J-S37034-18

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* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

ISABEL MANZO

v.

THOMAS A. MANZO SR., 

Appellant

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 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

 PENNSYLVANIA

 No. 3888 EDA 2017

Appeal from the Order Entered October 30, 2017

In the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County Civil Division at No(s): 

No. 892 DR 1990, 

No. 91005-C-2015

BEFORE: OLSON, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and STEVENS*, P.J.E.

MEMORANDUM BY STEVENS, P.J.E.: FILED JULY 13, 2018

Thomas A. Manzo Sr. (“Husband”) appeals from the order entered in the 

Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County finding him in contempt and 

directing him, inter alia, to pay as a sanction $1,500.00 in counsel fees for 

Isabel Manzo (“Wife”). After a careful review, we affirm. 

The relevant facts and procedural history are as follows: Husband and 

Wife were married on January 10, 1971, and on October 24, 1990, Wife filed 

a complaint in divorce in which she sought alimony and equitable distribution 

of the parties’ marital estate. The trial court entered a divorce decree on 

August 20, 1992, and the parties entered into a stipulated settlement

agreement as it pertained to the economic claims. Relevantly, the parties’ 

settlement agreement provided that: “When [Husband] begins to collect social 

security, 20% of that will go to [Wife]. When he begins to collect his pension, 
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25% of that will go to [Wife].” Parties’ Stipulated Settlement Agreement, filed 

8/20/92, at 1-2. 

Subsequently, on November 9, 2015, Wife filed her first petition for 

contempt indicating that, by letter dated August 18, 2014, she received notice 

from the New York City Employees Retirement System (“NYCERS”) that

Husband retired in August of 2001.1 The letter advised Wife that NYCERS 

could not “implement [the] division of benefits until it [was] in receipt of a 

‘Consent to New York Jurisdiction and Release’ signed by [Husband].” Wife’s 

Petition for Contempt, filed 11/9/15, Exhibit B. She averred that, despite the 

parties’ stipulated settlement agreement, she had not received any portion of 

Husband’s social security benefits or pension. 

On December 1, 2015, Husband filed an answer with new matter to 

Wife’s first petition for contempt, and Wife filed a reply. Following a hearing, 

the trial court entered an order on September 26, 2016, finding Husband to 

be in contempt of the parties’ stipulated settlement agreement and 

determining the amount of arrears to be $142,938.58. Trial Court Order, filed 

9/26/16. The trial court indicated:

[Husband] may purge himself of this contempt by 

cooperating within thirty (30) days in the preparation and signing 

of an approved Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) 

regarding his [] pension authorizing payment to [Wife] in an 

amount equal to 75 percent of the monthly pension benefit. 

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1 The trial court found that Husband’s “pension went into pay status in 2002, 

while his social security went into pay status in 2012.” Trial Court Pa.R.A.P. 

1925(a) opinion, filed 1/2/18, at 2. 
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[Husband] shall consent to New York jurisdiction to facilitate 

implementation of the QDRO. 

[Husband] is further directed to obtain and maintain an 

insurance policy naming [Wife] as beneficiary, in an amount 

sufficient to cover the balance of the calculated arrears 

($142,938.58) due. The face value of said policy may be adjusted 

periodically to reflect payments made. 

In the event [Husband] fails to purge himself of the 

contempt by complying with the terms of this Order, upon motion 

of [Wife], a hearing will be scheduled to determine the imposition 

of sanctions.

Trial Court Order, filed 9/26/16, at 1-2. 

On October 5, 2016, Husband filed a motion for reconsideration, and on 

October 25, 2016, he filed a notice of appeal to this Court. The trial court 

denied Husband’s motion for reconsideration, and by order filed on January 6, 

2017, this Court quashed Husband’s appeal on the basis it was taken from a 

non-appealable interlocutory order. See Manzo v. Manzo, EDA 3532 EDA 

2016 (Pa.Super. filed 1/6/17) (per curiam order). 

On January 20, 2017, Husband filed a second motion for reconsideration

wherein he averred that “in order to survive [he] could only afford to pay 

[Wife] fifty (50%) percent of his pension.” Husband’s Second Motion for 

Reconsideration, filed 1/20/17, at 3. On February 10, 2017, Wife filed a 

second petition for contempt. Therein, she averred Husband failed to execute 

the QDRO, sign a consent/release of jurisdiction, or obtain/maintain the 

required life insurance. 

