Facemyer v. Facemyer

2025 Ohio 205
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 16, 2025
Docket24 MA 0064
StatusPublished

This text of 2025 Ohio 205 (Facemyer v. Facemyer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Facemyer v. Facemyer, 2025 Ohio 205 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

[Cite as Facemyer v. Facemyer, 2025-Ohio-205.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT MAHONING COUNTY

GREGORY J. FACEMYER,

Plaintiff-Appellant,

v.

KRISTEN K. FACEMYER nka PATCH,

Defendant-Appellee.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Case No. 24 MA 0064

Civil Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, of Mahoning County, Ohio Case No. 2012 DR 00437

BEFORE: Katelyn Dickey, Cheryl L. Waite, Mark A. Hanni, Judges.

JUDGMENT: Reversed and Remanded.

Atty. Anthony W. Greco and Atty. Joseph S. Jeziorowski, Greco Law, for Plaintiff- Appellant and

Atty. Louis E. Katz and Atty. Matthew C. Giannini, for Defendant-Appellee.

Dated: January 16, 2025 –2–

DICKEY, J.

{¶1} Appellant, Gregory J. Facemyer, appeals from the June 4, 2024 judgment entry of the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, terminating physical parenting time with his 16-year-old daughter and restricting contact to text messages and emails. On appeal, Appellant asserts the trial court erred in terminating his visitation rights because it failed to make the required initial finding that there was clear and convincing evidence of extraordinary circumstances that would justify such termination. Appellant also contends the court erred in accepting and considering a recorded statement that purports to set forth the minor child’s concerns regarding parenting time. For the reasons stated, we reverse and remand.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} Appellant and Appellee, Kristen K. Facemyer (nka Patch), were married and have two children: E.F. (d.o.b. 1/11/2005, emancipated); and M.F. (d.o.b. 5/3/2008) (“minor child”). The parties divorced on June 19, 2013. They were awarded equal parenting time pursuant to a shared parenting plan. {¶3} On September 5, 2019, the trial court terminated the shared parenting plan and designated Appellee as the children’s residential parent and legal custodian. However, the court determined it was in the children’s best interest for the parties to be awarded equal parenting time. Appellee subsequently filed a motion for modification of parenting time and companionship. {¶4} A two-day hearing was held on December 15, 2023 and April 5, 2024. Present for the hearing were Appellant; counsel for Appellant; Appellee; counsel for Appellee; Attorney Edward Colon, the Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”); and Attorney Carol Sopkovich, the duly appointed counsel for the minor child. Attorney Sopkovich was not present at the hearing on December 15, 2023, because her appointment as counsel for the minor child occurred after that time. At the hearing on April 5, 2024, the minor child was less than a month away from celebrating her sixteenth birthday. {¶5} Throughout these proceedings, it was found by the trial court that Appellant has a confrontational personality and has maintained an aggressive and adversarial approach toward the children and Appellee.

Case No. 24 MA 0064 –3–

{¶6} The GAL described the minor child as very bright but very timid, repressed, and emotionally fragile. The GAL described Appellee as passive aggressive. The GAL described Appellant as overbearing and persistent. While acknowledging challenges in the relationship between Appellant and the minor child, the GAL did not believe it was in the minor child’s best interest for Appellant’s parenting time to be reduced or terminated. The GAL believed restricting Appellant’s visitation would be detrimental to the minor child. The GAL said the focus should be on mending the father-daughter relationship. The GAL recommended counseling for the entire family. {¶7} The trial court did not accept the GAL’s recommendation for family counseling indicating that the family had previously been involved in counseling and that it was unsuccessful. Appellant, however, believes counseling is necessary due to his observations that the minor child is in distress. Appellee, the parent with medical decision-making authority, decided not to enroll the minor child in counseling. {¶8} Appellee believes extreme issues exist between Appellant and the minor child. Appellee testified her daughter is not happy with the current visitation order and spends a lot of time in her bedroom by herself. Appellee wished for Appellant’s visitation to be modified to alternating weekends. {¶9} The trial court held three separate in camera interviews with the minor child beginning in September 2022. The minor child said when she is with Appellant at his house, she spends time alone in her bedroom. When traveling with Appellant in his car, the minor child sits in the backseat and does not communicate with him. The minor child complained that when she is at a restaurant with Appellant, he is on his cell phone. The minor child said that time spent with her father is not positive or rewarding. {¶10} The parties’ older daughter, E.F., turned 18 years old on January 11, 2023. Because E.F. does not like how Appellant treats her, she has stopped seeing him. E.F. also does not like how Appellant treats the minor child. E.F. expressed her concerns when she would no longer accompany her sister to visits with their father. The trial court cautioned Appellant that he was placing his relationship with the minor child in jeopardy if he did not amend his parental manners. {¶11} Appellant testified the minor child is a straight-A student and involved in many activities. Appellant said his relationship with the minor child is very good and

Case No. 24 MA 0064 –4–

described his daughter as a normal teenage girl. Appellant does not know why his parenting time should be limited and claims he is the victim of parental alienation. Appellant believes that not only should his parenting time continue, but additional parenting time should be provided. Appellant acknowledged he has experienced parental problems with the minor child. He said he has gone to a counselor to improve as a parent. Appellant and his mother, Barbara Facemyer, have attended all of the minor child’s extracurricular activities. During visits, Appellant said he made efforts to improve his relationship with his daughter. He asked her about school and her activities. He would also ask her to do things together such as shop or go to dinner. Appellant believed counseling was not only feasible, it should be mandatory to maintain a vital relationship with his daughter. {¶12} Appellant’s mother testified that for approximately the past one-year period, despite her longstanding relationship with her granddaughter, the minor child began giving her only one-word answers to questions and refused to otherwise communicate with her. She additionally testified that for the past two years, the minor child would immediately dash to her room after school pickup and indicated her mannerisms and demeanor changed with Appellant, family, and friends. {¶13} Following the December 15, 2023 hearing, the trial court found the minor child expressed sufficient reasoning ability to express her wishes and concerns. The court found the minor child’s reasons for not wanting to see her father were well thought out. Based upon the testimony of all parties and the GAL, the trial court ruled at that time that effective January 1, 2024, parenting time for Appellant should be on a week-on, week-off basis from 5:00 p.m. Friday to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. {¶14} At the outset of the April 5, 2024 proceedings, the trial court permitted the parties to conduct a pretrial with counsel and the GAL. As a result, with the exception of the pending motions for companionship and parenting time, all other motions were withdrawn, including for modification of child support. {¶15} The minor child’s counsel requested that the trial court conduct an in camera interview with the GAL as to the wishes and the concerns of the minor child.

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Bluebook (online)
2025 Ohio 205, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/facemyer-v-facemyer-ohioctapp-2025.