FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE:
DAVID M. ADAMS MELVIN A. RICHARDS
Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville, Indiana
IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF: )
)
STEVEN L. MILLER, )
)
Appellant-Respondent, )
)
vs. ) No. 29A04-9711-CV-466
)
CINDY L. (MILLER ) MOORE, )
)
Appellee-Petitioner. )
STATON, Judge
The grant or denial of a motion for relief from judgment is within the sound discretion
of the trial court and we will reverse only for abuse of that discretion. Ind. Trial Rule 60;
Gipson v. Gipson, 644 N.E.2d 876, 877 (Ind. 1994). An abuse of discretion occurs if the trial
court's decision is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances before
the court, or if the court has misinterpreted the law. McCullough v. Archbold Ladder Co.,
605 N.E.2d 175, 180 (Ind. 1993).
Steven argues that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to modify his child support, and
as such, abused its discretion by failing to grant his motions to set aside its assumption of
jurisdiction and its modification order. "Jurisdiction is comprised of three elements: (1)
jurisdiction of the subject matter; (2) jurisdiction of the person; and (3) jurisdiction of the
particular case." Browning v. Walters, 620 N.E.2d 28, 31 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993). Because it
is dispositive, we address only whether the trial court had personal jurisdiction over Steven.
The trial court assumed jurisdiction over a Pennsylvania divorce decree for the
purpose of considering Cindy's petition to modify child support. The court then notified
Steven of its assumption of jurisdiction and ordered him to appear at a hearing on the merits
of Cindy's petition. Because Steven was not a resident of Indiana, however, the trial court
could have validly exercised jurisdiction over Steven only to the extent that the action
comported with Indiana's long-arm statute, Ind. Trial Rule 4.4(A). Torborg v. Fort Wayne
Cardiology, 671 N.E.2d 947, 949 (Ind. Ct. App. 1996).
We have said that the purpose of Ind. Trial Rule 4.4(A) is "to extend jurisdiction to
the boundaries permitted by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment." Id.
(quoting Fidelity Fin. Serv. Inc. v. West, 640 N.E.2d 394, 397 (Ind. Ct. App. 1994)). Thus,
we must consider whether due process permits the assertion of personal jurisdiction over
Steven.
In Torborg, we discussed how to determine whether the exercise of jurisdiction over
a non-resident comports with due process.
"To exercise jurisdiction consonant with due process over a non-resident
defendant, 'certain minimum contacts' must exist between the non-resident
defendant and the forum 'such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend
"traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice." ' " Tietloff v. Lift-A-
Loft, 441 N.E.2d 986, 989 (Ind. Ct. App. 1982)(quoting International Shoe Co.
v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66 S.Ct. 154, 158, 90 L.Ed. 95
(1945))(quoting Milliken v. Meyer, 311 U.S. 457, 463, 61 S.Ct. 339, 342-43,
85 L.Ed. 278 (1940)). The resolution of this appeal revolves around the
determination of whether [the non-resident] had sufficient minimum contacts
with Indiana.
In our analysis, we focus "on the defendant's activities within the forum state,
not those of the plaintiff." Id. (emphasis added). The trial court must find, at
a minimum, that [the non-resident] "purposefully availed" herself of the
benefits or privileges of Indiana, "thus invoking the benefits and protections
of its laws." Freemond v. Somma, 611 N.E.2d 684, 688 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993)
(quoting Hanson v. Denckla, 357 U.S. 235, 253, 78 S.Ct. 1228, 1239-40, 2
L.Ed.2d 1283 (1958)). "The 'purposeful availment' requirement ensures that
a defendant will not be [haled] into jurisdiction solely on the basis of 'random,
fortuitous or attenuated contacts or the unilateral activity of another party or
a third person who claims some relationship with him.'" Freemond, 611 N.E.2d
at 688 (quoting Burger King v. Rudzewicz, 471 U.S. 462, 474-75, 105 S.Ct.
2174, 2183-84, 85 L.Ed.2d 528 (1985)).
Id.
The record contains very little information regarding Steven's contacts with Indiana.
It does reveal that both of Steven's children resided in Indiana for a number of years and
Steven had visitation rights. Too, Steven's daughter continues to reside in Indiana, and she
attends school at a state university. Thus, it might be inferred that Steven spent some time
in Indiana. We conclude, however, that Steven's limited contact with Indiana is insufficient
to satisfy the "minimum contacts" test. See Davis v. Davis, 484 N.E.2d 600, 601 (Ind. Ct.
App. 1985), trans. denied, (insufficient contacts to establish personal jurisdiction where
father's only contact with Indiana was a four to twelve week visit twenty-five years earlier
and the fact that his pay was routed through Indiana); In re Support of Seligman, 542 N.E.2d
1030, 1033 (Ind. Ct. App. 1989) (establishment of an Indiana guardianship over daughter
was insufficient to obtain personal jurisdiction over non-resident father). Accordingly, the
trial court did not have personal jurisdiction over Steven.
Cindy argues that the trial court had jurisdiction to modify the support order pursuant
to the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act ("URESA"), Ind. Code §§ 31-2-1-1
to 31-2-1-39 (1993 & Supp. 1996). URESA contemplates the jurisdictional problems raised
by cases similar to this one and provides a procedure by which these hurdles may be
overcome. Under URESA, Cindy's Indiana petition should have been forwarded to a
Missouri court for further proceedings since the courts of that state could have obtained
personal jurisdiction over Steven. See IC 31-2-1-14. Unfortunately, this procedure was not
followed here, and consequently, URESA was of no benefit to Cindy.
Finally, Cindy argues that Steven has waived any personal jurisdiction argument
because he did not raise a timely and proper objection to the court's exercise of jurisdiction.
Cindy is correct that a court's lack of personal jurisdiction may be waived if not properly
raised. See Stidham v. Whelchel, 684 N.E.2d 548, 552 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997), reh. denied.
Nevertheless, Steven avoided waiver by raising his jurisdictional argument immediately
after entering his first appearance in the case. Although Steven first challenged jurisdiction
eighty-four days after the trial court entered its order assuming jurisdiction, "a defendant is
always free to ignore the judicial proceedings, risk a default judgment, and then challenge
that judgment on jurisdictional grounds in a collateral proceeding." Id. We hold that the trial
court abused its discretion by refusing to grant Steven's motion to set aside its assumption
of jurisdiction and its order requiring Steven to pay a portion of his daughter's education
expenses.
Reversed.
HOFFMAN, J., and FRIEDLANDER, J., concur.
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