Opinion ID: 1726991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the chancery court of adams county, mississippi, erred by entering a judgment for an amount which was clearly mathematically incorrect.

Text: Appellant contends that the total arrearage was $5,850.00, appellee paid only $350.00 on support, and that the total amount due was $5,500.00. When appellant took the witness stand, her attorney made the statement to the court that the amount in question would just be a matter of mathematical computation, but it would be about $6,000. If the attorneys had stipulated the amount or had the court instructed the appellant's attorney to make the calculation and submit it to the opposing attorney for approval, and then entered the correct amount due in the record, the question here might be different. However, appellant's attorney asked her what had been paid and the amount then due. Appellant's answer was not direct. In order to clarify the question, the court inquired if it was in the area of $6,000, and she replied, $5,080 I think. Further in the direct examination, in order to fix the amount appellant claimed as owing, the following was asked her: BY THE COURT: Was that before the $200.00 was paid? A. That was before the $200.00 was paid, he paid $50.00, I guess, I suppose, on the back payments, which would make $50.00 off the $80.00, make it $5,030.00. There was no testimony as to the amount in arrears by any person except appellant. She was vague and indefinite in her figures, but finally settled on the figure of $5,030.00. This Court will not hold the lower court in error for finding the exact amount in arrears as that to which appellant testified, there being no other direct evidence as to the amount due.