In re the Guardianship of the Person & the Custody of Ellick

69 Misc. 2d 175, 328 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2310
CourtNew York City Family Court
DecidedJanuary 14, 1972
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 69 Misc. 2d 175 (In re the Guardianship of the Person & the Custody of Ellick) 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
In re the Guardianship of the Person & the Custody of Ellick, 69 Misc. 2d 175, 328 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2310 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1972).

Opinion

Justine Wise Polier, J.

The Edwin Gould Services for Children petitions, pursuant to section 384 of the New York Social Services Law, for guardianship of three brothers, with the right to place them for legal adoption, subject to approval by the court to which adoption proceeding will subsequently be presented. This court has jurisdiction to hear and determine this petition under subdivision (c) of section 115 of the Family Court Act and subdivision 5 of section 384 of the Social Services Law.1

Counsel for the natural mother moved to dismiss the petition pursuant to CPLR 3211 (subd. [a], pars. 2, 7 and 8) and on the ground that a finding pursuant to section 384 of the Social Services Law would deprive the respondent mother of due process of law under the United States Constitution.

In regard to the first issue raised, counsel for the respondent contends that this court has no jurisdiction of the subject matter, since the mother is a nonresident, nondomiciliary of New York. The subject of this action, however, is the children. They were born in New York City and were residing in New York when the mother authorized placement of the two older children in 1967 and when she left the youngest child with an unrelated neighbor in New York in 1968. The children have continued to reside in New York in placement under the auspices of the petitioner and have been continuously supported by the New York Department of Social Services.

In the absence of specific provisions in the Family Court Act or rules adopted by the Administrative Board of the Judicial [177]*177Conference, the procedure must be in accord with the provisions of the CPLR to the extent they are suitable.2

By the mother’s authorization of the placement of the two older children and her leaving of the third child, she engaged in a transaction under which her children have continuously received support and care in New" York, and she has been relieved of the obligation of their support. Such acts on the respondent’s part must be regarded as acts subjecting her to the exercise of personal jurisdiction by this court. (CPLR 302.) Certainly the respondent’s conduct more than fulfills the minimum contacts theory ”, which the United States Supreme Court held: “ requires only that in order to subject a defendant to a judgment in personam, if he be not present within the territory of the forum, he have certain minimum contacts with it such that the maintenance of the suit does not offend ‘ traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice ’.” (International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U. S. 310, 316). In the practice commentary, McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York (Book 7B, CPLR 302, p. 61) it is noted: Thus, as in so many other areas of the law, a rule of reason was brought to bear on jurisdiction. * * * While the case involved a foreign corporation, its reasoning applies with equal vigor to nonresident individuals.”

The court has jurisdiction under CPLR 301, which provides under the heading, Jurisdiction over persons, property or status, that ‘ ‘ A court may exercise such jurisdiction over persons, property or status as might have been exercised heretofore.” Personal service as rendered in the instant case is authorized under CPLR 313.

In a custody proceeding, when the wife had taken an infant to Australia and was personally served in Australia, special appearance by counsel was denied on the ground that the infant was domiciled in New York. Personal service in Australia had been held to be sufficient pursuant to section 235 of the Civil Practice Act in a previous decision in the controversy by the Supreme Court and such decision had been affirmed unanimously by the Appellate Division. (Matter of Kades, 25 Misc 2d 246. See previous decision, Matter of Kades, 23 Misc 2d 222, 223-224, affd. without opn. 10 A D 2d 919.)

Moreover, in Kades (supra, p. 248) the court held that in exercising jurisdiction, the court was not proceeding on the basis of whether the mother or father had a cause of action. [178]*178“Instead, as parens patriae, it is assuming jurisdiction and exercising the powers inherent in that jurisdiction, for the sole purpose of protecting the infant ” (Finlay v. Finlay, 240 N. Y. 429; Matter of Lang, 9 A D 2d 401, 405; Matter of Bachman v. Mejias, 1 N Y 2d 575, 581). In Finlay (supra, p. 431) the court held that jurisdiction of the State to regulate custody of infants found within its territory does not depend on the domicile of its parents stating, “ It has its origin in the protection that is due to the incompetent or helpless ”. (See, also, Matter of Kernan, 247 App. Div. 664, affd. 272 N. Y. 560.)

The present petition seeks a determination of the custody and guardianship of three children residing within the State. This court acting as parens patriae for the purpose of protecting the infants and pursuant to section 384 of the Social Services Law and section 661 of the Family Court Act has jurisdiction. The mother has appeared with counsel, following personal service as required by the CPLE and the preceding Civil Practice Act. Motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction or on the basis of requirements of the Civil Practice Act is therefore denied.

Counsel for the mother further contends that although the residence of the children in New York may give this court jurisdiction over their custody, it cannot proceed under section 384 of the Social Services Law. This contention is based on the ground that action nnder section 384, like actions under article 6, may lead to the termination of parental rights but fails to provide for the safeguards provided under article 6, and therefore deprives the mother of constitutional due process.

All decisions determining custody of children affect the parental fights of living parents. While permanent neglect may not constitute abandonment, abandonment as defined under section 384 is an extreme form of permanent neglect. Therefore, in exercising its jurisdiction in these proceedings the court held itself governed by the requirements of article 6, to which respondent’s conns el points as providing the constitutional safeguards to which the mother is entitled.3 The mother received notice of the petition; she was personally served; on her appearance she was advised of her constitutional rights and referred for counsel; she was given several adjournments to prepare for trial. No procedural rights of due process have been denied, [179]*179nor is it even alleged that they have been denied. Thus any omission in the provisions for procedural due process in the Social Services Law have been corrected by application of the legislative provisions in article 6 of the Family Court Act and the procedure as executed in the instant case. (See Hayman v. Morris, 37 N. Y. S. 2d 884.) Motion to dismiss on the ground that section 384 fails to provide due process, is denied.

To permit a mother to defeat the right of the courts in this State, on the basis of her removal to another State while leaving her children in New York, to hear and determine what is in their best interest, would violate the responsibilities of the courts as parens patriae and public policy as set forth in the laws of this State.

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69 Misc. 2d 175, 328 N.Y.S.2d 587, 1972 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-the-guardianship-of-the-person-the-custody-of-ellick-nycfamct-1972.