Opinion ID: 1682040
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Presence of a Support Order

Text: The trial court did not reach the merits of Gary's petition for review because it found constitutional infirmity in the statutory procedure. It is now appropriate for us to remand the case for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. The trial court decided that no court order, as that term is defined by § 454.460(2), RSMo 1986, for the payment of a set or determinable amount of support money for Dawn was in effect. Therefore, the trial court concluded, the division was authorized to recover support money paid for Dawn pursuant to the administrative procedures set forth in § 454.470, RSMo 1986. We agree with this conclusion. Because the court did not undertake to act upon the issue of support money for Dawn in the modified dissolution decree, that issue remained open to administrative action. In the absence of any court order fixing an amount of money for Dawn's support, the procedure set forth in § 454.476, RSMo 1986 was not available to the division. The failure of the parents to seek a modification of the dissolution decree so as to provide for the actual custody situation should not preclude the division from enforcing its right of recovery of sums paid for Dawn's support. In saying this, we express no opinion as to whether the claim is meritorious, or whether Gary has a sound defense to the claims. Those are questions which have not been determined by the trial court, and should be. [5] The trial court on remand may exercise its full measure of discretion under § 536.140, RSMo 1986, including the allowance of amended pleadings and remand to the agency for further fact findings, if it deems either or both of these procedures wise. The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion. The cross-appeal is dismissed for want of jurisdiction. ROBERTSON, RENDLEN, HIGGINS, COVINGTON and HOLSTEIN, JJ., and CARL R. GAERTNER, Special Judge, concur.