J-A34022-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

CATHERINE L. WEITZEL IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee

v.

MARK B. WEITZEL

Appellant No. 2096 MDA 2012

Appeal from the Order Entered October 16, 2012

In the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County

Civil Division at No(s): 05 - 15447

BEFORE: PANELLA, J., OTT, J., and JENKINS, J.

MEMORANDUM BY OTT, J.: FILED JANUARY 07, 2016

Mark B. Weitzel (“Husband”) appeals, pro se, from the order entered 

October 16, 2012, in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas dismissing 

his petition to hold his ex-wife, Catherine L. Weitzel (“Wife”), in contempt of 

the court’s prior orders and the parties’ Post Nuptial Agreement (“PNA”). On 

appeal, Husband argues the trial court abused its discretion in dismissing his 

petition. We affirm.

The facts and procedural history underlying this appeal are as follows. 

On November 14, 2005, Wife filed a complaint in divorce. The parties 

entered into a counseled PNA on May 14, 2008, which provided, inter alia, 

Husband would convey to Wife all his interest in the parties’ marital 

residence, in consideration for which Wife was to secure a home equity loan 
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to pay Husband $25,000.1 Post Nuptial Agreement, 5/14/2008, at ¶¶ 21, 

24. The Agreement further provided that if Wife were unable to secure a 

home equity loan within 90 days, she would pay Husband $10,000, followed 

by $500 per month for 30 consecutive months. Id. at ¶ 24. When Wife 

failed to secure a home equity loan within 90 days, Husband filed a petition 

to enforce the PNA on October 17, 2008. Thereafter, a divorce decree was 

entered on March 20, 2009, and the agreement was incorporated into the 

decree.

Following an evidentiary hearing, on June 15, 2009, the trial court 

granted Husband’s petition and directed Wife to pay Husband $10,000 within 

90 days, and make 30 consecutive monthly payments of $500 thereafter. 

See Order, 6/15/2009. When Wife still failed to make the requisite 

payments, Husband filed a petition for contempt on October 6, 2009, which 

the trial court granted after a hearing on January 13, 2010. Husband filed a 

second contempt petition on June 3, 2010, claiming Wife still had not paid 

him the money owed under the PNA. On October 13, 2010, the court 

entered an order providing Wife with a reduced payment schedule, and 

____________________________________________

1 We note that, on April 30, 2008, Husband was convicted of, inter alia, 

aggravated indecent assault for the sexual abuse of the parties’ minor 

daughter, and sentenced, on August 28, 2008, to an aggregate term of five 

to 10 years’ imprisonment, followed by two years’ probation. See 

Commonwealth v. Weitzel, 981 A.2d 938 (Pa. Super. 2009) (unpublished 

memorandum), appeal denied, 993 A.2d 901 (Pa. 2010).
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directing her to execute a judgment note in favor of Husband’s counsel.2 

See Order, 10/13/2010.

On December 2, 2011, Husband, proceeding pro se, filed the contempt 

petition that is the subject of this appeal.3 He averred that Wife’s last 

payment to him, pursuant to the court’s October 2010 order, was on 

November 18, 2010. He also indicated his prior attorney was no longer 

representing him, and that his sister, Lisa Walker, to whom he awarded 

power of attorney, would be the new payee. Walker signed the petition, and 

included a verification signed by Husband. Wife filed an answer and new 

matter asserting, inter alia, that Walker had no standing in the matter, and 

that Wife was insolvent.4

On January 31, 2012, the trial court held a brief hearing during which 

Walker, who is not an attorney, appeared for Husband. The court entered 

an order in which it stated the hearing was “continued without date, to be 

re-listed upon [Husband’s] request and assurance that he can and will be 

personally present for the hearing.” Order, 1/31/2012. Thereafter, Husband 

____________________________________________

2 As noted supra, Husband was serving a prison sentence at that time.

3 Husband has remained unrepresented in this appeal.

4 Specifically, Wife claimed she lost the marital home in foreclosure 

proceedings, due to her inability to refinance the property because Husband 

never executed the documents to remove his name from the mortgage. See 

Plaintiff’s Answer to Defendant’s Petition for Contempt Containing New 

Matter, 1/27/2012, at ¶ 13.
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filed two motions for the production of documents, and when Wife did not 

comply, he filed a motion to compel discovery. Thereafter, on September 

12, 2012, Husband filed a motion to schedule the contempt hearing, and a 

request to be present via video or telephone. The court granted Husband’s 

request and scheduled a hearing. Following a hearing on October 16, 2012, 

at which Husband appeared via telephone, the trial court dismissed 

Husband’s petition for contempt and motion to compel discovery. Husband 

filed a motion for reconsideration, which the trial court denied. This timely 

appeal followed.5 

When reviewing the dismissal of a contempt petition, our standard of 

review is well-settled: 

In reviewing a trial court’s finding on a contempt petition, we are 

limited to determining whether the trial court committed a clear 

abuse of discretion. This Court must place great reliance on the 

sound discretion of the trial judge when reviewing an order of 

contempt.

