Smith was sent down. The verification effect of birth records were sent down. Okay.
And it looks like the uh magistrate's uh uh hearing from uh uh 2025 was also included uh from the uh uh okay this Columbia County. Anyway, court will note the entire and take judicial notice of the entire US packet and we'll note for the record service on this one, but there was service citation on Mr Nlette back on the 20th day of November. Uh so uh he's probably before the court this time and the UFSA packet uh suffices as the uh uh notice requirements and the information required uh for the non for the custodial party uh that the UFSA uh has been granted been filed on behalf and it's not and based on that her testimony as per the UFA packet is so included at this time and it's not necessary for her to appear unless she wants to.
So at this time I'll ask the state for an open to tell the court what the state's requesting be here today whether or not this is going to be a final uh and what you understand any and all contested issues to be. Again since this is IPSA and the only thing I can actually look at this time is a child support that's been requested by the other state. I'll ask the state to go ahead and tell the court uh that and there anything else in addition that the court's unaware of.
Thank you. Uh yes your honor. I'm requesting a final order.
I believe that we have an agreement as far as what the child support should be and the medical support, your honor. However, we have an issue for the retroactive. I am not sure exactly when the retroactive should start.
Um, and the petition containing the transmitt uh says that the child supports retroactive uh should start August of 2023. Well, it says July the 5th, 2023, but specifically, but because of the first full month being August. I get it.
I get it. Yeah, you get it. Okay.
Okay. Um, but the issue is is that uh obviously Mr Nlette does not agree with that. And the if you look in the the because you took judicial notice of that petition, it has the actual court order from May of 2025.
So that's why I'm not sure when to to do the retroactive, your honor. Well, let's you get some testimony from him. If he's had access or in possession of that child, I'm going to I'll go back over everything and see if I can see a specific finding in any of the orders uh that the uh the requesting party had actually had had the child up into that day.
But obviously the request kind of is found with fascia that that's what they're they're alleging. So let's let's see if the Mr uh to that goes or let's see if I can find something else in all this paperwork that says that's more precise. So I'll but I'll let go ahead and let you get that information from him and we'll take it from there and like I say I'll start reviewing the rest of the file again.
So at this time Mr Let raise your right hand and unmute yourself sir. All right sir do you saw me swear affirm testimony you're going to give here days the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you. I swear.
All right, sir. You're officially on oath and I'll go ahead and allow the state to proceed. Thank you.
Mr Nlet, will you state your name? Dakota Nlette. Are you the father of Novalina Nlette, the child in this case?
Yes, ma'am. Do you have any other children? Yes, ma'am.
Uh, does this child live with you full-time? Yes, ma'am. How old is this child?
He is three years old. So, a son? Yes.
Do you have a job? Yes, ma'am. What is your job?
I work for Orcin Pest Control. How much do you make? $23 an hour.
Do you work 40 hours a week? Yes, ma'am. Did you start this job in August of 2023?
August of 2023. Yes. And were you making $23 an hour at that time, too?
Yes. Do you have access to private medical or dental insurance for Novalina? Yes.
Do you know how much that will cost? Uh, roughly about probably $80, $90 to add her. Is Novelina currently on your private medical or dental insurance?
Not as of right now. No. So, previously you were paying child support to Novalina's mother, right?
Correct. And then who got custody of Noveina? The grandmother.
She got temporary custody. Is that Sarah Smith? Yes, ma'am.
When did she get temporary custody? She got temporary custody as of 752023. That was the first court hearing that I was not appeared for because uh the state of Ohio thought I was dead.
That's what the mother stated. When were you made aware of the court hearings? My very first court appearance was January of 2024.
When did a final order occur in that case? It was on November 6 of 2025. Did that court order a child support be paid to grandmother Sarah Smith by you?
Yes. Do you know how they they didn't grant it over that court? No.
Okay. So, no child support was ordered to be paid to grandmother Sarah Smith. No, ma'am.
Um, have you made any direct cash payments to Miss Smith for the support of Novalina since July the 5th, 2023? If there was anything that she asked for for Nova, I would give it to her. Uh, clothes, jackets.
I know it can be considered gifts in court, but I was trying to do as much as I possibly could since child support. So, whenever court started, they dismissed my child support and I was trying to get it reactivated to get sent to Sarah Smith. So, when did your child support to the child's mother end?
It ended the same day court started, which was roughly about 75 2023. All right, sir. What I need to know is uh you didn't know about that hearing.
You said that the mother had told them you would were deceased. When did you officially make an appearance in the case in Ohio? So on 7, 2023, the the case was in January 2024.
Uh that was the first case that I showed up uh in January 2024. And uh how you just showed up physic uh uh physically or via Zoom or did you actually filed uh some type of paperwork uh as far as making a legal answer in the case, sir? So I had all legal answering in the case.
the courtroom did not know that I was still alive because there was a whole predicament that uh whenever the mom got the kids taken away from her, she stated that I was deceased and it was no longer in Nova's life. And on 75 2023, whenever they had that court date, that's when everything came to light that she had to put income and that I was paying child support and they found out that it was not actually dead. Yeah, it's kind of hard for somebody who's passed away to still be paying child support unless they had a trust account.
So, yeah. All right. All right, sir.
When did you actually make an appearance in this case? That's what I'm asking. Did you Did you file it?
Did you file paperwork or you just appear at that hearing in January? I appeared in the hearing in January because they informed me of it. Okay.
