Court Opinion

ID: 9905390
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-29 15:04:39.777041+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:24.773525
License: Public Domain

Third District Court of Appeal
                               State of Florida

                      Opinion filed November 29, 2023.
       Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.

                            ________________

                             No. 3D23-1036
                        Lower Tribunal No. 21-1244
                           ________________

                          The State of Florida,
                                  Appellant,

                                     vs.

            In re: Marlaine Delva and Louicito Delva,
                                 Appellees.

     An appeal from the Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Ivonne
Cuesta, Judge.

      Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Toni C. Bernstein, Senior
Assistant Attorney General (Tallahassee), for appellant.

     No appearance, for appellees.

Before EMAS, SCALES, and MILLER, JJ.

     MILLER, J.
      Appellant, the State of Florida, challenges a circuit court order

quashing a final administrative support order rendered by the Florida

Department of Revenue pursuant to section 409.2563, Florida Statutes

(2023). The administrative order obligated the father to pay monthly child

support to the mother for the benefit of their three children. It is axiomatic

that the circuit court is authorized to prospectively modify child support

administrative child support obligations. § 409.2563(10)(c), Fla. Stat. It is

equally well-settled, however, that the “circuit court lacks jurisdiction to

vacate or retroactively affect an administrative child support order.” Dep’t of

Revenue ex rel. Lienhart v. Secor, 146 So. 3d 1250, 1252 (Fla. 2d DCA

2014); see also § 409.2563(10)(c), Fla. Stat. (“Any unpaid support owed

under the . . . administrative support order may not be retroactively modified

by the circuit court . . . .”); Dep't of Revenue ex rel. Chevor v. Mohomed, 996

So. 2d 900, 902 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008) (“[T]he trial court lacked the legal

authority to vacate the instant final administrative child support order.”); Dep't

of Revenue ex rel. Chamberlain v. Manasala, 982 So.2d 1257, 1259–60 (Fla.

1st DCA 2008) (reversing circuit court’s order vacating final administrative

support order).    Here, in quashing the administrative order rather than

entering a superseding order directed at prospective duties, the trial court

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effectively nullified the father’s unpaid support obligation. Accordingly, we

are constrained to reverse and remand for further proceedings.

     Reversed and remanded.

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