Adoption of Bonner

260 Cal. App. 2d 17, 66 Cal. Rptr. 812, 1968 Cal. App. LEXIS 1816
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 12, 1968
DocketCiv. 31281
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 260 Cal. App. 2d 17 (Adoption of Bonner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adoption of Bonner, 260 Cal. App. 2d 17, 66 Cal. Rptr. 812, 1968 Cal. App. LEXIS 1816 (Cal. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

*19 KATZ, J.

pro tem. * —Harry and Betty Bonner, husband and wife, filed a petition to adopt Laura Ann Bonner, a minor. They alleged that Madeline Zellman was the natural mother of the child, that she had abandoned the child, and that her whereabouts were unknown. Pursuant to section 226.6 of the Civil Code, the Los Angeles County Bureau of Adoptions made an investigation and submitted its report and recommendation to the court below. That report is the source of facts hereafter recited.

According to petitioner Harry Bonner, while he was married to his former wife, Mildred Bonner, the objector herein, he learned from a fellow employee that Madeline Zellman was looking for a home for her unborn child. He arranged for her to live with his sister during her pregnancy. When Madeline entered the hospital for delivery, she registered under the name of Mildred, and, upon birth of the child, gave Harry’s name as the father. The ages of the parents thus listed on the child’s birth certificate did not correspond to Mildred’s or Harry’s age. Neither Harry nor Mildred were the natural parents, and Mildred was unable to have children. On leaving the hospital, Madeline gave the child to Harry. The facts concerning the placement of the infant in the home of Mildred and Harry in 1960 were corroborated by his sister.

Harry and Mildred were divorced in 1962. Mildred’s divorce complaint alleged that the child Laura was the issue of the marriage, and prayed for custody and child support. Although properly served, Harry did not file an answer or appear in the divorce action. Mildred and Harry executed a property settlement agreement wherein it was acknowledged that Laura was the issue of their marriage, and provision was made for her custody with Mildred as well as for her support by Harry. The agreement was approved by the court in the divorce action and was the basis for provisions in the interlocutory decree declaring that the child was the issue of the marriage of the parties, awarding custody to Mildred, and requiring Harry to make payments for her support. During the divorce proceedings and at the time the property settlement was executed, Mildred was represented by counsel but Harry was not. The court was not apprised that Mildred and Harry were not the natural parents of the child.

On July 8, 1965, Harry obtained modification of the divorce decree to permit him to have physical possession of Laura during the month of August. The child was sent from Wis- *20 cousin,- where- -Mildred resided, to Harry’s home- in Los Angeles on July 24, 1965, and the adoption petition was filed on July 27,1965.

Since the child’s birth certificate named Mildred as the mother, the Bureau of Adoptions requested Wisconsin authorities to interview Mildred to ascertain if she would sign an affidavit acknowledging she was not Laura’s natural mother and admitting the truth of Harry’s statements regarding falsification of the birth certificate. Upon being informed that Mildred would not sign such an affidavit and would not consent to the adoption, the bureau recommended to the court that the petition for adoption be denied because the presumed natural mother would not consent thereto.

At the hearing on the bureau’s report and recommendation, the petitioners and objector stipulated that the question whether Mildred’s consent was required for the adoption would be submitted to the trial court on points and authorities. Thereafter, the court signed findings of fact and conclusions of law reflecting its determination that the adjudication in the divorce action to the effect that Mildred and Harry were the parents of the child was binding upon them, and, therefore, the minor could not be adopted without Mildred’s consent. Judgment was entered denying the petition for adoption.

On appeal, petitioners urge as ground for reversal of the judgment that the trial court erred in holding that the consent of the objector Mildred was necessary, and in denying the adoption because her consent could not be obtained. We have concluded that the trial court’s ruling was correct.

The judgment in the divorce action between petitioner Harry Bonner and objector Mildred Bonner adjudicated as between themselves the parental relationship of those parties to the child Laura, and under the doctrine of collateral estoppel that adjudication is binding upon both parties to the divorce. (Adamson v. Adamson, 209 Cal.App.2d 492 [26 Cal.Rptr. 236]; Garcia v. Garcia, 148 Cal.App.2d 147 [306 P.2d 80].) Neither Harry nor Mildred Bonner can relitigate the question of Laura’s parentage, and Harry is estopped to show in this proceeding that Mildred is not the child’s natural mother. Since Harry is thus estopped and since it appears from the birth certificate that Mildred is Laura’s mother,- her consent is required for adoption of the child. (Civ. Code, § 224.)

Petitioners contend that the court in the divorce

*21 action had no jurisdiction over the minor child and that any order or reference to the child in the interlocutory decree of divorce is void. It is well established, however, that a court in a divorce action has jurisdiction to determine as between the parties the parentage of children and to provide for their custody and support. (Adamson v. Adamson, supra; Madden v. Madden, 160 Cal.App.2d 422 [325 P.2d 538]; McKee v. McKee, 156 Cal.App.2d 764 [320 P.2d 510].) Nevertheless, petitioners argue that the court’s authority in this regard is limited by section 138 of the Civil Code to “children of the marriage,” and that in the Bonner divorce the court exceeded its jurisdiction because Laura was not in fact a child of the marriage of Harry and Mildred. The argument seeks to equate error in the exercise of jurisdiction with an act in excess of jurisdiction, and the authorities support the conclusion that the court in the divorce action did not exceed its jurisdiction in determining that Laura- was an issue of the marriage between Harry and Mildred. (Garcia v. Garcia, supra; Heathman v. Vant, 172 Cal.App.2d 639 [343 P.2d 104]; Estate of Estrem, 16 Cal.2d 563 [107 P.2d 36]; see Adamson v. Adamson, 209 Cal.App.2d 492 [26 Cal.Rptr. 236].) In Garcia v. Garcia, supra, it was held that an interlocutory decree of divorce which approved and incorporated by reference a property settlement agreement wherein the parties agreed there was a child of the marriage determined the issue of parentage, and that the doctrine of res -judicata' precluded the husband from thereafter maintaining an action against the wife and child to have it declared that there was no paternity relationship. In Heathman v. Vant, supra,

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Bluebook (online)
260 Cal. App. 2d 17, 66 Cal. Rptr. 812, 1968 Cal. App. LEXIS 1816, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adoption-of-bonner-calctapp-1968.