All right. Thank you. All right.
You may be see this time, Miss Beexswitch. I don't believe I have any further questions, your honor. All right, sir.
So, I'm looking at uh I'm looking at your official notice, your official appearance date of January of 2025, 2024 being the date that you actually were on notice of everything uh officially as far as the law requires because and you made an appearance at that time. Since that date, sir, have you provided any cash to the grandmother for the purposes of support of this child? Any cash or a substantial item uh like a new a new bedroom set for the child?
Uh cash or nothing, uh something small. Uh did you ever spend more than $500 at one time on the child? Send a big package down to the child.
What are we looking at here? Uh the only package I sent was a whole bunch of clothes, winter jacket that she asked for. And uh if she needed any medicine or anything like that, uh I would send it to her directly.
All right, sir. As far as uh uh medication uh money for medicine or medication, uh uh since that January date, do you have an approximation of how much that was, sir? Uh it was probably a total amount of probably about 300 bucks.
All right, then. And as far as major items or uh as far as clothing items sent to the uh uh uh grandmother, uh do you have an approximation of that, sir? Uh that would have been the same roughly about $300.
It was all totaled together. And this is the the items that the grandmother specifically requested, correct, sir? Yes.
All right, then. All right, then. Uh All right, sir.
Here's what I'm looking at doing. I'm looking to give you credit for that 600, but I'm looking at starting any and all uh uh backed child support for it. Not not till the uh August of 20 uh four, but the first day of uh uh uh February of 2025.
I mean 20 uh yeah, is it 2025 or Okay, I'm getting my dates there. Okay, the original thing was 2023. You made the appearance in 2024.
So, I'm looking at February 1st of 2024. Uh uh Miss Beckler, give me what the math is on that and I'll see whether or not I'm going to order that entire amount based on these circumstances being the way they are. But and giving him credit, $600 against that amount.
Thank you. I believe the total number is 14208 your honor because that's 24 months. All right then.
And sir uh did you appear at any other hearings in this matter uh as up to the final? Uh there was quite a few of them. I actually have all the times okay for it.
So, give give me what 60% of that amount would be, please. $8,524. 80, your honor.
All right. Here's what I'm going to do. Mr uh uh how do you pronounce your last name, sir?
Is it Nlette? Nlette, sir. Okay.
All right, sir. What I'm going to go ahead and do based on the fact that you were involved in all these court hearings and they obviously had the right to ask for some type of temporary order from you, temporary child birth from during that time and didn't. Uh I know it may be a jurisdictional issue, but again to put you back down 14,000 when you actually were participating and and something could have been done.
Uh the court's going to find is uh a little bit ine un inequitable. Unequitable. Inequitable.
Yeah, inequitable. uh and uh uh go ahead and grant uh a judgment, but I'm going to give it 60% of that amount. Instead of going all the way back, I'm going to make it 60% of the amount from the date uh of February the 1st of 2024.
And and give me that down again, this uh 8,000 524. I guess you could round up to 25, your honor, if if you want. Okay.
$8,525. Round it up. And I'm going to order a repayment on that amount at an additional uh uh let's just let's make it $100 even.
And also based on this I I will wave I'll grant the uh uh the UFC order I'll wave a court call for Mr Land on this matter and again order the guidelines child support amount going forward. But on the retroactive taxport amount, I'll go ahead and go with the $8,525 uh and a repayment of $100. I'll start the first day of uh of see of this is the okay, we're almost to February.
I'll go ahead and start that new amount of retroactive payment uh as of the first day of March 2025 on that one, Miss B. We're just 2026, your honor. 2026, I'm sorry.
2026. Yes. So, the first day of March 2026 for the retroactive, but do you want the child support to start that day, too, though?
No. No. I'm going to start child support the 1 of February.
Okay. Um, we're giving a double hit on that. So, that's 561, your honor, for the child support.
Okay. And then the medical support at 179. Okay.
Yes, ma'am. And those will start on February the 1st, right? Correct.
All right, Mr again, Mr Lette, I'm going to go ahead and start the guideline support as required by Texas law. There was no request to do something differently. I'm going go ahead and start that the first day of February.
I'm going to find that under the uh uh circumstances based on you're actually receiving notice and making an appearance in the case in Ohio that the court could order a certain amount, but the and the because the uh uh there could have been child support coming in earlier uh even under a temporary order in this matter. uh since you were appeared, they obviously had jurisdiction over you at that point unless you filed a special appearance and I I don't and I don't hear I didn't hear anything about that and most lay people wouldn't know know what I'm talking about anyway. So, uh, so they had the opportunity to get support from you from that for that time frame.
And based on that, I'm I'm finding this in this interest of equity, uh, instead of ordering the 14,000, I'm going to go ahead and order 8,525 with a repayment of $100 to start the first day of March. And I'm going to wave court cost in this matter as far as Bell County is concerned. So, is there anything else I need to rule on specifically, Miss Black, sir?
No, your honor. All right. Mr Dette Lette, do you have any questions, sir?
Uh, no sir. All right. Thank you very much, sir.
I'll have to stay prepared that order. Again, I'm This is the time, you know, you can you can split the baby in half when the baby's money. Anything else less than that?
Yeah, that's problematic. So, anyway, sir, I'm going to go ahead and do that at this point. And good luck to you and yours and uh and good luck to your child uh uh up in good old Ohio.
