Nygren v. Edler

178 So. 3d 177, 2015 WL 6687315
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 28, 2015·No. No. 15-CA-193·Published

Opinion

JUDE G.'GRAVOIS, Judge.

lain this paternity and child custody case concerning the application of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, La. R.S. 13:1801 et seq. (the “UCCJEA”), appellant, Ian M. Nygren, appeals the district court’s judgment of December 17, 2014 granting an exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction filed [178] by appellee, .Dr. Rayme Edler. Dr. Edler’s exception argued,that the district court was without jurisdiction to review and rule upon a judgment entered by the domestic commissioner of the 24th Judicial District Court on April 22, 2014 that the child’s home state was Florida,:which judgment was timely objected to by Mr. Ny-gren under the applicable district court rules. Upon review, we find legal error in the district court’s ruling that it was “divested” of' subject matter jurisdiction to rule on Mr. Nygren’s objection to the domestic commissioner’s ruling of April 22, 2014.1 Accordingly, for the following reasons, we reverse the judgment of the district court granting Dr. Edler’s exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and remand the matter to the, district court to consider and ultimately rule upon Mr. Ny-gren’s objection to the domestic commissioner's ruling of April 22,2014.

J¿FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The parties, Mr. Nygren and Dr. Edler, had a child together, Mya, who was born in Pensacola, Florida, on May 9, 2013. The parties never married and have since ended their personal relationship; Mr. Ny-gren lives in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, while Dr. Edler lives in Florida. On November 27, 2013, Mr. Nygren filed a petition in Louisiana, entitled “Petition to Establish Paternity, For Child Custody and Support with Rule to Show Cause.” On December 6, 2013, Dr. Edler filed a petition for similar domestic relief in Escambia County, Florida.

On December'23, 2013, Dr. Edler filed, in the 24th Judicial District Court, exceptions of lack of personal and subject matter jurisdiction and improper venue, and a motion for sanctions, arguing that under the UCCJEA, the, child’s home state was' Florida, and thus jurisdiction of the custody matter was proper in Florida. The exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction was ultimately heard by the domestic commissioner on February 4, 2014, March 24, 2014, and April 1, 2014, including special telephonic conferences conducted with the judge of the proceeding in Escambia County, Florida. After both judges heard the testimony of witnesses and received evidence, the Florida judge opined that Florida was the minor child’s home state under the UCCJEA, a ruling which the domestic commissioner of the 24th Judicial District Court agreed with and concurred in, ruling as such from the bench. The domestic commissioner signed a judgment granting Dr. Edler’s exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction on April 22,2014.

Pursuant to La. R.S. 13:717 and the local rules of the 24th Judicial District Court pertaining to rulings from a domestic commissioner, specifically Rule 24(A)(1)(a), Mr. Nygren timely filed an objection to the domestic commissioner’s judgment. In response to the objection, Dr. Edler filed a second exception of lack Lof personal and subject matter jurisdiction, arguing therein that the district court was without jurisdiction to entertain Mr. Nygren’s objection to the domestic commissioner’s ruling because in the meantime, the Florida court had proceeded with Dr, Edler’s suit, ostensibly not knowing that a Louisiana domestic commissioner’s authority is different from a district court, judge’s authority.

The district court held a hearing on the objection on December 17,2014, wherein it granted Dr. Edler’s second exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction and ex[179] pressly did not reach the merits of Mr. Nygren’s objection to the domestic commissioner’s ruling. The district judge signed a judgment to that effect that same day. Notice of the. judgment was mailed to the parties on January 9, 2015. Mr. Nygren’s timely appeal followed.

On appeal, Mr. Nygren argues that thé district court erred in ruling that he was powerless to deny him his statutorily-mandated objection hearing. Mr. Nygren also argues the merits-of the domestic commissioner’s judgment, contending that he erred in finding that Florida was the child’s home state under- the UOCJEA, and asking this Court to enter judgment to that effect,

ANALYSIS'

Pertinent,to this appeal, 24th Judicial District Court Rules 23 and 24 set forth the various powers and responsibilities of the district court judges, domestic commissioners, and hearing officers in domestic matters Filed in that court. The position of domestic commissioner was created to facilitate an expedited process for the handling of domestic matters. Rule 28(D)(2). The powers and responsibilities of the domestic commissioner are specifically enumerated, as well as limited, by Rule 23(D)(3). Rule 28(D)(3)(k) specifically gives the domestic commissioner the power to hear exceptions. The aforementioned local rules, specifically Rule 24(A)(1), provide that an objection to the domestic Ineommissioner’s ruling shall be set on the docket of the district court judge, who shall rule' upon the objection. Further, under’ Rule 24(A)(1)(d), “[a]ny party who is aggrieved by a judgment entered by a district judge on objection from a decision of the domestic commissioner may appeal or take a writ from that judgment in the same manner as any other judgment entered by a district court.”

In the instant case, Mr..Nygren’s objection was set for hearing in front of the district court according to the local rules. However, the district court granted Dr. Edler’s second exception of lack of subject matter-jurisdiction, apparently accepting her argument that the domestic commissioner’s ruling granting her first exception of lack-of subject matte jurisdiction under the UOCJEA divested the district court of jurisdiction to review said judgment of the domestic commissioner.2

Oh appeal, Mr. Nygren argues that no statutory or case law operates to deprive him of his right to have the domestic commissioner’s ruling reviewed, by the district court simply because such ruling declined the Louisiana court’s jurisdiction under the UOCJEA. We agree. Nothing in the apr plicable law, La. R.S. 13:717, or. the aforementioned local rules, operates to limit or deprive the district court of jurisdiction or authority to review a timely objected-to judgment of the domestic commissioner, under any circumstances. Indeed, Rule 23(0) states, in pertinent part:

All matters allotted to the .domestic docket shall be heard by. the district judge to whom the case is allotted in a timely manner unless the matter is resolved before the domestic commissioner or the domestic hearing officer as provided for in these rules. Nothing herein [180] shall be construed or interpreted to limit the jurisdiction or authority of any district judge.

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Nygren v. Edler, 178 So. 3d 177, 2015 WL 6687315 (La. Ct. App. 2015).

178 So. 3d 177 (Nygren v. Edler) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

§ 13:1801
Louisiana § 13:1801
§ 13:717
Louisiana § 13:717