In the Interest of K.S.

492 S.W.3d 419, 2016 WL 1660366, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 4318
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 26, 2016
DocketNO. 14-15-00008-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 492 S.W.3d 419 (In the Interest of K.S.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In the Interest of K.S., 492 S.W.3d 419, 2016 WL 1660366, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 4318 (Tex. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

J. Brett Busby, Justice

Following a bench trial, the trial court signed an order appointing appellee, Esther, sole managing conservator of her minor grandchildren.1 Appellants, Michael and Diana, are the children’s parents, and they challenge the order, which named them possessory conservators. Although Diana is permitted supervised visits of the children, Michael is permitted no visitation or access.

On appeal, appellants argue Esther did not have standing to file an original suit seeking sole managing conservatorship of her grandchildren. We conclude that Esther had standing under section 102.003(a)(9) of the Family Code as a person who had actual care, control, and possession of the children for at least six months. In their second and third issues, Michael and Diana argue the trial court abused its discretion by not appointing them joint managing conservators and deviating from the standard possession order. Because the trial court heard ample evidence to support its finding that Michael and Diana abused or neglected to protect the children, we overrule those issues and affirm the trial court’s order.

Background

Esther is the maternal grandmother of Michael and Diana’s nine children, whose ages range from eleven to twenty-eight years old. When Esther filed her original petition seeking sole managing conserva-torship of the children, five of the children were minors and were the subject of the suit. Presently, only three of the children are minors — K.S., K.S., and C.S.

Evidence offered at trial shows the following facts. From 1990 until 2011, Michael, Diana, and their children resided at Esther’s house in Hockley, Texas. Michael, Diana, and their children lived in what they described as the “main house” while Esther and her late husband occupied the attached “mother-in-law” suite. Esther spent each day in the main house with the children and cared for their daily needs, such as food, clothing, bathing, transportation, homework, and medical care. Esther and her late husband also supported Michael, Diana,' and their children financially throughout this time.

In August 2011, a dispute arose between Michael and Esther,- and Michael ordered her to leave the home immediately. Esther, along with all -but the two youngest children, hastily packed their belongings and left. Michael changed the locks of the home and did not -allow Esther or the children any further access to the home. [422]*422Representatives from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services later met with Esther, Michael, Diana, and the children. The parties agreed to a family safety plan, which prohibited Michael from contacting the children.

On September 19, 2011, Esther filed a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, requesting that the court appoint her the sole managing conservator of the minor children and order that visitation and access by Michael and Diana be supervised. Her petition included a sworn affidavit alleging, in part, that Michael verbally and physically abused the children and .that Diana was unable or unwilling to protect the children from his abuse.2

After a hearing, the court issued a temporary order appointing Esther sole managing conservator of the children and appointing Michael and Diana temporary possessory conservators of the children. The order granted Diana'visitation as mutually agreed upon by the parties and with Esther’s permission. Michael was ordered to have no contact with the minor children.

Following the temporary-order hearing, the parties reached a Rule 11 agreement. The trial court held a second hearing to consider the terms of the parties’ agreement and hear additional evidence.3 The trial court issued a modified order that, in part, granted Diana visitation with the children under the supervision of the Victim’s Assistance Centre, Inc., S.A.F.E. Program. The trial court found credible evidence that' Michael “has a history or pattern -of physical abuse or family violence during the two-year period preceding the filing of [the] suit directed toward the minor children” and'Ordered that he have no further contact with the minor children. The trial court also ordered psychologist Edward Silverman, M.D., to evaluate the parties and provide the court a report setting out his recommendations with respect to all issues pertaining to the conser-vatorship of the children.

Following a bench trial, the trial court issued a final order appointing Esther sole managing conservator and appointing the parents possessory conservators of K.S., K.S, and C.S. The final order included a modified possession order, which granted the parents restricted access to the children due to the court’s finding that they “engaged in a history or pattern of neglect and/or physical abuse of the children.” Diana was granted visitation under the supervision of the S.A.F.E. Supervised Visitation Program. Michael was ordered to have no visitation or access to the children based on the court’s finding that awarding him possession of or access to the children would endanger the physical health and emotional development of the children and would therefore not be in their best interest. This appeal followed.

Analysis

I. Esther was entitled to maintain this suit under the Family Code.

A. Standard of review and applicable law

In their first issue, Michael and Diana argue that the trial court abused its discretion in naming Esther sole managing conservator of the minor children because her petition failed to establish her standing to sue. Standing is a constitutional prerequisite to maintaining a suit under Texas [423]*423law. See Tex. Ass’n of Bus. v. Texas Air Control Bd., 852 S.W.2d 440, 443-44 (Tex.1993). The test for constitutional standing in Texas requires that there be a “real controversy between the parties, which ... will be actually determined by the judicial declaration sought.” Id. at 446. Standing requires the claimant to demonstrate a particularized injury distinct from that suffered by the general public — there must be an actual grievance, not a hypothetical or generalized grievance. Brown v. Todd, 53 S.W.3d 297, 302 (Tex.2001). Constitutional standing is required for the court to have subjéct-matter jurisdiction; thus, it cannot be waived and may be raised by a party or a court at any time, including on appeal. See Tex. Ass’n of Bus., 852 S.W.2d at 445.

In addition to constitutional limitations on standing, the Family Code contains statutory restrictions on who may bring suit. In re A.M.S., 277 S.W.3d 92, 96 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 2009, no pet.); see Dubai Petroleum Co. v. Kazi, 12 S.W.3d 71, 76-77 (Tex.2000) (explaining that statutory prerequisite to maintaining suit affects plaintiffs right to relief rather than court’s jurisdiction).4 The Texas Legislature has provided a comprehensive framework for standing in the context of suits involving the parent-child relationship. See Tex. Fam.

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

Related

In the Interest of I.N.A.M., a Child v. the State of Texas
Tex. App. Ct., 8th Dist. (El Paso), 2026
Cameron Harris v. Chelsea True
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2025
Syed Kazmi v. Syeda Kazmi
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2023
Paul E. Simons v. Karen Cole Simons
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2023
in the Interest of E.M.O., a Child
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
Christopher Scott v. Barbara June Scott
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
in the Interest of M.L.R.S., a Child
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
in the Interest of K.L.S., a Child
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
492 S.W.3d 419, 2016 WL 1660366, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 4318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-ks-texapp-2016.