 20 1 4 o rd er t o i n creas e t h e am o u n t d u e i n ch i l d s u p p ort u n d er

t h e g u is e o f co rrect i n g a cl eri cal erro r. See i d

.

Fu rt herm o re, ev en i f t h e $ 1 6 0 were pro p erl y co n s t ru ed as a cl eri cal erro r, t h e

t ri al co u rt erred in o rd eri n g p ay m en t o f $ 29 ,0 3 6 i n p as t d u e ch i l d s u p p o rt

. It i s wel l

s et t l ed t h at a t ri al co u rt m ay n o t ret ro act i v el y m o d i fy ch i l d s u p p o rt

. See OCGA § 1 9

-

6 -1 7 (e) (3 ); Co u s i n v. Tu b b s , 3 5 3 Ga. Ap p

. 8 7 3, 8 9 0 (3 ) (b ) (8 4 0 SE2 d 8 5 ) (2 0 2 0 );

Dep t. o f Hu ma n Res o u r ces v. Pr a t er , 27 8 G a. Ap p

. 9 0 0

, 9 0 3 (2 ) (6 3 0 SE2 d 1 4 5 )

(2 0 0 6). Rat h er, an y ch an g e to ch i l d s u p p o rt m u s t o p erat e p ro sp ect i v el y

. See i d

. An d

t h e ch an ged ch i l d s u pp o rt o b l i g at i o n can n o t b e en t ered n u n c p ro t u n c t o t h e d at e o f

t h e ori g i n al o rd er b ecau s e “ a n u n c pro t u n c o rd er can n o t be us ed t o s u pp l y an act i o n

n o t t h en t ak en b y t h e co u rt .” An d r ew L. Pa rks

, In c. , 2 4 8 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 4 7

. Becau s e t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s Feb ru a r y 2 0 1 4 o rd er d i d n ot req u i re p ay m en t o f ch i l d s up p ort i n t h e

4 Pu rs u an t to OCGA § 1 9 -6 -1 5 (m ), ch i ld s u p p o r t wo rk s heet s p rep ared fo r t h e

p u rp o s e o f cal cu l at i n g c h i l d s u p p o rt s h o u l d b e at t ach ed to t h e ord er. Arg u ab l y , t h e t ri al

co u rt erred i n fai l i n g t o i n co rp orat e t h e ch il d su p po rt wo rk s h eet o r ad d en d u m i n t o i t s fi n al

o rd er. See S

el va g e v. Fr a n kl in

, 3 5 0 Ga. Ap p

. 35 3

, 3 5 8 (3 ) (8 2 9 SE2 d 4 0 2 ) (2 0 1 9 ). Bu t t h at
i s s u e i s n o t b efo re u s.

5am ou n t o f $ 5 8 7 p e r m o n t h

, t h e t ri al co u rt can no t d eem th at am o u n t as t he co rrect

p ay m en t i n effect s in ce t h at t i m e. See Ta te v. Ta t e , 3 4 0 Ga. Ap p

. 3 6 1

, 3 6 4 (4 ) (7 9 7

SE2 d 2 27 ) (2 0 1 7 ) (wh ere t h e ru l i n g was i s s u ed i n Jan u ary 2 0 1 6

, t he co u rt erred in

en t eri n g t h e o rd er n u nc p ro t u n c t o Au gu s t 1 3 , 2 01 5 ).

Fo r th es e reas o n s , t he t ri al co u rt erred b o t h i n a m en d i n g t h e o ri g i nal ch i ld

s u p p ort o rd er an d i n req u iri n g p ay m en t o f p as t d u e su p p o rt

. In l i g h t o f t h is h o l d i n g,

we d o no t n eed t o ad d res s t h e fat h er’ s arg u m en t t h at t h e t ri al co u rt w as wi t h o ut

au t h o ri t y t o re-ad

ju di cat e th e am o u n t o f ch i l d s u p p o rt fo l l o wi n g t h e recen t co n t em pt

p ro ceed in g s

.

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Ba r n es , P. J., a n d

Go b ei l , J., co n cu r

.

6