Court Opinion

ID: 9673167
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:07:35.663071+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:27:23.134237
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Chief Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in the dissenting opinion of Higgins, J., which holds that there is not a final and appealable judgment in this case and agree that the appeal should be dismissed. Nevertheless, and in view of the fact that the majority of the Court has concluded that there is an appealable order in this case, I file this opinion in order to address other issues discussed in the principal opinion.
In my opinion, the record on appeal in this case clearly demonstrates that the support order entered February 27, 1973, was entered at a time when Mr. Trapp was not a party to the proceedings and had not been served with any process, received any notification, and was not personally present. In these circumstances, I believe that the support order was wholly void as to Mr. Trapp. Likewise, it is my opinion that the order is void as to Mrs. Trapp. She had been served with the original petition alleging neglect and appeared personally at the January 2d hearing. She was indigent so the court appointed an attorney for her that day and a hearing was held, but no stenographic notes were made of it. The court order found the children to be neglected and they were made wards of the court. *207with their care and custody placed in the Welfare Department .of Henry County. There is no indication in the petition or in the order that any hearing with reference to monetary support orders or ability to pay was held or would be held. The order makes no reference to that matter at all. On February 27, 1973, the record shows a judgment was entered as follows: “Judgment entered against Robert Emory Trapp and Linda Mae Trapp for $198.00 per month child support commencing March 5, 1973. Sheriff to serve parents with a copy of said Order.”
On March 5,1973, the record contains the following entry:
“Sheryl Ann Trapp, b.d. 4-25-69; Dee Ann Elaine Trapp, b.d. 4 — 7—70 and Duane Edwin Trapp, b.d. 9-8-72, all of whom are wards of the court and care and custody of Division of Welfare; the court finds that said children are deprived of proper financial support while in foster care due to the falsification of information on the part of the natural parents of said children.
“Now on this 27th day of February, 1973, the Henry County Juvenile Court hereby orders that Mr. and Mrs. Robert Emory Trapp who are gainfully employed, be made responsible for the financial support of said children in the amount of $198.00 per month or $66.00 per child. Court further orders that this amount be garnisheed from the wages of the parents through the Henry County Circuit Clerk. The court further orders that the natural parents assume responsibility of medical care of said children. This will be in judgment of the court until further order.”
“On March 5,1973, the following record entry appears: ‘Summons with Order attached issued to parents and delivered to sheriff of Henry County for service.’
“On March 14, 1973, the following record entry appears: ‘Return on service of summons to Robert Emory Trapp and Linda Mae Trapp filed by Sheriff of Henry County.’ ”
As noted supra, the order of January 2, 1979, which resulted from that hearing contained no support orders, nor is there any indication that there was any evidence with reference to financial ability or any other matter pertaining to failure to support or ability to support heard by the court. There was no further hearing and there was no further notice of any impending hearing or any impending support order served upon Mrs. Trapp on the record before us. The court simply entered up an order on February 27 which it denominated a judgment for $198.00 per month child support against appellant Mrs. Trapp and her husband, Mr. Trapp. Assuming the order of September 25,1978, overruling appellant’s motion to set aside the support order of February 27,1973, is appealable, it is my opinion, on the record before us, that the order is void because: (1) Mr. Trapp was not a party and received no notice of the proceedings; Mrs. Trapp received no notice of any impending hearing with reference to a money judgment in the form of a support order; (3) the record reflects there was no hearing at all with reference to this matter; and (4) if the order is invalid as to Mr. Trapp then, since it is obviously based upon the combined income of Mr. and Mrs. Trapp, it must of necessity be invalid as to Mrs. Trapp. I do not agree with footnote 8 of the principal opinion that the statement appearing in In re Trapp, 528 S.W.2d 489, 492 (Mo.App.1975), was based upon ambiguous testimony or is insufficient to show that the juvenile court had no evidence to support a finding of ability to pay in the initial custody hearing. The record in this case demonstrates a complete lack of evidence to support a finding of ability to pay in either the initial custody hearing or at any other time prior to the entry of the support order. In short, the record shows money judgments entered up against appellant and her husband without due process of law being afforded either of them.
I concur in the holding that §§ 211.031 and 211.181, RSMo 1978, are constitutional on their face and as applied to the appellant. In my opinion, the petition originally filed in this case was general in its allega*208tions. Respondent could have moved to require it to be made more definite and certain with respect to particular charges of neglect but failed to do so.
I concur in parts III and IV of the particular opinion.