Krzyzak v. Krzyzak

2017 Ohio 9276
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 22, 2017·No. 17 CAF 06 0038·Published

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

WILLIAM KRZYZAK JUDGES:

Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P. J.

Plaintiff-Appellee Hon. John W. Wise, J.

Hon. Craig R. Baldwin, J.

-vs-

Case No. 17 CAF 06 0038

JAMIE KRZYZAK

Defendant-Appellant OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Civil Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, Case No.

15020322AD

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: December 22, 2017

APPEARANCES: For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

WILLIAM KRZYZAK JAMIE KRZYZAK PRO SE PRO SE 809 South Sandusky Street 316 Gelder Drive Tiffin, Ohio 44883 Delaware, Ohio 43015

Delaware County, Case No. 17 CAF 06 0038 2 Wise, J.

{¶1} Appellant Jamie Krzyzak appeals from a post-decree decision by the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, which re- allocated parental rights in favor of Appellee William Krzyzak, her former husband. The relevant facts leading to this appeal are as follows.

{¶2} Appellant Jamie and Appellee William were married in March 2002 in Lancaster, Ohio. Three daughters were born of the marriage: T.K. (born in 2002), K.K. (born in 2004), and C.K. (born in 2009).

{¶3} The family thereafter moved to West Virginia and then to Virginia. In early 2014, appellee moved to Tiffin, Ohio (in Seneca County), based on a job transfer. In June 2014, appellant and the three children at issue moved to Delaware County, Ohio.

{¶4} The parties’ marriage was terminated on December 17, 2014 via a divorce decree in Culpeper County, Virginia, issued after both parties had moved from Virginia and were again residing in Ohio. The Virginia decree incorporated a settlement agreement signed in January 2014, which inter alia stated that the parties had agreed to “have joint legal custody of the minor children ***,” under one of four geographical “scenarios.” Pursuant to the agreement, in pertinent part, appellant was to be the residential parent for school purposes, and appellee was to have parenting time for the majority of the summer months and three weekends a month during the school year. This was under “Scenario Three,” i.e., both parents in Ohio, but in different school districts.

{¶5} On February 18, 2015, appellant, with the assistance of counsel, filed a petition in the Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, Ohio (hereinafter “trial court”)

Delaware County, Case No. 17 CAF 06 0038 3

to register the Virginia decree, as well as a motion for reallocation of parental rights, asking to be named the residential parent and legal custodian of the children.

{¶6} On May 15, 2015, appellee, with the assistance of counsel, likewise filed a motion in the trial court for reallocation of parental rights. On or about May 29, 2015, the magistrate appointed Attorney Jodelle Stranges as guardian ad litem (“GAL”) for the children.

{¶7} Hearings were conducted for purposes of interim orders on July 31, August 12, August 24, and September 23, 2015.

{¶8} On September 25, 2015, the aforesaid guardian ad litem (“GAL”) filed an emergency custody motion, alleging abuse of K.K. by appellant and seeking removal of said child. The emergency motion was granted by the trial court on the same day.

{¶9} On October 5, 2015, appellant filed a motion for the removal of the GAL and recusal of the magistrate, alleging ex-parte communication occurring on the evening immediately prior to the filing of the emergency custody motion. Both motions were subsequently denied.

{¶10} The matter of custody came on for an evidentiary hearing before a domestic relations magistrate commencing on February 22, 2016. Both parties appeared with counsel, along with the guardian ad litem. Additional hearings were conducted thereafter, terminating with an in camera interview with the children conducted on March 11, 2016.

{¶11} On August 3, 2016, the magistrate issued a lengthy decision ultimately naming appellee as the legal custodian and residential parent of all three children. The magistrate also issued contempt findings.

{¶12} On August 11, 2016, appellant, via counsel, filed objections to the decision of the magistrate. Supplemental objections were filed with leave of the trial court on December 30, 2016.

