Case Name: Michael R. NEWBERRY, Appellant, v. Brenda L. NEWBERRY, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2002-11-15
Citations: 831 So. 2d 749
Docket Number: No. 5D02-362
Parties: Michael R. NEWBERRY, Appellant, v. Brenda L. NEWBERRY, Appellee.
Judges: PLEUS, J. concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 831
Pages: 749–756

Head Matter:
Michael R. NEWBERRY, Appellant, v. Brenda L. NEWBERRY, Appellee.
No. 5D02-362.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Nov. 15, 2002.
Marcia K. Lippincott of Marcia K. Lip-pincott, P.A., Lake Mary, for Appellant.
James E. Shepherd of Shepherd, McCabe and Cooley, Longwood, for Appel-lee.

Opinion:
COBB, J.
On November 12, 1998, the appellant, Michael Newberry, filed a petition seeking modification of a final judgment of dissolution in regard to the primary residence of his son, Levy, born November 9, 1989. Two other minor children of the parties, Shayna (then seven years of age) and Ashley (then sixteen years of age), were also residing with their mother, Brenda New-berry, at that time. Michael's petition also asked for a commensurate reduction in child support in the event that his request for residential custody of Levy was granted.
Brenda Newberry, Michael's former wife, answered the petition, but she did not file a counter petition or ask for affirmative relief. While the modification petition was pending during the year 1999, the parties entered into two mediation agreements which provided that Ashely would five with Michael while Levy and Shayna would continue to live with Brenda; the parties could not agree on child support.
Prior to trial in July, 2001, Michael submitted a child support guideline worksheet which contained the following calculations:
Father's net monthly income: $ 4,775.48
Mother's net monthly income: +1,982.68
Combined Income: $ 6,758.16
Total Monthly Obligation: $ 1,856.00
Father's Share: $ 1,284.47
Mother's Share: $ 571.33
Michael filed an amended petition seeking a change in residence for Levy and Shayna, essentially challenging the mediation agreement. Ashley, who reached majority in June 2000, had begun living with her father in June 1999, although Michael had not requested a reduction in his child support payment relative to her.
On November 6, 2001 the trial court entered final judgment denying the father's petition for modification, but increasing child support from $850.00 per month (which had been for three minor children) to $1,284.47 (for the two remaining minor children), and made the support award retroactive to the date of the filing of the father's original petition in November, 1998. This retroactive ruling resulted in an arrearage of $13,226.22.
We agree with the father's argument, succinctly summarized in his brief as follows:
The parties went to court on the father's modification petition that sought a change in the residence of the parties' three children with an accompanying change in child support, and nothing more. After the trial court denied the change in residence, it increased the child support the father had previously been ordered to pay without any pleading request for that relief. Moreover, this increase was ordered retroactively for children who were not involved in the father's initial petition. This increase was also ordered retroactively despite the lack of evidence that the children's needs had increased. And this 2001 increase was ordered retroactively despite the fact that at the time the father's petition was filed (1998) the mother earned more than the father, and the father's 1998 income was substantially less than his 2001 income. The father was totally denied due process, and reversal is required.
A trial court lacks jurisdiction to enter any judgment on an issue not raised by the pleadings. Cortina v. Cortina, 98 So.2d 334 (Fla.1957). For example, a petition for contempt for nonpayment of child support does not give a court the power to reduce court ordered child support. Hammond v. Hammond 492 So.2d 837 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986). In this case, the father moved to modify the dissolution decree by changing the primary residential custody of the parties' children from the mother to himself. In addition, he requested an appropriate adjustment dovmward of child support to reflect the new living arrangements in the event his petition was successful. The mother made no affirmative requests of her own. Nevertheless, the trial court found the father's mere mention of child support permitted the court to increase the child support paid by the father. Moreover, the number of children covered by the prior order had been reduced from three to two . This ruling by the trial court was clearly error.
We reject any claim that the issue was tried with the implicit consent of the parties. Immediately after the trial court announced that it was increasing the former husband's child support obligation and making the increase retroactive, the former husband's counsel stated "I must object to a couple of things for the record". The trial court responded:
Well, you don't have to object on the record, sir. You can object in Daytona, 38 miles north after I have entered the final judgment. Those are my findings of fact. That is my judgment.
We cannot say that the former husband consented to trial of this issue where the court rebuffed his effort at interposing his objections.
The trial court in this case blatantly violated the most basic of constitutional rights — due process of law. The father was given no notice or opportunity to be heard on the distinct issue of increasing the amount of child support he paid, much less being given credit for child support paid for Ashley while she was living with him pursuant to a mediation agreement between the parties. The trial court's judgment increasing child support, both prospectively and retroactively, is reversed,
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
PLEUS, J. concurs.
SHARP, W., J. concurs in part and dissents in part, with opinion.
. It was acknowledged by counsel at oral argument that Levy now lives with Michael, leaving only Shayna with the mother.