Case Name: William J. McCOMBES, Appellant, v. Kay L. McCOMBES, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1983-11-23
Citations: 440 So. 2d 683
Docket Number: No. AQ-121
Parties: William J. McCOMBES, Appellant, v. Kay L. McCOMBES, Appellee.
Judges: SHIVERS, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 440
Pages: 683–687

Head Matter:
William J. McCOMBES, Appellant, v. Kay L. McCOMBES, Appellee.
No. AQ-121.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Nov. 23, 1983.
Joel M. Cohen, Pensacola, for appellant.
No Appearance for appellee.

Opinion:
MILLS, Judge.
In this appeal from the contempt order entered against him below, the former husband contends that he was not subject to being held in contempt by the trial court and, alternatively, that the trial court failed to make sufficient findings on the issue of his ability to pay. We agree with this latter contention and vacate the order of contempt.
The parties to this appeal were divorced on 2 November 1979. In the final judgment of dissolution, the former wife was awarded the marital home as lump sum alimony. Subsequent to the final judgment, however, the parties entered into an agreement, ratified by the trial court, whereby the former wife was to receive $21,000 as lump sum alimony in lieu of the lump sum award made in the final judgment. This $21,000 was to be paid by the former husband in biweekly installments of $150 each. The former wife filed a motion for contempt after he fell behind on these installment obligations.
In its order of contempt, the trial court found: (1) that the former husband failed to meet his obligations during the period from 1 June 1981 through 31 December 1981; (2) that he had the ability to pay during this time period; (3) that for this period he was in arrears in the amount of $1,500; and (4) that he had no ability to pay from 31 December through the date of the hearing on 7 October 1982. The trial court found the former husband to be in willful contempt for failure to pay the $1,500 and ordered his incarceration for 30 days unless he payed the arrearage within six months of the hearing date.
The former husband contends that the post-judgment agreement which the parties entered into was in fact a property settlement agreement which is not enforceable by contempt. We agree that property settlement agreements are not enforceable by contempt. Howell v. Howell, 207 So.2d 507 (Fla. 2d DCA 1968); Carlin v. Carlin, 310 So.2d 403 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975). However, we cannot agree that this post-judgment agreement was a property settlement agreement.
The trial court here made an award of the marital home to the former wife as lump sum alimony. The post-judgment agreement merely changed the form of that award, substituting an award of $21,000, payable in installments, for the award of the marital home. The award of lump sum alimony was not thereby converted into a "property settlement agreement." Thus, the trial court could properly enforce its award of lump sum alimony by way of a contempt proceeding.
However, the contempt order here is defective because the trial court failed to make an affirmative finding that the former husband had the present ability to pay and willfully refused to do so. Faircloth v. Faircloth, 339 So.2d 650 (Fla.1976); Ponder v. Ponder, 438 So.2d 541 (Fla. 1st DCA 1983). A finding that the contemnor formerly had the ability to pay is insufficient.
Accordingly, the order of contempt is vacated.
SHIVERS, J., concurs.
ZEHMER, J., concurs in part and dissents in part with opinion.