On March 3, 2017, Husband filed an answer to Wife’s second petition for 

contempt, and the matter proceeded to a hearing on April 3, 2017. Following 
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the hearing, by order entered on April 7, 2017, the trial court granted 

Husband’s second motion for reconsideration, vacated the order filed on 

September 26, 2016, and denied Wife’s second petition for contempt filed on 

February 10, 2017. However, the trial court granted Wife’s first petition for 

contempt filed on November 9, 2015, and again determined the amount of 

arrears to be $142,938.58. Trial Court Order, filed 4/7/17, at 1. The trial 

court indicated Husband could purge himself of the contempt by doing the 

following within thirty days:

a. Cooperate in the preparation and signing of an approved

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) regarding his [] 

pension authorizing payment to [Wife] in an amount equal to 

fifty-percent (50%) of the monthly pension benefit. [Husband] 

shall consent to New York jurisdiction to facilitate 

implementation of the QDRO.

b. [Husband] shall obtain and maintain an insurance policy, 

naming [Wife] as beneficiary, in an amount sufficient to cover 

the balance of the calculated arrears ($142,938.58) due. The 

face value of said policy may be adjusted periodically to reflect 

payments made.

c. [Husband] shall facilitate the authorization of payment to 

[Wife] in the amount of twenty-percent (20%) of his monthly 

social security benefit.

In the event [Husband] fails to purge himself of the contempt 

by complying with the terms of this order, upon motion of [Wife], 

a hearing will be scheduled to determine the imposition of 

sanctions. 

Trial Court Order, filed 4/7/17, at 2. 

On May 8, 2017, Husband filed a notice of appeal to this Court, and on 

May 31, 2017, the trial court directed Husband to file a concise statement 

pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). On June 21, 2017, Husband filed a court-
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ordered Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement. By order filed on June 26, 2017, this 

Court held:

The April 7, [2017] order is not appealable.

The April 7, [2017] order, in part, grants [Husband’s] 

second motion for reconsideration and vacates the trial court’s 

September 20, 2016 order. The trial court was without jurisdiction 

to grant this motion and vacate its September 20, 2016 order. 

Indeed, on January 20, 2017, [Husband] filed his second motion 

for reconsideration from the September 20, 2016 order. 

[Husband’s] motion for reconsideration was untimely. See

[Pa.R.A.P.] 1701(b)(3) (a petition for reconsideration must be 

filed within 30 days of the entry of the underlying order). 

Instantly, [Husband’s] second motion for reconsideration was filed 

well beyond the 30-day period of the entry of the September 20, 

2016 order. Thus, the trial court was without jurisdiction to 

consider [Husband’s] second motion for reconsideration of the 

September 20, 2016 order and this Court is without jurisdiction 

over this matter. See Schoff v. Richter, 562 A.2d 912 

(Pa.Super. 1989) (the trial court is permitted to grant 

reconsideration only if such action is taken during the applicable 

appeal period. An order granting reconsideration will only be 

effective if it is made and entered on the docket before expiration 

of the applicable appeal period, 30 days from the entry of the 

order which is the subject of the reconsideration motion, and if it 

states that it is expressly granting reconsideration. It should be 

emphasized that the Rule requires reconsideration to be expressly 

granted. It is insufficient for the trial court to merely set a hearing 

date on the reconsideration motion or issue a rule to show cause. 

Indeed a failure to ‘expressly’ grant reconsideration within the 

time set by the rules for filing an appeal will cause the trial court 

to lose its power to act on the application for reconsideration). 

Furthermore, the April 7, [2017] order, in part, grants 

[Husband’s] petition for contempt but it appears that sanctions 

were not awarded. Instead, it appears that [Husband] was 

directed to specifically perform pursuant to the parties’ stipulation 

incorporated into the final divorce decree. . . .Indeed, the April 7, 

[2017] order states that ‘[i]n the event [Husband] fails to purge 

himself of the contempt by complying with the terms of this order, 

upon motion of [Wife], a hearing will be scheduled to determine 

the imposition of sanctions.’

Accordingly, the [instant] appeal is hereby QUASHED.
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Manzo v. Manzo, 1576 EDA 2017 (Pa.Super. filed 6/26/17) (per curiam

order) (emphasis and citations omitted).

On June 26, 2017, Wife filed her third petition for contempt wherein she 

averred Husband failed to execute a QDRO, sign a consent/release of 

jurisdiction for New York, or obtain/maintain life insurance with Wife as the 

beneficiary. Wife noted she incurred attorney’s fees of $8,244.55 in her 

attempt to enforce the parties’ stipulated settlement agreement, and she 

requested the trial court direct Husband to pay her attorney’s fees. 

Husband filed an answer to Wife’s petition for contempt. Following a 

hearing on October 17, 2017, the trial court granted Wife’s June 26, 2017, 

petition for contempt. Specifically, the trial court found that Husband willfully 

failed to make payments as required by the parties’ stipulated settlement 

agreement, despite his ability to do so. Trial Court Order, filed 10/30/17, at 

1. The trial court determined “[t]he amount of arrears is. . .$142,938.58.” 

Id. The trial court held that Husband could purge himself by doing the 

following within fifteen days of the order:

a. Cooperate in the preparation and signing of an approved 

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) regarding his [] 

pension authorizing payment to [Wife] in an amount equal to 

fifty-percent (50%) of the monthly pension benefit. [Husband] 

shall consent to New York jurisdiction to facilitate 

implementation of the QDRO.

b. [Husband] shall obtain and maintain an insurance policy, 

naming [Wife] as beneficiary, in an amount sufficient to cover 

the balance of the calculated arrears ($142,938.58) due. The 

face value of said policy may be adjusted periodically to reflect 

payments made.
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c. [Husband] shall facilitate the authorization of payment to 

[Wife] in the amount of twenty-percent (20%) of his monthly 

social security benefit.

