ÿWPC« …# VUDa %¥ 0(« 0”Ó4g { Š w@’ 0DÒ 0J 0T` 0^´ 0h 0rz 0|ì 0†h 0î 1u~ 0dó B)WDC€ AMÃU*ë: B%v~BvÓÀ D3“ 0@Æ AOÆU 0D D/_ BŽ˜HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPTÀÌÀääÀÀÌ0 8§ÖhZŠ,Century-WP RegularX($¡¡(D(2´¤$¤¤Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÒ°ÒÒX°ÒÓ  Óà ` àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóóz!3|x$ EeEÓ€$(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ% Line 7 d!!!!7Border 1dd€-"Cþÿ << Gÿÿ< Œ 9p`(Arial áÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÔ€$ÔÔ€$ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€$XÔÌÌò òOctober€9,€1996ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€$ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó ó dPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'@Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  BA Op Geneva ÒÒ  BA Op Geneva Ò&&&&'ÿÿdxd("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÑ\R AØ'\Ñ›à@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€JACKSONÌ______________________________________________________________________________ÌÌœZELLA›€BALENTINE,à àà àà àà àHardin€Juvenile€No.€œJ„8792›Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àC.A.€No.€02A01„9508„JV„00190Ìà àPlaintiff,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àHon.€Max€Seaton,€JudgeÌÙ€€ÙœßL€#%";+'h|¬þ ` Å `€€Lß›v.à àà àà àà àà àà àà àÌÌSIMON€WHITEÌIN€RE:€PATERNITY€OF€ASHLEY€ÌARRON€BALENTINE,€a€minor,ÌÌà àDefendant.ÌÌT.€VERNER€SMITH,€Jackson,€Attorney€for€plaintiff.ÌÌW.€LEE€LACKEY,€Savannah,€Attorney€for€defendant.ÌÌò òòòREVERSED€œIN€PART€AND›€REMANDEDó óóóÌÌOpinion€filed:Ì______________________________________________________________________________ÌÌò òTOMLIN,€Sr.€J.ó óà@ àÌà àà àà àà àà àà àÌÓÓÔ€Ôà àZella€Balentine€(ð ðplaintiffðð)Ô€Ô€filed€a€petition€in€the€Juvenile€Court€ofÏHardin€County€seeking€to€have€that€court€declare€Simon€WhiteÏ(ð ðdefendantðð)€to€be€the€natural€father€of€the€partiesðð€minor€child,€AshleyÏBalentine.€€The€Hardin€County€General€Sessions€Court,€in€its€role€asÏJuvenile€Court,€found€defendant€to€be€the€father€of€the€child€and€awardedÏplaintiff€retroactive€child€support€dating€back€to€November€1,€1992.€€TheÍsole€issue€on€appeal€is€whether€the€trial€court€abused€its€discretion€by€notÏawarding€retroactive€child€support€back€to€the€date€of€the€childððs€birth.€ÏFor€the€reasons€stated,€we€find€that€the€trial€court€did€abuse€itsÏdiscretion.€€Accordingly,€we€œreverse€as€to€this€issue›€and€remand€thisÏcause€to€that€court€for€further€proceedings.ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àThe€vast€majority€of€the€facts€in€this€case€are€not€in€dispute.€€TheÏrecord€is€clear€that€plaintiff€and€defendant€had€ongoing€sexual€relationsÏfrom€1965€to€1977.€€Upon€learning€that€she€was€pregnant€she€advisedÏdefendant€of€her€condition€and€asserted€that€he€was€the€childððs€father.€ÏPlaintiff€gave€birth€to€the€partiesðð€son,€Ashley,€on€October€16,€1977.€ÏFollowing€the€birth€of€the€child€there€was€little€contact€between€theÏparties€for€the€next€fourteen€years.€€In€1991,€plaintiff€approachedÏdefendant€about€providing€financial€support€for€Ashley.