P.H.D. v. R.R.D., 56 A.3d 702, 706 (Pa. Super. 2012).

____________________________________________

5 On November 29, 2012, the trial court ordered Husband to file a concise 

statement of errors complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). 

Husband complied with the court’s directive and filed a concise statement on 

December 20, 2012.

However, on May 3, 2013, Wife filed a Notice of Bankruptcy. 

Accordingly, on May 6, 2013, this Court entered a per curiam order staying 

the appeal pending the bankruptcy proceedings. See Order, 5/6/2013. The 

bankruptcy stay was subsequently lifted by order entered April 24, 2015, 

when this Court was notified that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the 

Eastern District of Pennsylvania had dismissed the case. See Order, 

4/24/2015. Wife did not file a responsive brief in this appeal. 
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Husband contends the trial court abused its discretion when it 

dismissed his contempt petition. Specifically, he argues the trial court 

improperly considered his criminal conviction during the October 16, 2012, 

contempt hearing because the conviction was unrelated to the issue of 

Wife’s contempt.6 Husband’s Brief at 6-8. Further, he claims the court 

demonstrated bias and ill will when it dismissed his petition. Id. at 8. 

Husband also argues the trial court’s actions violated his constitutional 

right to access to the courts and due process, as well as “overrode Pa. Rules 

of Civil Procedure Rule 1930.3.” Id. at 10. He asserts his “incarceration 

does not relieve [Wife] of her obligation to pay the agreed upon amount of 

twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) in the PNA and the Lower Court’s 

previous Contempt/Enforcement Orders.” Id. at 11. Moreover, he notes the 

PNA was executed after he was convicted of the sexual abuse of the parties’ 

daughter. Husband states that, although the language of the PNA is clear, 

Wife “has demonstrated a deliberate pattern of refusing to abide by the 

terms of the PNA” and has, in fact, been found in contempt on three prior 

occasions. Id. at 16. Accordingly, he contends the trial court abused its 

discretion in dismissing his contempt petition. 

____________________________________________

6 Husband also asserts Wife testified falsely during the proceeding regarding 

the age of their daughter, and Wife’s counsel provided incorrect information 

to the court regarding Husband’s sentence. Husband’s Brief at 8-9. 
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The trial court stated, in its opinion, that it dismissed Husband’s 

petition based on Husband’s “own dilatory behavior[.]” Trial Court Opinion, 

1/2/2013, at 3. The court explained:

At the October 16, 2012 hearing, [Husband] participated 

by telephone. The Court attempted to gather some information 

pertaining to the parties’ background and the posture of the 

case. Upon the Court’s questioning [Husband], [Husband] 

demonstrated extreme reluctance and delay in answering the 

Court’s questions, gave evasive answers when [he] did answer, 

and at times displayed what appeared to the Court to be a 

refusal to answer. Not having all day to conduct what, with 

[Husband’s] cooperation, should have been a rather short 

hearing and becoming increasingly frustrated with [Husband’s] 

ongoing delay or refusal to answer the Court’s questions, the 

Court dismissed the Petition for Contempt and Motion to Compel.

Id. at 2. 

Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1930.3 permits testimony at a 

domestic relations hearing by telephone “[w]ith the approval of the court 

upon good cause shown[.]” Pa.R.C.P. No. 1930.3. (emphasis supplied). 

As the Rule specifically provides, telephonic testimony is acceptable only at 

the discretion of the trial court. In the present case, the court found 

Husband “abused his privilege of being able to participate by telephone ... 

[and] eroded his credibility with his answers, or lack thereof, to the Court’s 

questions.” Trial Court Opinion, 1/2/2013, at 2. The court further opined:

If [Husband] wants a fair hearing, he will need to file the 

appropriate petitions or motions at a time when he is, as 

previously ordered, capable of being physically present for a 

hearing where the Court can view his body language and 

demeanor and otherwise assess his credibility and better impress 

upon him the need to answer the questions that he is asked with 

the truth, whole truth and no half-answers.
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Id. The trial court emphasized that its ruling did not deprive Husband of his 

opportunity to obtain relief. Rather, the court explained, Husband “still has 

the opportunity to present his case if and when he can arrange 

transportation to be personally present.” Id. 

We find no reason to disturb the ruling of the trial court. Testimony by 

telephone is permitted only with court approval. Pa.R.C.P. 1930.3. When, 

in the court’s discretion, Husband abused that privilege, the court was acting 

within its authority when it dismissed Husband’s petition. We remind 

Husband that, as the complaining party, he had the initial burden to show, 

by a preponderance of the evidence, that Wife violated a court order. 

Childress v. Bogosian, 12 A.3d 448, 465 (Pa. Super. 2011). Because he is 

unavailable for the contempt hearing, he is unable to carry that burden. 

Further, contrary to his argument, Husband is not out of court. He may still 

seek to enforce the parties’ PNA when he can appear for a contempt hearing 

in person.

Order affirmed.

 

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 1/7/2016