Opinion ID: 1751702
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Retroactive Termination of Alimony

Text: Agnes next contends that the trial court erred when it terminated her alimony retroactively to the date of her remarriage. This court has never addressed the retroactive termination of alimony payments. We have stated that an alimony award may be modified to retroactively abate all or part of alimony arrearages.  Thomerson v. Thomerson, 387 N.W.2d 509, 514 (S.D. 1986) (emphasis added). However, we have never directly addressed the retroactive modification of alimony where the paying spouse has voluntarily remained current in his monthly payments notwithstanding knowledge of his ex-spouse's remarriage. We note by analogy that past-due support payments are not retroactively modifiable under SDCL 25-7-7.3 except for that period in which a petition for modification is pending. See Kier v. Kier, 454 N.W.2d 544, 546 (S.D.1990) (past-due child support); Vellinga v. Vellinga, 442 N.W.2d 472, 474 (S.D.1989) (past-due child support). Support payments, such as alimony, become final judgments as they fall due. SDCL 25-7-7.4. The decree, as originally entered stood as a finality between the parties until the power of the court was invoked to make changes and modifications. These changes and modifications could only be made when the conditions and circumstances had changed. There was no power in the court to vacate any portion of the original decree so as to destroy vested rights. The court, therefore, had no power, no authority or right, under the law, to divest the plaintiff of that of which she had become invested by reason of the former decree. Delbridge v. Sears, 179 Iowa 526, 160 N.W. 218, 220 (1916). Thus, those alimony payments which fell due prior to the filing for modification were vested, since South Dakota has not held that remarriage automatically terminates alimony. The record discloses that approximately one year had passed between Agnes' remarriage in Watertown and Kenneth's filing for termination of alimony. Kenneth does not allege that he was unaware of Agnes' remarriage until the time of his filing or that she fraudulently caused him to believe she had not remarried. Kenneth has shown no reason for waiting to file his request for modification or termination of alimony. Support payments made prior to a petition for modification were recovered under the previous divorce decree and thus vested in the supported spouse until the power of the court is invoked to modify the original decree. SDCL 25-7-7.4; Delbridge, 160 N.W. at 220. We accordingly hold that under these facts the alimony payments made by Kenneth prior to his filing of the petition, are not modifiable retroactively, but any payments made thereafter are retroactively modifiable. Therefore, Kenneth's alimony obligation should have been terminated as of his August 5, 1991, filing date and Agnes will be obligated to reimburse Kenneth for the alimony payments he made between the filing date, August 5, 1991, and November, 1991, when he ceased making alimony payments.