Ann F. v. Bennett S.

131 Misc. 2d 854, 502 N.Y.S.2d 383, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585
CourtNew York City Family Court
DecidedApril 25, 1986
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 131 Misc. 2d 854 (Ann F. v. Bennett S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York City Family Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ann F. v. Bennett S., 131 Misc. 2d 854, 502 N.Y.S.2d 383, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1986).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Dan Lamont, J.

This is a proceeding brought pursuant to Domestic Relations Law §§ 75-n and 75-p for enforcement of an order to show cause and ex parte temporary restraining order dated March 6, 1986, made by the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, directing respondent father to immediately return Justin S. (born Oct. 10, 1982) to the care and custody of petitioner mother. For the reasons which follow, this court holds that the application must be denied because the ex parte California order was not made consistently with the provisions of the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act and because respondent father has not yet been afforded fundamental due process of law — notice and an opportunity to be heard.

The child, Justin Ryan S., was born out of wedlock to the parties on October 10, 1982, in California. Bennett S. is listed as the child’s father on the birth certificate; however, no order of paternity or custody has previously been made. The parties lived together in California until about April 1983.

Between April 1983 and April 1985, the child resided with the petitioner mother in California. During that same two-year period, respondent father lived in New York State for seven months, and spent the rest of the time in California. He wanted the petitioner mother and the child to come to New York State to live with him, allegedly to escape an environment of "drugs, promiscuity, and immorality”.

In April 1985, respondent father took his son for a few days’ visitation in California, but instead brought him to New York State. He claims that the mother was nowhere to be found and that the child was neglected.

The respondent father from April 1985 to present has resided with the child in Middleburgh, New York. He contacted the petitioner mother upon his arrival in New York State, and she has known her son’s whereabouts and spoken with him on the telephone upon numerous occasions. The petitioner mother did not vigorously protest the child’s residing with the father, nor did she commence a custody proceeding until March of 1986. The respondent father was personally served in New York State with the order to show cause and [856]*856temporary restraining order of March 25, 1986 — only three days before the return date. He has filed a limited appearance contesting jurisdiction of the California court upon the ground that New York is now the "home state” of the child, and he has also filed an answer seeking legal custody of the child. The case was continued by the Superior Court to April 11, 1986, and then to April 25, 1986, with the temporary restraining order to remain in full force and effect.

In April 1986, the petitioner mother also caused the respondent father to be arrested under a custodial interference warrant from California. He has since been released on $500 cash bail, pending extradition proceedings.

THE LAW

The applicable statutes as to interstate enforcement of custody determinations are the Federal Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act (PKPA), and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) which has been enacted by both New York (Domestic Relations Law art 5-a) and California (Cal Civ Code §§ 5150-5174). To the extent that the requirements and/ or procedures of the PKPA and the UCCJA do not directly conflict with one another, or the application of the UCCJA would not be inconsistent with the purposes and policies of the Federal act, the two statutes should be read together. However, under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution, the Federal act clearly preempts applicable State law in the event of a direct conflict. The Federal Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act (28 USC § 1738A) provides in applicable part as follows:

"§ 1738a. FULL FAITH AND CREDIT GIVEN TO CHILD CUSTODY DETERMINATIONS
"(a) The appropriate authorities of every State shall enforce according to its terms * * * any child custody determination made consistently with the provisions of this section by a court of another State.
"(b) As used in this section, the term * * *
"(3) 'custody determination’ means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the custody or visitation of a child, and includes permanent and temporary orders, and initial orders and modifications;
"(4) 'home State’ means the State in which, immediately preceding the time involved, the child lived with his parents, a [857]*857parent, or a person acting as parent, for at least six consecutive months * * *
"(c) A child custody determination made by a court of a State is consistent with the provisions of this section only if—
"(1) such court has jurisdiction under the law of such State; and

"(2) one of the following conditions is met:

"(A) such State (i) is the home State of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or (ii) had been the child’s home State within six months before the date of the commencement of the proceeding and the child is absent from such State because of his removal or retention by a contestant or for other reasons and a contestant continues to live in such State;
"(B) (i) it appears that no other State would have jurisdiction under subparagraph (A), and (ii) it is in the best interest of the child that a court of such State assume jurisdiction because (I) the child and his parents, or the child and at least one contestant, have a significant connection with such State other than mere physical presence in such State, and (II) there is available in such State substantial evidence concerning the child’s present or future care, protection, training, and personal relationships * * *
"(e) Before a child custody determination is made, reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard shall be given to the contestants, any parent whose parental rights have not been previously terminated and any person who has physical custody of a child.” (Emphasis added.)

The New York Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (Domestic Relations Law art 5-A) provides in applicable part as follows:

"§ 75-n. RECOGNITION OF OUT-OF-STATE CUSTODY DECREES
"The courts of this state shall recognize and enforce an initial or modification decree of a court of another state which had assumed jurisdiction under statutory provisions substantially in accordance with this article or which was made under factual circumstances meeting the jurisdictional standards of this article.
"§ 75-e. NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD
"Before making a decree under this article, reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard shall be given to the contestants, any parent whose parental rights have not been [858]*858previously terminated, and any person who has physical custody of the child.
"§ 75-m. FORCE AND EFFECT OF CUSTODY DECREES
"A custody decree rendered by a court of this state which had jurisdiction under section seventy-five-d of this article shall be binding upon all parties who have been personally served in this state

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
131 Misc. 2d 854, 502 N.Y.S.2d 383, 1986 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2585, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ann-f-v-bennett-s-nycfamct-1986.