Sharla Garrett v. Martha Nell Williams and Johnny L. Williams

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REL: 02/18/2011 Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o formal r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r . ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OCTOBER TERM, 2010-2011 2091172 Sharla Garrett v. Martha N e l l W i l l i a m s and Johnny L. W i l l i a m s Appeal from DeKalb C i r c u i t (CV-10-166) Court THOMAS, J u d g e . Sharla Garrett the ("the m o t h e r " ) a p p e a l s f r o m a j u d g m e n t o f DeKalb C i r c u i t Court ("the t r i a l court") enforcing a f o r e i g n c h i l d - c u s t o d y order r e g i s t e r i n g and regarding J.W. ("the 2091172 child"). We dismiss the appeal f o r want o f subject-matter jurisdiction. On S e p t e m b e r 1, Williams (collectively grandparents") and 2010, enforce The to as a f o r e i g n child-custody order order County, M i s s i s s i p p i L. "the paternal court to register from sought t o r e g i s t e r Mississippi. and enforce. the Chancery Court e n t e r e d by ("the Johnny attached to the p e t i t i o n a c e r t i f i e d that they o r d e r , w h i c h was 2010, referred W i l l i a m s and f i l e d a p e t i t i o n i n the t r i a l The p a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s copy of the Mary N e l l of Yazoo Mississippi C o u r t " ) , on March 14, stated, i n pertinent part, that "the [child] shall remain i n the custody and guardianship of [the paternal grandparents]. Further, that the terms of the Agreed Order C o n t i n u i n g G u a r d i a n s h i p e n t e r e d i n Cause No. 07-0319 on A p r i l 15, 2009, a p p l y t o t h i s c a u s e and s h a l l r e m a i n i n f u l l f o r c e and e f f e c t . A copy of s a i d a g r e e d o r d e r o f A p r i l 15, 2009 i s a t t a c h e d h e r e t o as E x h i b i t 'A' and i n c o r p o r a t e d h e r e i n by r e f e r e n c e . " The copy of the paternal f o r e i g n child-custody order grandparents d i d not o r d e r r e f e r e n c e d as " E x h i b i t a t t a c h e d by i n c l u d e a copy of A." the the agreed 1 " E x h i b i t A" c o n t a i n e d t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i c o u r t ' s c u s t o d y award, w h i c h i n c l u d e d l i b e r a l v i s i t a t i o n f o r the mother. 1 2 2091172 On S e p t e m b e r 2, 2010, t h e t r i a l court entered an order s e t t i n g t h e p a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s ' p e t i t i o n f o r a h e a r i n g and directing t h a t t h e m o t h e r be s e r v e d On t h e same d a y , t h e t r i a l court a copy o f t h e p e t i t i o n . entered an o r d e r temporary custody of the c h i l d t o the p a t e r n a l determining given full that the foreign f a i t h and c r e d i t , child-custody grandparents, order should e s t a b l i s h i n g the foreign c u s t o d y o r d e r as a f o r e i g n j u d g m e n t , a n d d e t e r m i n i n g foreign child-custody order should be e n f o r c e m e n t o f i t s September be child- that the enforced. On S e p t e m b e r 3, 2010, t h e m o t h e r moved t h e t r i a l stay awarding court to 2, 2010, o r d e r . I n her m o t i o n , t h e m o t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t she h a d h a d p h y s i c a l c u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d s i n c e A u g u s t 2009, p u r s u a n t t o an o r a l between t h e mother and t h e p a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s . also argued improperly previous in that filed because The m o t h e r petition was a copy o f t h e o r d e r o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i c o u r t , w h i c h was r e f e r r e d t o incorporated custody order. have grandparents' i t d i d not contain the foreign child-custody