Opinion ID: 1786958
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the chancery court erred in ordering smith and bouquet to make periodic payments to dhs as reimbursement for payment of the guardian ad litem fees.

Text: ¶ 16. MDHS also contends that the chancellor abused his discretion in ordering that Smith and Bouquet reimburse MDHS for the guardian ad litem fees by making periodic payments. MDHS asserts that such an installment plan is impermissible and amounts to an interestfree loan to Smith and Bouquet. ¶ 17. Miss.Code Ann. § 93-5-23 gives a chancellor the authority to order the party alleging child abuse to pay all court costs and reasonable attorney's fees incurred when the allegation of abuse is found to be without foundation. The Code does not, however, outline how such payment must be made. There are no guidelines dictating that such repayment has to be in a lump sum amount. Absent statutory direction that the payment must be made in a lump sum, we can hardly say that the chancellor abused his discretion by ordering periodic repayments. ¶ 18. To the contrary, it was well within the chancellor's discretion to order repayment on a periodic basis. In In re K.M.J., 758 So.2d 402 (Miss.2000), this Court affirmed the chancery court's order regarding payment of guardian ad litem fees. The order provided that the unsuccessful plaintiffs would be liable for 60% of the fees and that the defendants would be liable for 40% of the fees. The order also provided that in the event the plaintiffs could not pay, DHS would have to pay. The order stated that in the event DHS had to pay, it was automatically granted a judgment against the plaintiffs for the amount it paid. In formulating the order, the chancery court considered the specific circumstances of the case, particularly the likelihood that the realization of collection from the plaintiffs was extremely remote. The chancellor noted that the plaintiffs had modest monthly incomes and that the defendants were on the verge of the receipt of a substantial sum of money as an award for personal injuries received in past employment. This Court stated, The chancery court is charged to give adequate consideration to the `financial abilities' of the parties to pay any assessed fees, and then how the same should be apportioned, if any. Id. at  (citing Cheatham v. Cheatham, 537 So.2d 435 (Miss.1988); Bumgarner v. Bumgarner, 475 So.2d 455, 456 (Miss.1985)). The Court held that the chancellor had reached an equitable solution in light of its concern that the guardian might not be fully compensated because of the financial status of the parties. Id. at . ¶ 19. The chancellor likewise reached an equitable solution in the case at hand. In light of the fact that Smith and Bouquet did not have the means to make a lump sum payment of the initial $7, 075.75 awarded to the guardian ad litem, the chancery court's first order regarding the undisputed portion of the fees provided for a similar plan under which Smith and Bouquet were each required to pay $25 per month as reimbursement to DHS. The parties have stipulated that this order was approved without objection by any party. The second order was apparently entered due to these same considerations. Though there is no statute authorizing a chancellor to order such an installment plan, this Court has also stated that the chancery court has wide discretion in fashioning the payment of costs in light of equitable principles, as evidenced by this Court's holding in K.M.J. ¶ 20. As this Court stated in Canton v. Ross, 157 Miss. 788, 128 So. 560, 562-63 (1930), [C]hancery courts have large discretion in apportioning costs. Nevertheless, the exercise of such discretion is not final, but is reviewable on appeal, and if it appear [sic] that the decree apportioning the costs works a manifest injustice on any of the parties, the decree will be reversed. There is no manifest injustice worked on DHS by the chancellor's order. DHS will be reimbursed over a five-year period. DHS complains that the payment plan is the equivalent of a five-year loan. Interestingly, however, DHS approved without objection the chancellor's first order which provided that Smith and Bouquet were to reimburse DHS for the undisputed portion of the fees at a rate of $25 per month.