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

Heading: In re Marriage of Schulz v. Ystad

Text: On January 4, 1979, Julie Schulz filed a petition for divorce from her spouse, Roger Ystad. The petition alleged that two minor children had been born to the marriage: Lori (born September 17, 1962) and Lisa (born January 13, 1964). The circuit court granted the divorce by judgment effective August 27, 1979. The judgment incorporated the provisions of a final stipulation entered between the parties. The stipulation provided that Julie would have custody of Lori and Lisa and set forth Roger's child support obligation as follows: 2. CHILD SUPPORT. A. Until further order of the Court, [Roger Ystad] shall pay the sum of Four Hundred Fifty and no/100 ($450.00) Dollars per month toward the support of the minor children of the parties. Such payments shall be payable on the 15th and 30th of each month commencing with the 30th day of August, 1979. B. Further, said payments shall continue until June 1, 1981, at which time the support for Lori Rae shall terminate. The support for Lisa Ann shall then continue on until June 1, 1982, in the sum of Two Hundred Fifty and no/100 ($250.00) Dollars per month payable on the 15th and 30th of each month. . . . Roger was current in his child support payments until October 14, 1980, when Lori moved out of her mother's home to live with the Cox family in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Lori resided with the Coxes from October of 1980 until sometime after her high school graduation in June of 1981. After Lori moved out of her mother's home, Roger made a child support payment of $162.50 on October 20, 1980, and made another payment of $225.00 on November 4, 1980. Thereafter, Roger made child support payments of $175.00 semimonthly. In July of 1981, Roger reduced his child support payments to $125.00 semimonthly. Lisa turned eighteen on January 13, 1982, and completed her high school course work that month. Roger cased making child support payments after Lisa had finished her high school course work in January of 1982. On June 8, 1988, Julie filed a motion with the circuit court, requesting that the court hold Roger in contempt for his failure to make child support payments pursuant to the judgment of divorce. The motion alleged that, as of June 4, 1982, Roger was in arrears in his child support payments in the amount of $1,862.50 and demanded payment of the amount of the arrearage plus interest. The court heard the motion on June 22, 1988. At the hearing, Roger argued that the child support arrearage should be reduced or expunged to reflect the fact that Julie was not supporting Lori after she moved out of Julie's home in October of 1980 and was not supporting Lisa after she turned eighteen and finished her high school course work in January of 1982. The court subsequently adjourned the hearing to allow the parties to file briefs addressing the issue of whether sec. 767.32(1m), Stats., applied retroactively to prohibit the court from expunging a support arrearage which accrued prior to August 1, 1987, the statute's effective date. On September 23, 1988, the circuit court reconvened the motion hearing and made an initial ruling that sec. 767.32(1m), Stats., did not apply retroactively. The court then heard testimony to determine whether the child support arrearage should be expunged on equitable grounds. Both Julie and Roger testified that under the terms of the final stipulation, Roger's obligation to pay child support extended beyond Lori's and Lisa's eighteenth birthdays to the date that each girl was expected to finish high school. Julie also testified that during the time that Lori resided with the Coxes, Roger continued to make reduced child support payments for Lori and that she used the support money to help pay for Lori's clothing, school expenses, eyeglasses, prescription medication, and other living expenses. Julie further testified, contrary to the testimony of Carol Cox, that she made three or four $50.00 payments to the Coxes to pay for Lori's room and board. Julie produced only one canceled check to verify the payments that she allegedly made on Lori's behalf. At the conclusion of the hearing, the circuit court stated that it was not satisfied that Julie had made payments to the Coxes or that Julie was otherwise supporting Lori after she moved out of Julie's home. The court further stated that after Lisa turned eighteen and completed her high school education in January of 1982, she was no longer entitled to child support. The circuit court expunged the child support arrearage in full and dismissed the motion for contempt by order entered October 6, 1988. Julie appealed to the court of appeals, which reversed. The court of appeals held that sec. 767.32(1m), Stats., applied retroactively and prohibited the circuit court from modifying or expunging a child support arrearage which accrued prior to August 1, 1987, the statute's effective date. Roger petitioned this court for review of the decision of the court of appeals, which we granted.