h a d been not the paternal agreement any order as " E x h i b i t A" a n d w h i c h by r e f e r e n c e into the foreign child- A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e m o t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t she d i d notice of t h e March 3 2010 proceedings that 2091172 resulted i n the foreign child-custody order was at t h e home state of the commencement o f t h e M a r c h 2010, court. The m o t h e r further child and t h a t Alabama the before she had grandparents' petition. of the proceedings i nthe M i s s i s s i p p i alleged that she h a d f i l e d p e t i t i o n i n the DeKalb J u v e n i l e Court seeking child time received The t r i a l notice a custody of the of the paternal c o u r t g r a n t e d t h e mother's p e t i t i o n , s t a y i n g e n f o r c e m e n t o f i t s S e p t e m b e r 2, 2010, o r d e r and s e t t i n g the paternal grandparents' p e t i t i o n for a hearing on S e p t e m b e r 7, 2010. The mother September then moved 2, 2010, o r d e r the t r i a l court domesticating to vacate i t s the foreign child- custody order. Among o t h e r a r g u m e n t s , t h e m o t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t the grandparents paternal registration had not complied with the r e q u i r e m e n t s o f § 3 0 - 3 B - 3 0 5 , A l a . Code 1975, a p a r t o f t h e U n i f o r m C h i l d Custody J u r i s d i c t i o n and Enforcement Act ("the U C C J E A " ) , her motion, court t h e mother should Mississippi grandparents (§ 30-3B-101 e t s e q . , exercise court A l a . Code 1975. I n a l t e r n a t i v e l y argued concurrent that jurisdiction because, t h e mother a l l e g e d , had abandoned their 4 rights under the t r i a l with the the paternal the foreign 2091172 c h i l d - c u s t o d y o r d e r by n o t e x e r c i s i n g t h e i r r i g h t s t o and g u a r d i a n s h i p of the child. F o l l o w i n g a h e a r i n g , the t r i a l September petition 7, to 2010, enforce mother s u b s e q u e n t l y The mother improperly granting the enforced the c o u r t e n t e r e d an o r d e r the on to t h i s appeal that on grandparents' order. The court. the trial f o r e i g n child-custody order she s a y s , t h e p a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s the paternal foreign child-support appealed argues custody court because, register A party seeking to foreign child-custody order. d i d not p r o p e r l y enforce a f o r e i g n c h i l d - c u s t o d y o r d e r must r e g i s t e r t h e f o r e i g n c h i l d custody order according to the requirements o f § 30-3B-305, which provides, i n p e r t i n e n t p a r t : "(a) A c h i l d c u s t o d y d e t e r m i n a t i o n i s s u e d by a c o u r t o f a n o t h e r s t a t e may be r e g i s t e r e d i n t h i s s t a t e , w i t h or without a simultaneous request f o r e n f o r c e m e n t , by s e n d i n g t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t e c o u r t i n this state: "(1) A letter or requesting r e g i s t r a t i o n ; other document "(2) Two copies, including one c e r t i f i e d copy, of the d e t e r m i n a t i o n sought t o be r e g i s t e r e d , and a s t a t e m e n t u n d e r p e n a l t y of p e r j u r y t h a t to the best of the k n o w l e d g e and b e l i e f o f t h e p e r s o n s e e k i n g registration the order has not been m o d i f i e d ; and 5 2091172 "(3) E x c e p t as o t h e r w i s e p r o v i d e d i n S e c t i o n 30-3B-209, [ A l a . Code 1975,] t h e name and a d d r e s s o f t h e p e r s o n s e e k i n g registration and any parent or person a c t i n g as a p a r e n t who has been a w a r d e d custody or v i s i t a t i o n i n the c h i l d custody d e t e r m i n a t i o n s o u g h t t o be r e g i s t e r e d . " The enforce paternal the