In re Paschen

116 Misc. 2d 421, 455 N.Y.S.2d 168, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3896
CourtNew York Surrogate's Court
DecidedAugust 18, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 116 Misc. 2d 421 (In re Paschen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Surrogate's Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Paschen, 116 Misc. 2d 421, 455 N.Y.S.2d 168, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3896 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Edward M. Horey, S.

The proceeding before the court is the return on a petition seeking the appointment of a guardian of the person and property of two infants. The petitioner, Ann Paschen, is the stepmother of the children. The respondent, Suzan Paschen, is the natural mother of the children.

An attorney guardian ad litem, one Teddar Brooks, Esq., was appointed by the court to represent the interests of the infants, Jeffrey William Paschen and Brian Carl Paschen. A full trial was had before the court.

A psychiatric-psychological examination was ordered by the court. An in-depth probation report was also ordered by the court. Both reports were received in evidence.

Turning first to the law applicable to the instant case, this court concedes doubt.

[422]*422In Matter of Bennett v Jeffreys (40 NY2d 543), our Court of Appeals, in a broad-ranging review of precedent, held that a two-tier test was applicable to a proceeding in the Family Court in which an unwed mother sought to obtain custody of her daughter from a custodian to whom the child had been voluntarily, although not formally, entrusted by the mother’s parents when the mother was only 15 years old.

It is important to note that in Bennett v Jeffreys (supra, p 545), the court expressly noted that: “no statute is directly applicable, and the analysis must proceed from common-law principles”.

It was in determining that nonstatutory proceeding that the court announced (supra, p 549) the application of its two-tier test for custody as follows: “To recapitulate: intervention by the State in the right and responsibility of a natural parent to custody of her or his child is warranted if there is first a judicial finding of surrender, abandonment, unfitness, persistent neglect, unfortunate or involuntary extended disruption of custody, or other equivalent but rare extraordinary circumstance which would drastically affect the welfare of the child”.

In construing the test established in Bennett v Jeffreys (supra), both the majority and dissenting Justices of the Fourth Department, Appellate Division, in Milli v Morreale (83 AD2d 173, 175) were agreed that before a Surrogate’s Court could proceed to award custody based on the best interest of the child involved, the court must first make a threshold determination that one or more of the extraordinary circumstances set forth in Bennett v Jeffreys exists.

It is important to note that no statute authorizing the proceeding which led to the determination in Milli v Morreale (supra) is mentioned in either the Per Curiam opinion of the majority or the dissent of Justice Doerr. All that appears concerning the nature of the proceeding is in the factual recounting in the dissent. There, it is recited that the decedent mother was awarded custody of a female child named Valentina in a divorce action from a husband who remained in Italy. By her will the decedent nominated her sister as guardian of the person of the infant. Upon appli[423]*423cation of the decedent’s sister, the Surrogate appointed her guardian of the person of the infant. The father of the infant returned from Italy and "instituted the present proceedings in which the parties agreed that the court would determine their relative custodial rights to Valentina”. (83 AD2d 173, 174, supra; italics added.)

What kind of proceeding was brought in Milli v Morreale (supra) is baffling. If the proceeding was not one under common law, or was not a submission for judicial decision upon consent of the parties, then it would appear to be one for the revocation of letters of guardianship previously issued in the Surrogate’s Court. The only statutory authorization for that type of proceeding under the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act is subdivision 1 of section 1722. There, it is provided in relevant part that: “[w]here the court has reason to believe that sufficient cause exists for the guardian’s removal, it may appoint a guardian ad litem for the infant for the purpose of filing a petition * * * for the removal of the guardian and prosecuting the proceeding for that purpose”. (Italics added.) While nothing is stated in the decision, the identity of the appearing parties recited at the head of the decision indicates that a Law Guardian was appointed. However, it appears that the petition was brought by the natural father and not the Law Guardian.

What we have then in Milli v Morreale (supra) is a . proceeding brought either under some general common-law principle without statutory basis, or one brought upon consent of the parties for a judicial determination, also without statutory basis, or one brought for revocation of guardianship under a statute, viz., SCPA 1722 (subd 1). If it is the last possibility the applicable statute leaves the determination to rest solely upon what the trial court has reason to believe is sufficient cause for the guardian’s removal. Clearly, the determination is to rest on the subjective review of the Surrogate. Because of the absence of any legislatively stated standard in SCPA 1722 (subd 1), such as what serves the best interest of the infant or what will promote the interest of the infant, it is understandable that the common-law, two-tiered test established in Bennett v Jeffreys (supra) was applied. No quarrel is made of the Milli v Morreale decision if such decision is viewed as [424]*424one made in the absence of any legislatively determined standard.

Without further belaboring the matter, the point is made that the proceedings in Milli v Morreale (supra) were instituted either without statutory authority, or with statutory authority, but in any instance they were not instituted under a statute which gave any legislatively determined test, direction or basis for judicial decision.

In contrast, the proceeding here is for the appointment of a guardian of the person and property of two infants. It has a fixed statutory basis. SCPA 1701 expressly authorizes a Surrogate’s Court to appoint “a guardian of the person or of the property or of both of an infant whether or not the parent or parents of the infant are living”. (Italics added.) More importantly, SCPA 1707 sets forth the test established by the Legislature for making such appointments. SCPA 1707 (subd 1) expressly provides: “If the court be satisfied that the interests of the infant will be promoted by the appointment of a guardian of his person or of his property, or of both, it must make a decree accordingly”. (Italics added.) There is thus applicable a statutory standard.

The importance of the point of whether a proceeding is made under a statute containing a legislatively determined test lies in the exceptions to the two-tier rule announced in Bennett v Jeffreys (supra).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Fuss v. Niceforo
244 A.D.2d 858 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
In re Rita N.
122 Misc. 2d 1 (New York Family Court, 1983)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
116 Misc. 2d 421, 455 N.Y.S.2d 168, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3896, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-paschen-nysurct-1982.