Blair v. Badenhope

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON
FILED
October 1, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr.
Appellate C ourt Clerk

ARTHUR BLAI R, ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9604- CH- 00128
)
Pe t i t i one r - Appe l l a nt , ) GREENE CHANCERY
)
v. ) HON. DENNI S H. I NMAN,
) CHANCELLOR
MARI LYN BADENHOPE, )
) AFFI RMED AND
Re s ponde nt - Appe l l e e . ) REMANDED

CHARLES G. CURRER, Knoxvi l l e , f or Pe t i t i one r - Appe l l a nt .

J OHN T. M LBURN ROGERS, ROGERS, LAUGHLI N, NUNNALLY, HOOD &
I
CRUM Gr e e ne vi l l e , f or Re s ponde nt - Appe l l e e .
,

O P I N I O N

Fr a nks . J .

J oy Ba de nhope i s t he c hi l d of Sus a n Ba de nhope a nd

Ar t h u r Bl a i r . Sus a n Ba de nhope , a r e s i de nt of Nor t h Ca r ol i n a ,

d i e d whe n t he c hi l d wa s l e s s t ha n one ye a r ol d. Af t e r he r

d e a t h , J oy be ga n r e s i di n g wi t h he r ma t e r na l gr a ndmot he r ,

M r i l y n Ba de nhope , i n Te nne s s e e .
a The gr a ndmot he r wa s gr a nt e d

c u s t o d y by a Nor t h Ca r ol i na c our t i n a n a c t i on f or c us t ody s h e

f i l e d s ome t wo mont hs a f t e r t he mot he r ’ s de a t h. The f a t he r

s o o n t he r e a f t e r move d t o Te nne s s e e a nd f i l e d a n a c t i on i n
Te n n e s s e e t o i nc r e a s e vi s i t a t i on a nd a t t a i n c us t ody.

The Cha nc e l l or he l d t ha t t he r e ha d be e n a n

i n s u f f i c i e nt c ha nge of c i r c ums t a nc e s t o me r i t a c ha nge of

c u s t o d y a nd he r e f us e d t o a l t e r vi s i t a t i on.

The f a t he r c i t e s c a s e s s howi ng t ha t unde r r e c e nt

c o u r t de c i s i ons i n t hi s j ur i s di c t i on, bi ol ogi c a l pa r e nt s a r e

g i v e n pr e f e r e nc e ove r no n- pa r e nt s i n ma t t e r s of c us t ody, a nd

a r g u e s t ha t Te nne s s e e s houl d not f ol l ow t he Nor t h Ca r ol i na

d e c i s i on a s t o c us t ody of hi s da ught e r .

Te nne s s e e i s r e qui r e d t o r e c ogni z e a nd e nf or c e t h e

c u s t o d y de c r e e of a s i s t e r s t a t e . T. C. A. § 36- 6- 214 1 . Nor t h

Ca r o l i na wa s t he home s t a t e of J oy Ba de nhope a nd Ar t hur Bl a i r .

Th e No r t h Ca r ol i na Cour t ha d s ubj e c t ma t t e r a nd pe r s ona l

j u r i s d i c t i on ove r t he pa r t i e s .

I t s houl d be not e d t ha t t hi s i s not a n i ni t i a l

d e c i s i on de t e r mi ni ng who i s gr a nt e d c us t ody unde r Te nne s s e e

l a w. The r e f or e t he que s t i on i s , ha s t he r e be e n a ma t e r i a l

c ha ng e of c i r c ums t a nc e s s uf f i c i e nt t o a l t e r t he Nor t h Ca r ol i n a

a wa r d of c us t ody? M t e r of Par s ons , 914 S. W 2d 889, 893
at .

