Opinion ID: 2509669
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Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Reimbursement for Delinquent Payment

Text: Wife argues the family court erred in denying reimbursement for a delinquent payment advanced by Wife. We agree. Under a temporary court order, the family court directed Husband to pay $3,982.80 on the mortgage on the marital home. Husband did not tender the money, so Wife made the payment. When Wife sought reimbursement, the family court denied her request, noting that the stipulated payoff for the first mortgage at trial was $299,197, and Wife refinanced the mortgage with a payoff of $244,918.34. In the family court's view, Wife received a $54,279.66 windfall because the court relied on the stipulated amount to fashion an equitable apportionment of the marital property. Accordingly, the family court concluded that the amount of delinquent interest owed by the Husband should be absolved as a matter of equity. In considering whether the family court erred, it is settled law in South Carolina that [c]ourts have the inherent power to do all things reasonably necessary to insure that just results are reached to the fullest extent possible. Buckley v. Shealy, 370 S.C. 317, 323-24, 635 S.E.2d 76, 79 (2006) ( citing Ex Parte Dibble, 279 S.C. 592, 595-96, 310 S.E.2d 440, 442 (Ct.App.1983)). Equally instructive is the equitable maxim that [one] who seeks equity must do equity. Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co. v. Driver, 317 S.C. 471, 479, 451 S.E.2d 924, 929 (1994); Ingram v. Kasey's Assocs., 340 S.C. 98, 107, 531 S.E.2d 287, 291 (2000). In the present case, we need not decide whether Wife received a windfall in refinancing the marital home. In Buckley v. Shealy , this Court found the family court erred in awarding the husband a set-off for overpaying child support because the husband failed to make timely child support payments as ordered. 370 S.C. at 325, 635 S.E.2d at 80. Similarly, here, Husband violated an explicit court order to make the mortgage payment on the marital home. Therefore, Husband is not entitled to have his obligation absolved in equity since Husband did not act equitably in fulfilling his obligation to the court and to Wife. Id; Provident Life & Accident Ins. Co., 317 S.C. at 479, 451 S.E.2d at 929. Accordingly, we reverse the family court and order Husband to pay Wife the delinquent interest payment.