€€DefendantÏindicated€that€he€would€like€to€establish€ties€with€the€child€and€in€theÏnext€nine€months€beginning€November€1,€1992€sent€a€total€of€nine€checksÏfor€$100.00€each€to€plaintiff.ÌÑ7€çJXXdìXXdì7ÑÓÓÌÓÓà àIn€July,€1993€plaintiff€filed€her€petition€seeking€to€have€defendantÏdeclared€Ashleyððs€natural€father.€€A€blood€test€taken€by€order€of€the€courtÏshowed€that€the€relative€chance€of€defendant€being€Ashleyððs€father€wasÍ99.99%.€€The€trial€court€found€defendant€to€be€the€natural€and€biologicalÏfather€of€the€partiesðð€child€as€well€as€being€obligated€to€contribute€to€theÏsupport€and€maintenance€of€the€child.€€The€court€found€that€defendant€wasÏunemployed€and€at€that€time€had€no€earned€income.€€The€court€orderedÏdefendant€to€pay€monthly€child€support€in€the€amount€of€$130.00€perÏmonth€based€on€the€Tennessee€Child€Support€Guidelines€(ð ðTCSGðð)€as€setÏout€for€minimum€wage€earnings.€€The€court€also€ordered€defendant€to€pay€aÏ$1,570.00€arrearage,€based€upon€the€findings€that€defendant€had€begunÏmaking€support€on€November€1,€1992,€giving€defendant€credit€for€theÏpayment€of€$900.00€from€November€1992€to€July€1993.ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àPlaintiff€filed€a€post„judgment€motion€seeking€a€new€trial€or€a€newÏhearing,€alleging€that€the€court€erred€in€setting€child€support€at€onlyÏ$130.00€a€month.€€After€conducting€a€hearing,€the€trial€court€found€thatÏbased€upon€defendantððs€tax€returns€for€the€years€1991€to€1993,Ïdefendantððs€annual€gross€income€for€the€purposes€of€the€TCSG€wasÏ$15,000.00.€€The€court€increased€defendantððs€child€support€payments€fromÏ$130.00€to€$216.00€per€month€retroactive€to€May€31,€1994,€the€date€of€theÏoriginal€paternity€order.€€The€trial€court€once€again€denied€plaintiffððsÏrequest€for€retroactive€child€support€back€to€the€date€of€the€childððs€birth.€ÍThis€appeal€followed.ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àA€fatherððs€responsibility€for€support€of€a€child€of€his€born€out€ofÏwedlock€is€spelled€out€in€T.C.A.€ðð€36„2„102€(1991).€€This€code€sectionÏreads€as€follows:ÌÓÓÌà8 àThe€father€of€a€child€born€out€of€wedlock€is€liable€for€theÏnecessary€support€and€education€of€the€child.€€He€is€also€liableÏfor€the€childððs€funeral€expenses.€€He€is€liable€to€pay€for€theÏexpenses€of€the€motherððs€confinement€and€recovery,€and€is€alsoÏliable€to€pay€such€expenses,€including€counsel€fees,€inÏconnection€with€her€pregnancy€as€the€court€in€its€discretionÏmay€deem€proper.ÌÌÌÓÓà àT.C.A.€ðð€36„2„108€(Supp.€1995)€permits€the€juvenile€court€to€make€aÏretroactive€award€of€support€prior€to€the€entry€of€the€decree€of€paternityÏunder€appropriate€circumstances.€€It€states:ÌÓÓÌà8 à(a)€If€the€finding€is€against€the€defendant,€the€court€shall€makeÏan€order€of€paternity€and€support,€declaring€paternity€and€forÏthe€support€and€education€of€the€child,€and€may€order€a€changeÏof€name.ÌÌà8 à(b)€The€order€of€paternity€and€support€shall€specify€who€is€toÏhave€custody€of€the€child,€and€the€sum€to€be€paid€monthly€orÏotherwise,€through€the€clerk€of€the€court,€until€the€childÏreaches€the€age€of€majority,€and€as€otherwise€provided€byÏstatute.