{¶13} On June 1, 2017, the trial court issued a judgment entry approving and adopting the decision of the magistrate.1

{¶14} Appellant filed a pro se notice of appeal on June 16, 2017. She herein raises the following five Assignments of Error:

{¶15} “I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY ERRONEOUSLY FINDING THAT A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAS OCCURRED IN THIS MATTER AND THAT A MODIFICATION OF THE PREVIOUS ORDER IS IN THE CHILDREN'S BEST INTEREST.

{¶16} “II. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY ABUSING ITS DISCRETION AS THE COURT'S RULING WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH [THE] MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE AS GOVERNED BY O.R.C. 3109.04.

{¶17} “III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY NOT AFFORDING THE DEFENDANT PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS OF LAW AS IT RELATES TO ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE MADE OF HER REGARDING HER MINOR CHILD, [K.K.].

{¶18} “IV. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY CONSIDERING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM AS A BASIS FOR ITS DECISION EVEN THOUGH THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM DID NOT SUBMIT A WRITTEN GAL

1 Appellant has failed to include or attach with her brief a copy of the judgment entry under appeal and/or a copy of the underlying magistrate’s decision. See Loc.App.R. 9(A). We have nonetheless reviewed these original documents in the record. In addition, appellant has exceeded the page limitation set forth in Loc.App.R. 9(B).

Delaware County, Case No. 17 CAF 06 0038 5

REPORT AS REQUIRED VIA O.R.C. 3109.04(C) AND RULE OF SUPERINTENDENCE 48(F)(2).

{¶19} “V. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY ADMITTING PLAINTIFF'S EVIDENCE IN VIOLATION OF RULES OF EVIDENCE 901(A).”

I.

{¶20} In her First Assignment of Error, appellant contends the trial court erred or abused its discretion under the “change in circumstances” statutory requirements in its reallocation of parental rights and responsibilities concerning T.K., K.K., and C.K. We disagree.

{¶21} R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a) states in pertinent part as follows: “The court shall not modify a prior decree allocating parental rights and responsibilities for the care of children unless it finds, based on facts that have arisen since the prior decree or that were unknown to the court at the time of the prior decree, that a change has occurred in the circumstances of the child, the child's residential parent, or either of the parents subject to a shared parenting decree, and that the modification is necessary to serve the best interest of the child. ***.” (Emphasis added).

{¶22} In R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a), the General Assembly has created a rebuttable presumption that retaining the residential parent designated by the prior decree is in the child's best interest. Combes v. Combes, 5th Dist. Morrow No. 14CA007, 2015-Ohio-584, ¶ 20, citing Meyer v. Anderson, 2nd Dist. Miami No. 96CA32, 1997 WL 189383.

{¶23} Furthermore, R.C. 3109.04(E)(2)(c) gives the court authority to terminate certain shared parenting plans upon the request of one or both of the parents or when it determines that shared parenting is no longer in the child or children's best interest.

Delaware County, Case No. 17 CAF 06 0038 6

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

Krzyzak v. Krzyzak, 2017 Ohio 9276 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).

2017 Ohio 9276 (Krzyzak v. Krzyzak) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

In re Adoption of Z.A.
2016 Ohio 3159 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
Reed v. Reed, 2007 Ca 00321 (8-26-2008)
2008 Ohio 4349 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
Font v. Morris, Unpublished Decision (5-10-2004)
2004 Ohio 2354 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2004)
Thompson v. Thompson
511 N.E.2d 412 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1987)
Evans v. Evans
666 N.E.2d 1176 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
Wilburn v. Wilburn
863 N.E.2d 204 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)
In Re Craig, 2008 Ap 05 0030 (8-19-2008)
2008 Ohio 4251 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
In re B.H.H.
2017 Ohio 8359 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
Knapp v. Edwards Laboratories
400 N.E.2d 384 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1980)
Blakemore v. Blakemore
450 N.E.2d 1140 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1983)
Miller v. Miller
523 N.E.2d 846 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
Davis v. Flickinger
674 N.E.2d 1159 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)