A.L-S. v. B.S.

Procedural entryThis page is a short order in A.L-S. v. B.S.. Read the opinion of the Court — 2015 Pa. Super. 125
Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided May 27, 2015·No. 1808 WDA 2014·Published

Opinion

J-A07030-15

2015 PA Super 125

A.L.-S. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellant

V.

B.S.

Appellee No. 1808 WDA 2014

Appeal from the Order October 20, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County Civil Division at No(s): 10487 OF 2014, C.A.

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., LAZARUS, J., and MUNDY, J.

OPINION BY LAZARUS, J.: FILED MAY 27, 2015

A.L.-S. (“Mother”) appeals from the October 20, 2014 order, entered

in the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County, denying her petition for

special relief and granting B.S.’s (“Father”) request for counsel fees. In her

petition, Mother requested the Lawrence County Court exercise jurisdiction

in this custody matter. After our review, we reverse and remand.

Mother and Father are the parents of two minor children, W.S., born in

January 2007, and C.S., born in June 2008. On November 1, 2013, the

Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio entered an order granting

Father sole legal custody of the children. The Ohio court’s order awarded

the parties shared physical custody of W.S., and it awarded Father primary

physical custody of C.S., subject to Mother’s partial custody rights. 1 The ____________________________________________

1 The Ohio court’s order was not appealed. J-A07030-15

older child, W.S., is non-verbal/autistic, has moderate to severe disabilities,

and requires constant supervision. Both parents are physicians. Father is

an orthopedic surgeon, and Mother is an OB/GYN.

The parties had resided in Cleveland, Ohio. When they separated,

Father moved to Pennsylvania to live with his parents. The parties were

divorced in 2012, and Mother moved to Pennsylvania in July 2013, as

contemplated by their Shared Parenting Plan.2 Mother filed a motion to

register the foreign custody order in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and on

May 8, 2014, the trial court granted that motion.3 See 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5445.

Mother simultaneously filed a motion to modify custody, claiming the Ohio

court inappropriately granted Father sole legal custody of the children and

inappropriately granted the parties shared physical custody of W.S. Mother

claimed the Lawrence County Court was the proper venue for her to pursue

____________________________________________

2 The Shared Parenting Plan contemplated that Mother would ultimately move to Pennsylvania to be within 35 miles of Father’s residence so that the parties could co-parent. 3 The Honorable John W. Hodge entered the following order:

AND NOW, this 8th day of May, 2014, upon consideration of the Motion to Register Custody Order filed by the Plaintiff, it is hereby ORDERED that the Order of Court issued by the Honorable Judge Diane M. Palos of the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, at Case No. DR 11338008 shall be registered with the Office of the Prothonotary of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania at the above term and number [Case No. 10487 of 2014].

-2- J-A07030-15

custody as both parties currently live in Lawrence County. See Motion to

Modify Custody, 5/9/14.

Father opposed this motion, filing a Motion to Decline Jurisdiction

under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”),

23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5423,4 on June 4, 2014.

The trial court entered an order declining jurisdiction and directing that

the order of the Cuyahoga County Court in Ohio remain registered in

Lawrence County and enforceable as an order of the Lawrence County Court.

The Lawrence County Court concluded it would not assume jurisdiction over

the case until the Cuyahoga County Court issued an order that relinquished

jurisdiction.5 See Order, 6/4/14.

On June 24, 2014, Mother filed a petition for special relief. Mother

averred that a custody exchange had occurred between the parties’ nannies,

and that Mother’s nanny observed W.S. limping and, after examining his

foot, noticed swelling and bruising on his foot as well as his leg. Subsequent

4 The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws promulgated the UCCJEA, 23 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 5401-5482, in 1997, and became effective in Pennsylvania in 2004. The UCCJEA replaced the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA), 23 Pa.C.SA. §§ 5341-5366 (repealed 2004). The UCCJEA reenacts many provisions of the UCCJA. 5 Mother avers that she has filed a petition with the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas requesting it relinquish jurisdiction of the custody action. At present, there is no indication of a disposition of that petition. See Petition for Special Relief, 10/21/14, at ¶ 23.

-3- J-A07030-15

x-rays revealed a fracture to the child’s foot, which required casting. See

Petition for Special Relief, 6/24/14, at ¶¶ 6-11. Mother sought primary

custody pending a full hearing on custody. Id. at ¶¶ 17.6

Father filed an answer and petition for special relief, seeking counsel

fees based on Mother’s “vexatious” conduct. Specifically, Father averred:

“Mother’s conduct is ‘vexatious’ because her Petition for Modification directly

contradicts the June 4, 2014 Order of Court [which declined jurisdiction].”

The trial court denied Mother’s motion to modify custody, denied

Mother’s petition for special relief, and denied Father’s request for counsel

fees. See Order, 6/24/14.

On October 21, 2014, Mother filed another petition for special relief,

claiming W.S. had returned home to her with bruises on his buttocks and

thigh. Mother also reiterated and requested the court exercise emergency

jurisdiction pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5424.7

6 Mother alleged that W.S.’s inability to explain how he was hurt, as well as the fact that Father, an orthopedic specialist, did not recognize that his son had a fractured foot, heightened her concerns. 7 23 Pa.C.S.A. 5424 provides, in part:

(a) General rule.--A court of this Commonwealth has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this Commonwealth and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child or a sibling or parent of the child is subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse.

-4- J-A07030-15

Father filed an answer to Mother’s petition, as well as a petition for

counsel fees. Father alleged Mother’s motions were both vexatious and

repetitive. See Answer, 10/21/14, at ¶¶ 24-46. That same day, the trial

court entered an order denying Mother’s petition and granting Father’s

request for counsel fees. See 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5339; cf. Chen v. Saidi, 100

A.3d 587 (Pa. Super. 2014). The order stated that

the facts and circumstances alleged in the petition do not rise to the level necessary for this court to exercise emergency jurisdiction pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S.A § 5424, this court having previously on two occasions declined to accept jurisdiction under the UCCJEA, in that the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has not relinquished jurisdiction to this Court.

Trial Court Order, 10/20/14.

Mother appealed. She raises the following issues for our review:

1. Whether the trial court committed reversible error by failing to accept jurisdiction pursuant to 23 Pa.C.S. § 5423 as the Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction to make an initial determination under section 5421 and there is no dispute that the parties reside in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and not in Ohio?

2.

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