( Te n n . App. 1995) . The bur de n i s on t he non- c us t odi a l pa r e n t

t o p r ove c ha nge d c i r c ums t a nc e s . M s e l man v . Ac uf f , 826
us

S. W 2 d 920 ( Te nn. App. 1991) .
.

The onl y ?ma t e r i a l c ha nge ? c i t e d i n t he body of t h e

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T. C. A. § 3 6 - 6 - 2 1 4 i s t h e Te n n e s s e e Un i f o r m Ch i l d Cu s t o d y J u r i s d i c t i o n
Ac t . I t r e a ds :

Re c o g n i t i o n a n d e n f o r c e me n t o f f o r e i g n d e c r e e d . - Th e Co u r t s 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 a n i n i t i a l o r mo d i f i c a t i o n d e c r e e o f a
Co u r t o f a n o t h e r s t a t e wh i c h h a d a s s u me d j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r s t a t u t o r y
p r o v i s i o n s s u b s t a n t i a l l y i n a c c o r d a n c e wi t h t h i s p a r t o r wh i c h wa s ma d e
u n d e r f a c t u a l c i r c u ms t a n c e s me e t i n g t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s o f t h e
p a r t , s o l o n g a s t h i s d e c r e e h a s n o t b e e n mo d i f i e d i n a c c o r d a n c e wi t h
j u r i s d i c t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s s u b s t a n t i a l l y s i mi l a r t o t h o s e o f t h i s p a r t .

2
f a t h e r ’ s b r i e f i s t ha t ?Ar t hur Bl a i r a nd J oy ha ve bui l t a

r e l a t i ons hi p of l ove a nd t r us t ?.

W r e vi e w t he Tr i a l Cour t ’ s de c i s i on de novo upon
e

t h e r e c or d wi t h a pr e s umpt i on of c or r e c t ne s s . T. R. A. P. Rul e

13( d) . The Tr i a l Cour t wa s not pe r s ua de d t ha t t he r e ha d be e n

a c ha nge of c i r c ums t a nc e s uf f i c i i e nt t o a l t e r c us t ody.

?Cha nge d c i r c ums t a nc e s ? i nc l ude s a ny ma t e r i a l c ha ng e

o f c i r c ums t a nc e s a f f e c t i ng t he we l f a r e of t he c hi l d, i nc l ud i n g

n e w f a c t or s or c ha nge d c ondi t i ons whi c h c oul d not be

a n t i c i pa t e d by t he c us t ody or de r . Dal t on v . Dal t on, 858

S. W 2 d 324 ( Te nn. App. 1 993) .
. W c onc l ude f r om our r e vi e w o f
e

t h e r e c or d t ha t t he e vi de nc e doe s not pr e ponde r a t e a ga i ns t t h e

Tr i a l Cour t ’ s f i ndi ng of no ma t e r i a l c ha nge . The e vi de nc e

t h a t t he c hi l d ha s gr own c l os e r t o he r f a t he r a nd s t e p- mot h e r

i s a c i r c ums t a nc e t ha t i s hope d f or i n gr a nt i ng r e gul a r

v i s i t a t i on, not a n une x pe c t e d c i r c ums t a nc e . W a f f i r m t he
e

j u d g me nt of t he Tr i a l Cour t .

The f a t he r r a i s e s t he i s s ue ?di d t he Cha nc e l l or e r r

i n d e c l i ni ng t o i nc r e a s e a ppe l l a nt ’ s vi s i t a t i on? ? The i s s ue

i s r a i s e d i n t he s e c t i on t i t l e d ?I s s ue s Pr e s e nt e d on Appe a l . ?

Ho we v e r , i t i s not di s c us s e d i n t he br i e f . W n a pa r t y f a i l s
he

t o b r i e f a n i s s ue , t h e i s s ue i s wa i ve d. T. R. A. P. 2 7; Tay l o r

v . S t at e , 875 S. W 2d 684 ( Te nn. Cr i m. App. 1993) .
.

W a f f i r m t he j udgme nt of t he Tr i a l Cour t a t
e

a p p e l l a nt ’ s c os t , a nd r e ma nd.

________________________

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 He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J .

CONCUR:

_ _ _ _ _ ___________________ ___
Ho u s t o n M Godda r d, P. J .
.

_ _ _ _ _ _ __________________ ___
Do n T. M M r a y, J .
c ur

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