Trial Court Order, filed 10/30/17, at 1-2. 

The trial court noted the parties stipulated that the Social Security 

Administration would distribute directly to Wife twenty percent of Husband’s 

monthly social security benefit, and the trial court expressly adopted the 

stipulation. Id. at 2. As a sanction against Husband for his contempt, the 

trial court granted Wife attorney’s fees in the amount of $1,500.00.

2

 Id. 

Husband timely appealed to this Court,

3 and by order filed on November 

21, 2017, the trial court directed Husband to file a concise statement of errors 

complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925. The trial court’s order 

complied fully with Pa.R.A.P. 1925. Specifically, the order informed Husband 

that he was required to file his concise statement within twenty-one days from 

the date of the order, he was required to file a copy of the statement of record, 

and he was required to serve a copy of the statement on the trial judge. See 

Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)(3)(i)-(iii). Further, the order specifically informed Husband 

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2 On October 25, 2017, the parties signed a QDRO with regard to Husband’s 

pension, and thereafter, the trial court accepted and filed the QDRO. 

3 We conclude the trial court’s October 30, 2017, order, which imposed counsel 

fees against Husband as a sanction for his contempt, was appealable. See 

Rhoades v. Pryce, 874 A.2d 148 (Pa.Super. 1988) (en banc) (holding an 

award of counsel fees is a sufficient sanction to render the contempt order 

appealable). 
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that “any issue not properly included in the Statement timely filed and served 

pursuant to [Rule 1925](b) shall be deemed waived.” Trial Court Order, filed 

11/21/17; Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b)(3)(iv). The concise statement order was 

properly docketed, and a notation on the docket, as well as an affidavit of 

service, indicates that the order was served on Husband’s counsel via first 

class mail on November 27, 2017.

However, thereafter, the record contains neither a Rule 1925(b) 

statement nor a docket entry indicating Husband filed a Rule 1925(b) 

statement in response to the trial court’s November 21, 2017, order. Further, 

it appears Husband did not serve a copy of a Rule 1925(b) statement upon 

the trial court judge in response to the trial court’s November 21, 2017, order. 

In this vein, we note the trial court filed a Rule 1925(a) opinion on January 2, 

2018; however, in its opinion, although the trial court sets forth four appellate 

issues on behalf of Husband, the trial court does not indicate that Husband 

served a copy of a Rule 1925(b) statement upon the trial court judge in 

relation to the within appeal. Rather, the trial court surmised what issues 

Husband intended to raise based on the issues presented in his answer and 

new matter to Wife’s first petition for contempt, as well as his Rule 1925(b) 

statement filed on June 21, 2017, with regard to his appeal from the April 7, 

2017, order (which this Court quashed). Moreover, we note that Husband 

attached to his instant appellate brief the Rule 1925(b) statement, which he 

filed on June 21, 2017, with regard to his prior appeal, which we quashed. 
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As indicated supra, as it relates to Husband’s instant appeal, Husband 

failed to file of record or serve upon the trial court judge a concise statement 

in response to the trial court’s November 21, 2017, Rule 1925(b) order. It is 

well-settled that “Rule 1925 is intended to aid trial judges in identifying and 

focusing upon issues which the parties plan to raise on appeal. Rule 1925 is 

thus a crucial component of the appellate process. When a court has to guess 

what issues an appellant is appealing, that is not enough for meaningful 

review.” Commonwealth v. Ray, 134 A.3d 1109, 1114 (Pa.Super. 2016)

(citation omitted). See Kanter v. Epstein, 866 A.2d 394 (Pa.Super. 2004) 

(holding that, even where the trial court “guesses” correctly as to the issues 

to be raised on appeal and writes an opinion, the issues may still be waived 

under Rule 1925(b)). Here, the trial court was required to “guess” as to what 

issues Husband intended to raise based on his past filings in the trial court. 

Thus, we conclude Husband has waived his claims for appellate review, and 

we affirm on this basis.4 See Dong Yuan Chen v. Saidi, 100 A.3d 587 

(Pa.Super. 2014) (indicating Pa.R.A.P. 1925 governing statements of matters 

complained of on appeal sets out simple bright-line rule, which obligates the 

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4 Assuming, arguendo, Husband served a copy of a Rule 1925(b) statement 

upon the trial court judge in response to the court’s November 21, 2017, 

order, we note Pa.R.A.P. 1925 requires both service upon the trial court judge 

and the filing of the statement of record. Here, there is no evidence Husband 

filed a statement of record in response to the trial court’s November 21, 2017, 

order, and, therefore, his appellate issues are waived on this basis alone. See

Pa.R.A.P. 1925. 
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appellant to file and serve a statement, when so ordered; any issues not raised 

in such statement will be deemed waived).

Affirmed. 

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 7/13/2018