Cathey v. Ogea

98 So. 3d 953, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 563, 2012 WL 3588610, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1082
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 22, 2012
DocketNos. CA 12-563, CW 12-324
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 98 So. 3d 953 (Cathey v. Ogea) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cathey v. Ogea, 98 So. 3d 953, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 563, 2012 WL 3588610, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1082 (La. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

EZELL, Judge.

|,At issue in this child custody matter is the grant of permanent custody of Jaycen Ogea to his maternal aunt and uncle. Suzanne Cathey, who also petitioned for custody of Jaycen, appeals the decision of the trial court. Neither Jaycen’s mother nor father was willing or able to care for their child.

FACTS

Melissa Ogea is the mother of four children: an older daughter, Ann Marie (custody of whom was not at issue in the trial court); Trent Cathey, a son born October 10, 2003; Sarah Cathey, a daughter born April 5, 2007; and Jaycen Ogea, a son born June 7, 2010. Trent and Sarah have the same biological mother and father, who [955]*955were never married. Trent and Sarah’s paternal aunt is Suzanne Cathey, who is the Appellant in this case. Jaycen has the same mother but a different biological father.

In July 2007, Trent went to live with Suzanne and her partner Charlotte Ford. Initially, Suzanne and Charlotte would keep Trent occasionally to help out Melissa and Suzanne’s mother, who kept Trent on occasion. He would spend the night for several nights before going home. Eventually, he just stayed at their house. At that time, Trent’s mother struggled with serious drug problems and his father was in and out of prison. When Trent went to live with Suzanne and Charlotte, he had behavioral and developmental problems. He initially went to public school, but Suzanne quit her job and began homeschooling him. Trent has made significant improvements since moving in with Suzanne and Charlotte

Sarah, the younger daughter, came to live with her Aunt Suzanne in November 2007. In February 2008, Suzanne was granted provisional custody of Trent and Sarah by their parents. Suzanne was granted provisional custody every year after that, with the last grant occurring on January 7, 2011.

[¾Jaycen began living with Suzanne in October 2010. However, on March IB, 2011, his mother Melissa, with the assistance of Sulphur police, removed Jaycen from Suzanne. Thereafter, on March 23, 2011, Suzanne filed a petition for custody of all three children. On that same day, by ex parte hearing, Suzanne was granted the temporary custody of all three minor children.

On April 6, 2011, Cynthia and Steven Smith filed a petition of intervention seekv ing the permanent custody of the youngest child, Jaycen. Cynthia is the half-sister of the children’s mother. All parties filed an exception of no right of action.

On August 27, 2011, the Smiths, in conjunction with Suzanne, amended their petitions to include Joseph Simon as a defendant since he is the biological father of Jaycen. At the time the petition was filed, Joseph was in jail, but he was out in time to testify at the trial.

On January 23, 2012, the trial court heard the exceptions of no right of action filed by the parties. After hearing arguments and testimony, the trial court denied the exceptions and proceeded to trial. Trial on the custody matters was held on January 24 and 25, 2012.

The trial court recognized that the parents acknowledged that they cannot or are unable to provide for the minor children. The trial court then found that it was in the best interests of Trent and Sarah that they should remain in the care, custody, and control of Suzanne since they had been in her care for more than four years in a wholesome and stable environment.

Regarding Jaycen, the trial court relied upon La.Civ.Code art. 132 and awarded custody to the Smiths because it was the mother’s wish that her sister and husband have custody of Jaycen. Jaycen’s biological father also expressed his desire to have Jaycen live with the Smiths. The trial court further recognized that the best interest of Jaycen dictates that he live with the Smiths.

IsSuzanne appealed the judgment granting permanent custody, care, and control of Jaycen to the Smiths. Suzanne also sought a writ of review of the trial court’s decision with this court. We denied the writ application finding that an adequate remedy existed by appeal. Suzanne sought a rehearing, and this court granted a rehearing for the purposes of consolidating her writ application with her appeal. [956]*956Pursuant to Uniform Rules, Courts of Appeal, Rule 5—1(b), oral argument was expedited.

On appeal, Suzanne argues that the trial court erred in finding that the Smiths had a right of action to intervene for the custody of Jaycen. She also argues that Article 182 is not applicable in this case and that due to this error of law, this court should conduct a de novo review and award her the permanent custody, care, and control of Jaycen.

RIGHT OF ACTION

Suzanne first argues that the trial court erred in denying her exception of no right of action and in failing to dismiss the Smith’s intervention. She argues that the Smiths had no connection with Jaycen to support their claim for custody.

“[T]he focus in an exception of no right of action is whether the particular plaintiff has a right to bring the suit, .... [and] [t]he function of an exception of no right of action is a determination of whether plaintiff belongs to a class of persons to whom the law grants the cause of action asserted in the petition.” Bridle’s Florist & Gifts, Inc. v. Trans Tech, Inc., 11-260, p. 3 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/5/11), 74 So.3d 833, 835 (quoting Badeaux v. Sw. Computer Bureau, Inc., 05-612, 05-719, pp. 6-7 (La.3/17/06), 929 So.2d 1211,1216-17).

In this case, Suzanne filed a petition seeking sole custody of the three minor children. The Smiths intervened in the matter seeking sole custody of Jaycen. Therefore, all parties are seeking to divest the parents of custody.

14Before a parent is divested of custody, the redundant dual test must be applied. Black v. Simms, 08-1465 (La.App. 3 Cir. 6/10/09), 12 So.3d 1140.

The redundant dual test is a dual-pronged test. Lions v. Lions, 488 So.2d 445 (La.App. 3 Cir.1986). First, before a trial court deprives a parent of the custody of his or her child, the trial court must first determine that an award of custody would cause substantial harm to the child. If so, then the courts look at the best interest of the child factors in Article 134 to determine if an award of custody to a non-parent is required to serve the best interest of the child. Wilson v. Paul, 08-382 (La.App. 3 Cir. 10/1/08), 997 So.2d 572 (citing Tennessee v. Campbell, 28,823 (La.App. 2 Cir. 10/30/96), 682 So.2d 1274).

Black, 12 So.3d at 1143.

Article 132 provides that if the parents are in agreement as to who is to have custody, the court shall award custody in accordance with their agreement unless the best interest of the child requires a different award. We find that Article 132 is inapplicable when a party is seeking to divest a parent of custody. Clearly, La.Civ.Code art. 133 applies since a nonparent is seeking to divest parents of custody. Knisely v. Knisely, 05-1015 (La.App. 3 Cir. 3/1/06), 924 So.2d 423; In re Melancon, 10-1463 (La.App. 1 Cir. 12/22/10), 62 So.3d 759; Street v. May, 35,589 (La.App. 2 Cir. 12/5/01), 803 So.2d 312.

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Bluebook (online)
98 So. 3d 953, 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 563, 2012 WL 3588610, 2012 La. App. LEXIS 1082, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cathey-v-ogea-lactapp-2012.