€€òòIn€addition€to€providing€for€the€support€and€education,Ïthe€order€shall€also€provide€óófor€the€payment€of€the€necessaryÏexpenses€incurred€by€or€for€the€mother€in€connection€with€herÏconfinement€and€recovery;€for€the€funeral€expenses€if€the€childÍhas€died;€òòfor€the€support€of€the€child€prior€to€the€making€of€theÏorder€of€paternity€and€supportóó;€and€such€expenses€in€connectionÏwith€the€pregnancy€of€the€mother€as€the€court€may€deemÏproper.€€The€court€shall€set€a€specific€amount€which€is€due€inÏeach€month€to€be€paid€in€one€(1)€or€more€payments€as€the€courtÏorders.€(emphasis€added).ÌÌÌÓÓà àIn€òòState€ex€rel.€Coleman€v.€Clayóó,€805€S.W.2d€752,€755€(Tenn.€1991),Ïthe€supreme€court€affirmed€the€judgment€of€this€court€in€a€caseÏpresenting€similar€facts.€€In€òòColemanóó,€following€an€intimate€relationshipÏbetween€the€childððs€mother€and€her€lover€for€a€period€of€some€three€(3)Ïyears,€the€mother€gave€birth€to€a€child,€which€she€contended€was€theÏloverððs€child€as€well.€€The€motherððs€suit€was€not€brought€until€someÏfourteen€(14)€years€later€by€the€local€district€attorneyððs€office.€€AfterÏfurther€delays€and€two€(2)€separate€blood€tests,€both€of€which€showedÏwithout€question€that€the€motherððs€lover€was€the€childððs€father,€theÏjuvenile€court€entered€a€decree€of€paternity€in€November,€1988.€€The€judgeÏordered€child€support€retroactively€only€to€the€date€that€the€results€of€theÏfirst€blood€test€were€available€establishing€the€identity€of€the€childððsÏfather.€€ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àThis€court,€interpreting€the€support€provisions€of€the€paternityÏstatute,€held€to€the€contrary,€holding€that€the€father€was€responsible€forÍchild€support€ð ðfrom€and€after€its€birth.ðð€€In€affirming€this€court,€theÏsupreme€court€stated:ÌÌÓÓà8 àThe€Court€of€Appeals,€relying€upon€the€emphasized€language€inÏðð€36„3„108,€held€correctly€the€fatherððs€responsibility€forÏsupport€of€a€child€of€his€born€out€of€wedlock€arises€at€the€dateÏof€the€childððs€birth.€€Because€the€statute€also€permits€theÏjuvenile€court€to€make€a€retroactive€award€for€expensesÏincurred€in€the€support€of€the€child€prior€to€the€entry€of€theÏpaternity€decree,€such€an€award€can€be€made€back€to€the€dateÏof€the€childððs€birth,€under€appropriate€circumstances.€ÏObviously,€the€juvenile€judge€has€broad€discretion€to€determineÏthe€amount€of€such€a€retroactive€award,€as€well€as€the€mannerÏin€which€it€is€to€be€paid.ÌÌà8 àWhat€the€juvenile€judge€lacks€is€discretion€to€limit€theÏfatherððs€liability€for€child€support€in€an€arbitrary€fashion€thatÏis€not€consistent€with€the€provisions€in€T.C.A.€ðð€36„2„102€andÏðð€36„2„108.€€For€example,€nothing€in€those€sections€can€beÏinterpreted€to€restrict€the€fatherððs€liability€to€the€date€whenÏhe€knows€for€certain€that€the€child€in€question€is€his.€€SuchÏlimitation€not€only€amounts€to€judicial€legislation,€but€alsoÏencourages€the€putative€father€to€avoid€legitimately€institutedÏcourt€proceedings€and€to€delay€testing,€as€did€the€defendant€inÏthis€case,€in€the€hope€of€minimizing€the€ultimate€supportÏaward.