Opinion ID: 901506
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Van Overpayments

Text: [¶42.] Todd argues he overpaid Kimberly $55 per month for the purchase of a vehicle to transport Andrew. The original child support agreement required Todd to make the payment until October 28, 1997, or until the vehicle was paid in full. Todd continued making the payment from October 1997 until June 2001 and contends he overpaid Kimberly by $2,420. Kimberly did not bring Todd's error to his attention during that time. [¶43.] In the instant case, Kimberly testified at the hearing that she continued to accept the $55 per month after the first van was paid off and used the money toward the purchase of the second van required for Andrew's transportation and other transportation expenses such as repairs and maintenance for the van. Todd did not testify at the hearing to the issue of the $55 overpayment. Todd testified at the hearing in support for his contention that he should not have to provide additional funds toward the purchase of a new vehicle and that Kimberly was already reimbursed for repairs, maintenance, and wear and tear on the vehicle by the state, as she received mileage reimbursement for the weekly trips from Watertown to Sioux Falls. Todd included the credit or reimbursement for the alleged $2,420 overpayment in his proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law that were ultimately rejected by the trial court. Todd contends Kimberly was unjustly enriched by the $55 payment as she no longer had any vehicle expenses from October 1997 to June 2001. [¶44.] The upward deviation of $55 for the van payment was not a part of the original child support obligation as determined by using the schedule in SDCL 25-7-6.2. Rather, it is more akin to additional child support for child care expenses as was the case in Juttelstad. Thus, the rule against retroactive modifications does not apply to the alleged $2,420 overpayment as Todd is current on all his child support obligations, both the basic amount per SDCL 25-7-6.2 and all upward deviations, and is seeking a correction or credit for overpayment of an upward deviation under a theory of unjust enrichment. [¶45.] However, in order to recover, Todd must show that Kimberly was unjustly enriched by the overpayments. See Juttelstad, 1998 SD 121, ¶19, 587 NW2d at 451. Unjust enrichment occurs `when a party confers a benefit upon another party who accepts or acquiesces in that benefit and it is inequitable to receive that benefit without paying.' Id. (quoting Sporleder v. Van Liere, 1997 SD 110, ¶16, 569 NW2d 8, 12 (quoting Randall Stanley Architects, Inc. v. All Saints Community Corp., 1996 SD 138, ¶20, 555 NW2d 802, 805)). [¶46.] For Todd to establish that Kimberly was unjustly enriched at his expense, he must show Kimberly received a benefit to which she was not entitled. He then must show that Kimberly was cognizant of the benefit and that her retention of the benefit without reimbursing Todd unjustly enriched her. [¶47.] Kimberly did not concede she received a benefit as a result of the $2,440 overpayment, as she used the monies for expenses incurred for Andrew's transportation above and beyond the expense of purchasing the original van. Kimberly testified she and her husband paid $6,000 for the second van purchased for Andrew in 2004, as well as repairs and maintenance work on the original and second van. Todd offered no evidence of unjust enrichment at the hearing and offered only bare allegations in his proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law. [¶48.] The trial court rejected Todd's proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law wherein he addressed the issue of the overpayment. No specific finding of fact was entered by the trial court on this issue. However, the facts in the record indicate that Kimberly was not unjustly enriched by the retention of the $55 per month from October 1997 to June 2001, as she incurred substantial and legitimate expenses for Andrew's transportation above and beyond the mileage reimbursement and the alleged $2,440 overpayment. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to order Kimberly to reimburse or credit Todd for the alleged overpayment.