Opinion ID: 2053589
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Jurisdiction of the District Court.

Text: The district court ruled that it had no subject matter jurisdiction. Sun was no longer receiving public assistance, so chapter 252A could not be used to modify a support order without a modification of the parties' 1982 dissolution decree, according to the ruling. The court reasoned: This case involves a Chapter 252 action rather than an action for original divorce or a modification of the decree. This is not a case where the State has a monetary interest such as the recoupment of ADC benefits as no such benefits are being paid for the parties' three children. In this case where no child support is owed to the State, that chapter [apparently either chapter 252A or 252B] cannot be used, contrary to the specific support provision of the decree of dissolution. ... However, at the time of trial, no State support was being paid nor was any owed by the parties. Therefore, the statute is no longer used as a collection procedure for the State and the State has no direct financial interest in the matter. Granted, the welfare of children is of paramount concern of the State. Granted, the State can pursue child support for a party at the party's request even if no State support is owed by the other party. However, the Court cannot change this decretal support provision [providing for no child support] in this Chapter 252B action without obtaining a modification of the decree. Under the scheme of chapter 252A, a petition to modify child support does not depend on the terms of a prior dissolution decree. For example, Iowa Code section 252A.3(7) provides: Notwithstanding the fact that the respondent has obtained in any state or country a final decree of divorce or separation from the respondent's spouse or a decree dissolving the marriage, the respondent shall be deemed legally liable for the support of any dependent child of such marriage. Iowa Code section 252A.8 (1993) provides: This chapter shall be construed to furnish an additional or alternative civil remedy and shall in no way affect or impair any other remedy, civil or criminal, provided in any other statute and available to the petitioner in relation to the same subject matter. A court may award, in a chapter 252A case, more or less support than that provided for in a dissolution decree. Blakeman, 337 N.W.2d at 201-02. In Moore v. Moore, 252 Iowa 404, 107 N.W.2d 97 (1961), a respondent father in a chapter 252A proceeding argued that the court had no authority to order more support than had been provided in an Illinois divorce decree. We rejected this argument, stating that the legislature was cognizant that another order may have been made elsewhere [concerning support]. It provided the order for support made by the court in this [chapter 252A] proceeding should not supersede any other order already made, but that any sum paid should be credited on both allowances. Moore, 252 Iowa at 411, 107 N.W.2d at 100-01. See generally Andrea G. Nadel, Annotation, Construction and Effect of Provision of Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act that No Support Order Shall Supersede or Nullify Any Other Order, 31 A.L.R.4th 347, 356-82 (1984). A recent amendment to chapter 252A reaffirms the principle that proceedings for collection of child support are not mutually exclusive, stating that the amounts for a particular period paid pursuant to either order [dissolution decree or chapter 252A order] shall be credited against amounts accruing or accrued for the same period under both. Iowa Code § 252A.6(7) (as amended by 1996 Iowa Acts ch. 1141, §§ 19, 20; 1997 Iowa Acts ch. 175, § 13). We conclude that the district court erred in dismissing the petition. Parents may be liable for support in an action under the Child Support Recovery Act regardless of the terms of a prior dissolution decree. Payments received shall, of course, be credited to both orders. Id.