ÌÌÌÓÓà àIn€the€case€under€consideration€the€juvenile€courtððs€only€rationaleÏfor€limiting€defendantððs€liability€for€retroactive€child€support€toÏNovember€1,€1992€was€that€this€was€the€date€upon€which€defendant€beganÏmaking€voluntary€payments.€€As€the€òòColemanóó€court€stated,€nothing€in€T.C.A.Íðð€36„2„102€or€ðð€36„2„108€permits€a€court€to€limit€a€fatherððs€liability€toÏa€date€upon€which€he€knows€for€certain€or€admits€that€the€child€is€his.€€InÏour€opinion€the€juvenile€court€clearly€abused€its€discretion€by€arbitrarilyÏlimiting€the€date€upon€which€retroactive€child€support€payment€was€toÏbegin.ÌÌà àAs€did€the€òòColemanóó€court,€we€also€reject€defendantððs€contention€thatÏplaintiff€should€be€denied€the€recovery€of€retroactive€child€supportÏbecause€she€was€guilty€of€laches.€€In€order€to€establish€such€a€bar,€moreÏthan€mere€delay€must€be€shown.€€òòSeeóó€òòMurphy€v.€Emeryóó,€629€S.W.2d€895,Ï897„98€(Tenn.€1982).€€The€key€element€in€prevailing€on€the€grounds€ofÏlaches€is€prejudice€to€the€other€party.€€While€defendant€contends€that€hisÏchild€support€payments€will€thus€be€greater€because€of€petitionerððs€delayÏin€bringing€this€paternity€action,€there€has€been€no€showing€of€actualÏprejudice€to€defendant.€€This€contention€is€without€merit.ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àThe€judgment€of€the€trial€court€as€to€the€award€of€retroactive€childÏsupport€is€reversed.€€This€cause€is€remanded€to€the€Juvenile€Court€ofÏHardin€County€for€a€hearing€on€the€sole€issue€of€the€amount€of€retroactiveÏchild€support€to€be€awarded€to€plaintiff€from€the€date€of€Ashleyððs€birth€inÍaccordance€with€T.C.A.€ðð€36„5„101(e)(1)€(Supp.€1995).€€This€court€notesÏthat€the€record€in€this€case€presently€contains€proof€of€defendantððsÏincome€for€the€years€1991ð"ð1993,€based€upon€his€federal€income€taxÏreturns.€€Upon€remand€the€trial€court€should€allow€the€plaintiff€to€put€onÏproof€as€to€defendantððs€income€from€1977€to€1990€thereby€ascertainingÏdefendantððs€annual€gross€income€for€the€purpose€of€the€TCSG€for€theseÏyears.€€If€the€parties€fail€to€produce€evidence€of€income€for€the€years€asÏnoted,€defendantððs€income€for€these€prior€years€should€be€determined€byÏimputing€annual€income€under€the€TCSG€(Tenn.€Comp.€R.€&€Regs.€tit.€X,€ch.Ï1240„2„4„.03(e)€(1994)).€€The€amount€of€the€retroactive€child€support€andÏthe€manner€in€which€it€is€paid€is€within€the€discretion€of€the€trial€court.€ÏWe€also€find€plaintiff€has€waived€recovery€for€expenses€incurred€inÏconnection€with€her€pregnancy€because€no€request€for€such€reimbursementÏwas€made€by€her€and€in€addition€there€is€no€proof€in€the€record€to€supportÏsuch€an€award.€€ÌÓÓÌÓÓà àAccordingly,€we€reverse€the€judgment€of€the€juvenile€court€to€theÏextent€œhereinabove€noted.›€€This€cause€is€remanded€to€that€court€for€furtherÏproceedings€not€inconsistent€with€this€opinion.€€Costs€on€appeal€are€taxedÏto€defendant,€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.Ô€Ôà àÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àTOMLIN,€Sr.€J.ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àœHIGHERS,€J.à à›à àà à(CONCURS)ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àœLILLARD,€J.›à àà àà à(CONCURS)Ì