Warga

Appellant Nancie A. Warga and respondent Richard K. Cooper divorced in 1982 in the State of Washington. Warga received custody of the couple’s minor child, Dianne, and Cooper was ordered to pay child support of $200 per month. Thereafter both parties moved frequently from state to state and quarreled repeatedly over visitation and child support. Warga registered the Washington support order in San Bernardino County, California, at some time in the period 1986-1989, when she resided there.

In 1993, Warga, now a resident of Placer County, California, caused an action to be filed by the district attorney’s office in that county for enforcement of the Washington support order. (Code Civ. Proc., former § 1694; Civ. Code, former § 4382; see now Fam. Code, §§ 4845, 3556.) In May 1993, Cooper and Warga entered into a stipulated judgment in Placer County Superior Court under which Cooper agreed that he owed $16,644 in child support arrearages for the period November 8, 1982, to February 28, 1993, and that he would repay the arrearages at the rate of $100 per month, with ongoing support to continue at $200 per month. Also in May 1993, Dianne reached the age of 18.

In November…