foreign the requirements paternal grandparents' petition to register c h i l d - c u s t o d y o r d e r d i d not o f § 30-3B-305. grandparents was The petition accompanied by and comply w i t h filed only by a the single, i n c o m p l e t e , c e r t i f i e d copy o f the f o r e i g n c h i l d - c u s t o d y o r d e r . Moreover, the "statement paternal under penalty grandparents of perjury did that not to include the a best of [ t h e i r ] k n o w l e d g e and b e l i e f " t h e f o r e i g n c h i l d - c u s t o d y o r d e r had not been m o d i f i e d . § Although this 30-3B-305(a)(2). c o u r t has not determined f a i l u r e t o comply w i t h the r e g i s t r a t i o n 3B-305, we registration part of the have held that requirements Uniform a the e f f e c t of r e q u i r e m e n t s of § 30- failure to comply with the o f § 30-3A-602, A l a . Code 1975, Interstate a Family Support Act a ("the U I F S A " ) , § 30-3A-101 e t s e q . , A l a . Code 1975, d e p r i v e s a t r i a l court of subject-matter j u r i s d i c t i o n to enforce a foreign c h i l d - s u p p o r t o r d e r . See M a t t e s v. M a t t e s , [Ms. 2081122, M a r c h 6 2091172 12, 2010] So. 3d registration requirements serve a s i m i l a r notes the , (Ala. C i v . o f t h e UIFSA a n d t h e UCCJEA function. orders." state 2 both process o f t h e UCCJEA f o r the registration "parallels of c h i l d support M o r e o v e r , § 30-3B-306 p r o v i d e s t h a t a c o u r t o f t h i s may order. i n UIFSA The The O f f i c i a l Comment t o § 30-3B-305 that the registration process App. 2 0 1 0 ) . enforce only a registered foreign Because t h e p a t e r n a l grandparents the s t a t u t o r y requirements child-custody d i d n o t comply w i t h o f § 30-3B-305, t h e t r i a l c o u r t d i d not o b t a i n s u b j e c t - m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n over t h e f o r e i g n c h i l d custody order. Thus, t h e t r i a l court could not enforce the foreign child-custody order. Because the t r i a l court jurisdiction to enforce the foreign child-custody order, the 2 d i d n o t have subject-matter S e c t i o n 30-3B-306 p r o v i d e s : "(a) A c o u r t o f t h i s s t a t e may g r a n t a n y r e l i e f n o r m a l l y a v a i l a b l e under t h e l a w o f t h i s s t a t e t o enforce a r e g i s t e r e d c h i l d custody determination made by a c o u r t o f a n o t h e r s t a t e . "(b) A c o u r t o f t h i s s t a t e s h a l l r e c o g n i z e a n d e n f o r c e , b u t may n o t m o d i f y , e x c e p t i n a c c o r d a n c e with Article 2, a registered child custody determination of a court of another s t a t e . " 7 2091172 trial court's S t a t e ex A void appellate judgment i s void. r e l . Whetstone, judgment will 935 not So. Gulf 2d App. 2008). instruct o r d e r and the Therefore, trial we court i t s S e p t e m b e r 7, an So. dismiss to vacate 2010, 1183 appeal. attempted v o i d j u d g m e n t . " Vann v. Cook, 989 Hotel, 1177, support c o u r t must d i s m i s s an Beach the Id. "[A]n from ... 559 mother's a (Ala. Civ. appeal i t s September judgment. v. ( A l a . 2006). appeal 2d 556, Inc. 2, and 2010, 3 APPEAL DISMISSED WITH INSTRUCTIONS. Thompson, P.J., and Pittman, Bryan, and Moore, J J . , concur. B e c a u s e we h o l d t h a t t h e p a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s d i d n o t p r o p e r l y invoke the s u b j e c t - m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n of the t r i a l c o u r t , we p r e t e r m i t d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e m o t h e r ' s remaining a r g u m e n t s on a p p e a l . See F a v o r i t e M a r k e t S t o r e v. W a l d r o p , 924 So. 2d 719, 723 ( A l a . C i v . App. 2 0 0 5 ) . 3 8

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