Opinion ID: 1745643
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: In re Marriage of Piaskoski

Text: Eileen M. Piaskoski filed a petition for divorce from her spouse, Paul A. Piaskoski. The circuit court for Milwaukee county granted the divorce by judgment effective April 7, 1986. The judgment provided that Eileen was to have physical custody of the couple's two minor sons, Ray and Tom. The judgment further provided that Paul was to pay child support in the amount of $260.00 per month per child in Eileen's custody. Eileen remarried on November 1, 1986. Sometime after the remarriage, Tom expressed his desire to spend more time with his father, and Eileen and Paul apparently agreed that Tom should live with Paul. Tom moved in with his father on or about January 1, 1987. Thereafter, Paul continued to make child support payments as ordered in the judgment of divorce until June of 1987, when he ceased making payments. On September 23, 1987, and on December 29, 1987, the circuit court issued orders requiring Paul to show cause why he should not be held in contempt for nonpayment of child support in the amount of $4,063.00. On the basis of an affidavit prepared by Paul on November 17, 1987, the circuit court also issued an order requiring Eileen to show cause why Paul should not receive credit against the child support arrearage for amounts which he paid directly for Tom's support during 1987 and for amounts which he paid on a doctor's bill and a heating bill that had been assigned to Eileen under the judgment of divorce. The circuit court held a hearing on the orders to show cause on January 4, 1988. At the hearing, Paul testified that Tom lived with him at his home for at least 223 days in 1987 and that he provided and paid directly for Tom's food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and other living expenses during that time. Paul further testified that Eileen was ordered to pay a heating bill in the amount of $382.00 and a doctor's bill in the amount of $640.00 under the judgment of divorce. Paul testified that Eileen failed to pay the bills and that he was forced to pay the amounts due after the oil company and doctor sued him. The circuit court subsequently ruled that Paul was not in contempt of court because he had complied in good faith with the court order obligating him to pay child support. The circuit court further ruled that it could not grant credit against the child support arrearage because under sec. 767.32(1m), Stats., the court is no longer given the power to cancel arrearage. Paul appealed to the court of appeals, which reversed. The court of appeals implicitly held that sec. 767.32(1m), Stats., applied retroactively and construed the statute in light of the facts of the case. The court observed that sec. 767.32(1m) provides that the circuit court may not revise the amount of child support ordered prior to the time that notice of an action to revise support is given to the custodial parent. The court of appeals concluded, however, that the statute only prohibits the court from revising the amount of child support, it does not prevent the trial court from giving credit against support arrearage. Piaskoski, 151 Wis. 2d at 555. The court of appeals held that the circuit court erred when it failed to grant Paul credit for amounts which he paid on behalf of Tom and Eileen during 1987. Id. Eileen petitioned this court for review of the decision of the court of appeals, which we granted.