In Re Nerren, Unpublished Decision (4-1-1998)
In Re Nerren, Unpublished Decision (4-1-1998)
Opinion of the Court
Verni and Raymond Nerren were married on March 3, 1972. The parties were divorced on August 25, 1993 in Nashville, Tennessee. Two children were born as issue of the marriage: Dennis Randall, born December 21, 1981; and Rachel Parker, born May 25, 1984. The Tennessee court that granted Raymond a divorce from Verni awarded permanent custody of Rachel and Dennis to Raymond.
Thereafter, Verni sought custody of Rachel in the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division. After finding that it had concurrent jurisdiction with Tennessee in the matter, the trial court designated Verni as the residential parent of Rachel. The trial court also stated that Raymond Nerren was to have visitation with Rachel to the extent that Verni Nerren was permitted visitation with Dennis, "or as the parties may agree or is hereafter ordered upon request for hearing as to visitation," and ordered Raymond to pay to Verni support for Rachel in the amount of $150.00 per month.
On April 17, 1996, Verni moved the trial court for an order requiring Raymond to allow telephone visitation between Rachel and her brother Dennis. In this motion, Verni alleged that Raymond had stated to Verni "that he would never allow any more telephone calls or visitation for Rachel with her brother in Memphis or any place else as punishment for [Verni's] appearance at [a hearing on the issue of the custody of Dennis.]"
On May 13, 1996, Verni moved the trial court to increase support payments for Rachel. In this motion, Verni alleged that Rachel required counseling due to Raymond's alleged denial of visitation between Rachel and Dennis. On June 18, 1996, the magistrate issued his findings and decisions denying: 1)Verni's motion for visitation because the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division lacked jurisdiction in the matter; and 2) Verni's motion for increased child support for counseling. The trial court adopted the magistrate's decision as an order of the court. Verni filed objections to the magistrate's findings and decisions. The trial court overruled Verni's objections. Verni appeals, assigning three errors.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN HOLDING THAT IT DID NOT HAVE JURISDICTION TO ORDER THE DEFENDANT-APPELLEE TO ALLOW VISITATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHILD BEFORE THE COURT WITH HER BROTHER WHO RESIDES IN TENNESSEE WITH DEFENDANT-APPELLEE PURSUANT TO A TENNESSEE COURT ORDER WHICH HAS BEEN REGISTERED IN WAYNE COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT.
R.C.
(A) If a court of another state has made a parenting decree, a court of this state shall not modify that decree, unless it appears to the court of this state that the court that rendered the decree does not now have jurisdiction under jurisdictional prerequisites substantially in accordance with sections
3109.21 to3109.36 of the Revised Code, or has declined to assume jurisdiction to modify the decree, and the court of this state has jurisdiction.
R.C.
(A) No court of this state that has jurisdiction to make a parenting determination relative to a child shall exercise that jurisdiction unless one of the following applies:
(1) This state is the home state of the child at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, or this state has been the child's home state within six months before commencement of the proceedings and the child is absent from this state because of his removal or retention by a parent who claims a right to be the residential parent and legal custodian of a child or by any other person claiming his custody or is absent from this state for other reasons, and a parent or person acting as parent continues to live in this state;
(2) It is in the best interest of the child that a court of this state assumes jurisdiction because the child and his parents, or the child and at least one contestant, have a significant connection with this state, and there is available in this state substantial evidence concerning the child's present or future care, protection, training, and personal relationships;
(3) The child is physically present in this state and either has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because he has been subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse or is otherwise neglected or dependent;
(4) It appears that no other state would have jurisdiction under prerequisites substantially in accordance with division (A)(1), (2), or (3) of this section, or a court in another state has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this state is the more appropriate forum to make a parenting determination relative to the child, and it is in the best interest of the child that this court assume jurisdiction.
(B) Except as provided in divisions (A)(3) and (4) of this section, physical presence in this state of the child, or of the child and one of the contestants, is not alone sufficient to confer jurisdiction on a court of this state to make a parenting determination relative to the child.
(C) Physical presence of the child, while desirable, is not a prerequisite for jurisdiction to make a parenting determination relative to the child.
The only subsection of R.C.
"Determining custody under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act is within the discretion of the trial court." Inre Skrha (1994),
Dennis does not have a "significant connection" with Ohio as required by R.C.
The trial court did not abuse its discretion when determining that it has no jurisdiction to modify a decree determining custody of or visitation with Dennis. Verni's first assignment of error is overruled.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN NOT INCREASING CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT OF THE CHILD BEFORE IT FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA CAUSED BY DEFENDANT-APPELLEE'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AND VISITATION BETWEEN THE CHILD AND HER BROTHER.
R.C. 3113.21.5(B)(4) governs modification of the amount of child support obligation and provides in part:
[I]f an obligor or obligee under a child support order requests the court to modify the amount of support required to be paid pursuant to the child support order and if the court determines that the amount of support does not adequately meet the medical needs of the child, the inadequate coverage shall be considered by the court as a change of circumstance that is substantial enough to require a modification of the amount of child support order.
The magistrate stated that he denied Verni's motion to increase Raymond's child support obligation because:
[n]o evidence was presented that medical costs for counseling services were incurred by Verni Nerren for Rachel Nerren. Further, no evidence was presented that psychotherapy was medically recommended or could not be obtained with minimal cost through the Counseling Center or Wayne County Children's Services Board.
Appellate review of factual determinations underlying a trial court's decisions concerning child support is limited to a determination of whether the court abused its discretion. Mallinv. Mallin (1995),
Verni's second assignment of error is overruled.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN NOT AWARDING DEFAULT JUDGMENT TO PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT WHEN DEFENDANT-APPELLEE FAILED TO APPEAR AS ORDERED BY THE COURT AND AS SUBPOENAED, AND FAILED TO REQUEST A CONTINUANCE.
Civ.R. 55 governs default judgments and provides in part:
(A) When a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend as provided by these rules, the party entitled to a judgment by default shall apply in writing or orally to the court therefor[.]
Verni moved for default judgment in her objections to the magistrate's proposed decision. Civ.R. 75 governs the applicability of the Civil Rules to divorce actions and related proceedings. Civ.R. 75(F) states that "[t]he provisions of Civ.R. 55 shall not apply in divorce * * * actions." The overarching concern of a trial court when making decisions regarding the care, custody and support of a child is the best interest of the child. Granting a default judgment simply upon the request of the moving party without considering the best interest of the child would be inappropriate in these matters, as children are not property and one's continuing obligations to one's children cannot be reduced to a one-time judgment. The trial court has a duty to base its determination in custody matters on the evidence before it. The trial court held that Verni did not present evidence sufficient to establish that it would be in Dennis' best interest for the trial court to exercise its jurisdiction over him.
In addition, the trial court found that Verni failed to present evidence of medical costs which would allow it to modify Raymond's existing child support obligation. The trial court did not err in not granting default judgment to Verni.
Therefore, Verni's third assignment of error is overruled. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this court, directing the County of Wayne, Common Pleas Court to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E).
Costs taxed to appellant.
Exceptions. _______________________________ WILLIAM R. BAIRD
FOR THE COURT
SLABY, P. J.
REECE, J. CONCUR.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.