Patricia R. v. Andrew W.

121 Misc. 2d 103, 467 N.Y.S.2d 322, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3879
CourtNew York City Family Court
DecidedAugust 31, 1983
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 121 Misc. 2d 103 (Patricia R. v. Andrew W.) 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
Patricia R. v. Andrew W., 121 Misc. 2d 103, 467 N.Y.S.2d 322, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3879 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Elrich A. Eastman, J.

These consolidated proceedings were instituted by the petitioner, Patricia R., to enforce the terms of a separation agreement, incorporated, not merged, into a divorce decree, pertaining to the joint custody of their three children. The other proceedings seek an order of protection containing a provision prohibiting the respondent from forcing the oldest child, Shannon, to return to* the respondent’s home in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Shortly before these proceedings were instituted, this petitioner was served with an order to show cause, issued by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, wherein the respondent sought sole custody of the three children.

The parties herein were married in Tioga County, New York, on February 23, 1969. Of this union, three children were born, to wit, Shannon, 14 years, Casey, 12 years, and [104]*104Skylar, 9 years. From 1969 to 1971 Shannon and Casey resided with their parents in New York City; from 1971 to 1980 the family lived in Nyack, New York, where Skylar was born. October 24, 1977 the parties entered into a separation agreement wherein it was provided at paragraph 20 for joint custody of the children — the father having weekends (Friday-Sunday) and the mother during the week (Sunday-Friday). This agreement was subsequently incorporated into a divorce judgment, dated November 29, 1978 entered at Rockland County, New York, but not merged therein. Subsequent thereto, on or about September, 1980, the mother moved back to New York City and the father to Ridgewood, New Jersey. At about this time the parties orally agreed to reverse the custody arrangement so that the children resided with the father in New Jersey during the week and with the mother in New York on weekends. This arrqpgement continued for all of the children until February, 1982 when child Shannon came to live with the mother in New York City. Meanwhile, the other two children, Casey and Skylar, continued to reside in New Jersey with their father to the date of the commencement of these proceedings and presumably still. All of the children were registered in Ridgewood, New Jersey, public schools except that Shannon was registered in a New York public school, to wit, IS.44 during her stay in New York. At the end of February, 1983, Shannon was returned by agreement of the parties to live with her father in New Jersey. As consequence of the divorce of her parents, child Shannon was undergoing therapy under the care of two Ridgewood psychologists, until April 22, 1983. Since that date she has not returned to her father’s residence in New Jersey and has continued in New York.

Petitioner alleges that respondent struck the child as a result of which she seeks an order of protection with the condition that the child is not forced to return to New Jersey. Respondent contends that child Shannon is a behavior problem and petitioner is unable to properly manage and govern her.

Accordingly, respondent seeks sole custody of the three children while petitioner seeks to enforce the custody provisions of the decree granting her joint custody of the children from Sunday to Friday,

[105]*105At issue here is this court’s jurisdiction to enforce the custody provisions of a New York decree while an action to modify its terms is pending in the State of New Jersey.

Simply stated, the question is whether the New York court loses its jurisdiction by reason of the provisions of the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act (US Code, tit 28, § 1738A [PKPA]) or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (Domestic Relations Law, art 5-A [UCCJA]).

This case illustrates very clearly the considerable problems posed by interstate custody proceedings, a phenomenon frequently arising as a result of the mobility of married persons and the increasing number of divorces. Both national and State Legislatures have sought to adopt uniform procedures to reduce interstate custody competition and to stabilize forum shopping among participants. To that end the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act was passed pre-empting the law in this area and establishing a constitutional priority under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution. Moreover, no condition of wrongdoing is necessary to invoke its provisions. (Matter of Diane W. v Norman W., 112 Misc 2d 114; Matter of Leslie L.F. v Constance F., 110 Misc 2d 86; Matter of Debra S. v Roger S., 116 Misc 2d 264.)

Under the PKPA (US Code, tit 28, § 1738A):

“(c) A child custody determination made by a court of a State is consistent with the provisions of this section only if

“(1) such court has jurisdiction under the law of such State, and

“(2) one of the following conditions is met:

“(A) such State (i) is the home State of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or (ii) had been the child’s home State within six months before the date of the commencement of the proceeding and the child is absent from such State because of his removal or retention by a contestant or for other reasons, and a contestant continues to live in such State;

“(B) (i) it appears that no other State would have jurisdiction under subparagraph (A), and (ii) it is in the best interest of the child that a court of such State assume [106]*106jurisdiction because (I) the child and his parents, or the child and at least one contestant, have a significant connection with such State other than mere physical presence in such State, and (II) there is available in such State substantial evidence concerning the child’s present or future care, protection, training, and personal relationships * * *

“(D) (i) it appears that no other State would have jurisdiction under subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (E), or another State has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that the State whose jurisdiction is in issue is the more appropriate forum to determine the custody of the child, and (ii) it is in the best interest of the child that such court assume jurisdiction; or

“(E) the court has continuing jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

“(d) The jurisdiction of a court of a State which has made a child custody determination consistently with the provisions of this section continues as long as the requirement of subsection (c) (1) of this section continues to be met and such State remains the residence of the child or of any contestant * * *

“(f) A court of a State may modify a determination of the custody of the same child made by a court of another State, if —

“(1) it has jurisdiction to make such a child custody determination; and

“(2) the court of the other State no longer has jurisdiction, or it has declined to exercise such jurisdiction to modify such determination.

“(g) A court of a State shall not exercise jurisdiction in any proceeding for a custody determination commenced during the pendency of a proceeding in a court of another State where such court of that other State is exercising jurisdiction consistently with the provisions of this section to make a custody determination.”

The PKPA in defining a “home State” includes in the six-month period of consecutive living with a parent, periods of temporary absence. Thus, it is clear that the “home State” of Skylar and Casey for jurisdictional purposes has [107]

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Bluebook (online)
121 Misc. 2d 103, 467 N.Y.S.2d 322, 1983 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3879, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patricia-r-v-andrew-w-nycfamct-1983.