Opinion ID: 2124077
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Modification and Past-Due Alimony

Text: Michael asserts that the trial court abused its discretion when it refused to modify his alimony obligation and held him in contempt for his failure to make alimony payments since 1987. A trial court may modify support orders from time to time. SDCL 25-4-41. However, an alimony award may not be modified unless there is a change of circumstances from those that existed at the time of the original decree. Foley v. Foley, 429 N.W.2d 42, 45 (S.D.1988). The party seeking modification bears the burden of proving the change in circumstances. Id. We review the trial court's decision to modify an alimony award under the abuse of discretion standard. Id. An `abuse of discretion' is discretion exercised to an end or purpose not justified by, and clearly against, reasoning and evidence. Horr v. Horr, 445 N.W.2d 26, 28 (S.D.1989). In assessing a change in circumstances, we consider a change in the necessities of the recipient and the financial ability of the obligor. Id. Michael asserts that his circumstances have changed in that he has retired, suffered a stroke, been declared disabled by the Social Security Administration and, accordingly, suffered a change in his income. He likewise asserts that Lore has a higher income than she did at the time of the divorce and thus does not have as great of a need for alimony. The record indicates at the time of the divorce that Lore worked only sporadically due to health problems. Following the divorce, Lore moved to the state of Washington and obtained employment. She has reported adjusted incomes of $25,490.00 for 1990 and $32,246.00 for 1991. The court found, however, that there was a substantial likelihood that Lore would be laid off from her job at Boeing in the near future due to projected layoffs. In addition, Lore continues to suffer from a number of health problems, including pulmonary and cardiac diseases which often impair her ability to work. With the evidence of the likelihood of Lore's job terminating in the near future and her continuing health problems, we do not find that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that her need for alimony had not changed. See Lampert v. Lampert, 388 N.W.2d 899, 902-03 (S.D.1986). Michael's income tax returns indicate that he has had adjusted income of $12,982.66 for 1987, $19,676 for 1988, $4,173.00 for 1989, $6,352.00 for 1990, and $3,956.00 for 1991. The incomes for 1988 through 1991, however, are somewhat misleading, as they include losses of between $2,500.00 and $7,800.00 on rental property that Michael rented to his son. [1] In addition, the 1990 and 1991 incomes do not include Michael's monthly social security disability payments of $974.00 ($11,698 annually). Therefore, while Michael's income has been effected by his retirement, his income tax returns are not an entirely accurate reflection of his income. Michael's current income comes from his pension and social security payments as opposed to wages. His annual income is still approximately $16,858.00 ($5,160.00 annual pension + $11,698.00 annual disability). In addition, Michael has $32,000 in net proceeds from the sale of real estate (more thoroughly discussed in Issue 2) and has managed to accumulate $5,000 in bonds since the divorce. Despite his change in circumstances, Michael still has sufficient funds to pay his alimony obligation. Under the established precedent of this court, we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that Michael had the financial ability to make the weekly $65.00 alimony payments. See Lampert, 388 N.W.2d at 903. Furthermore, Michael was accordingly in contempt for his almost five years of nonpayment of alimony. In 1987, Michael, of his own accord, quit making the alimony payments dictated by the divorce decree. Michael took no action to petition the court for any type of modification until he had accumulated nearly five years of arrearages and needed to obtain a clear title to sell some real estate. Past-due support obligations are modifiable only as to the date of filing of a petition for modification. SDCL 25-7-7.3. Michael cannot come before this court now and expect five years of nonpayment of his support obligation to be erased. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in holding Michael in contempt for alimony arrearages beginning in April 27, 1987.