Sloat v. Sloat, Unpublished Decision (9-29-2006)
Sloat v. Sloat, Unpublished Decision (9-29-2006)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellee Geneva Greathouse has not filed a brief in the instant appeal. App.R. 18(C) states, in pertinent part, that:
{¶ 3} "* * * If an appellee fails to file the appellee's brief within the time provided by this rule, * * * the [appellate] court may accept the appellant's statement of the facts and issues as correct and reverse the judgment if appellant's brief reasonably appears to sustain such action."
{¶ 5} On July 22, 1991, Plaintiff-Appellee Geneva Sloat nka Greathouse filed a Complaint for Divorce. Certified mail service was made on Defendant-Appellant at 453 East Summit Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601
{¶ 6} An Amended Complaint was filed August 20, 1991, stating that she was currently pregnant and that the child was due February 5, 1992.
{¶ 7} On September 24, 1992, a Notice of Amended Service was filed stating that the copy of the Amended Complaint sent to the Alliance address was returned marked "moved, left no address." Such Notice further stated a copy of the Amended Complaint was then mailed to Defendant-Appellant at RD#1, P.O. Box 726, Windridge, PA, 15380 on September 23, 1991.
{¶ 8} On December 12, 1991, a Motion for Genetic Testing was filed requesting that Defendant-Appellant submit to testing to determine paternity of Plaintiff-Appellee's unborn child.
{¶ 9} On December 18, 1991, an Order was filed requiring Defendant-Appellant to undergo such testing for the purposes of establishing paternity.
{¶ 10} Defendant-Appellant never filed an Answer to the Complaint for Divorce, nor did he respond to the motion for genetic testing or comply with the Order to submit to same.
{¶ 11} The Divorce Decree in this matter was filed on February 21, 1992, wherein the trial court held that the minor child, Brendan Joseph Sloat, born January 20, 1992, was issue of the parties' marriage and ordering, inter alia, Defendant-Appellant to pay child support in the amount of $70.00 per month plus poundage.
{¶ 12} On or about September 24, 2003, an Order to Obligor to Seek Employment was filed in the instant case. An attempt was made to serve Defendant-Appellant with such Order by certified mail at 6161 East Benson Highway, Tuscon, AZ 85706 but such was returned marked "unclaimed". A second attempt was made by regular mail but it too was returned, marked "attempted, not known".
{¶ 13} On January 13, 2006, Defendant-Appellant sent a letter to the trial court stating that he never was served with a copy of the Amended Complaint for Divorce, that he never knew that Plaintiff-Appellee had alleged he was the father of the minor child nor did he know that he had ever been ordered to pay child support until he received a letter from the BMV stating that his driver's license had been suspended for his default of a support order. Defendant-Appellant stated that he underwent genetic testing which determined that his probability of paternity was 0%. He attached the DNA Parentage Test Report, dated January 9, 2006, to his letter. Defendant-Appellant moved the trial court to terminate the child support and remove his name from the child's birth certificate.
{¶ 14} By Judgment Entry dated January 20, 2006, the trial court denied Appellant's motions. No findings or explanations were contained in such Judgment Entry.
{¶ 15} It is from this denial that Appellant now appeals.
{¶ 16} Appellant's brief does not contain separate arguments with respect to each assignment of error presented; therefore, it is not in compliance App. R. 16(A)(7), nor does it comply with the other provisions of App.R. 16, which requires the following:
{¶ 17} "(A) Brief of the appellant
{¶ 18} "The appellant shall include in its brief, under the headings and in the order indicated, all of the following:
{¶ 19} "(1) A table of contents, with page references.
{¶ 20} "(2) A table of cases alphabetically arranged, statutes, and other authorities cited, with references to the pages of the brief where cited.
{¶ 21} "(3) A statement of the assignments of error presented for review, with reference to the place in the record where each error is reflected.
{¶ 22} "(4) A statement of the issues presented for review, with references to the assignments of error to which each issue relates.
{¶ 23} "(5) A statement of the case briefly describing the nature of the case, the course of proceedings, and the disposition in the court below.
{¶ 24} "(6) A statement of facts relevant to the assignments of error presented for review, with appropriate references to the record in accordance with division (D) of this rule.
{¶ 25} "(7) An argument containing the contentions of the appellant with respect to each assignment of error presented for review and the reasons in support of the contentions, with citations to the authorities, statutes, and parts of the record on which appellant relies. The argument may be preceded by a summary.
{¶ 26} "(8) A conclusion briefly stating the precise relief sought."
{¶ 27} Notwithstanding Appellant's lack of compliance with the Appellate Rules, we shall review appellant's arguments. Since appellant has failed to set forth a separate assignment of error as such, we cannot list such in seriatim fashion as we normally do. However, we shall review Appellant's argument as contained in his "brief".
{¶ 29} R.C. §
{¶ 30} R.C. §
{¶ 31} "(A) Notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary in Civil Rule 60(B) and in accordance with this section, a person may file a motion for relief from a final judgment, court order, or administrative determination or order that determines that the person or a male minor referred to in division (B) of section
{¶ 32} "* * *"
{¶ 33} R.C. §
{¶ 34} "(A)(1) Upon the filing of a motion for relief under section
{¶ 35} "(a) The court receives genetic test results from a genetic test administered no more than six months prior to the filing of the motion for relief that finds that there is a zero per cent probability that the person or male minor is the father of the child.
{¶ 36} "(b) The person or male minor has not adopted the child.
{¶ 37} "(c) The child was not conceived as a result of artificial insemination in compliance with sections
{¶ 38} "(2) A court shall not deny relief from a final judgment, court order, or administrative determination or order that determines that a person or male minor is the father of a child or from a child support order under which a person or male minor is the obligor solely because of the occurrence of any of the following acts if the person or male minor at the time of or prior to the occurrence of that act did not know that he was not the natural father of the child:
{¶ 39} "(a) The person or male minor was required to support the child by a child support order.
{¶ 40} "(b) The person or male minor validly signed the child's birth certificate as an informant as provided in section
{¶ 41} "(c) The person or male minor was named in an acknowledgment of paternity of the child that a court entered upon its journal pursuant to former section
{¶ 42} "(d) The person or male minor was named in an acknowledgment of paternity of the child that has become final under section
{¶ 43} "(e) The person or male minor was presumed to be the natural father of the child under any of the circumstances listed in section
{¶ 44} "(f) The person or male minor was presumed to be the natural father of the child under any of the circumstances listed in:
{¶ 45} "(i) Division (A)(3) of section
{¶ 46} "(ii) Division (A)(3) of section
{¶ 47} "(iii) Division (A)(5) of section
{¶ 48} "(g) The person or male minor was determined to be the father of the child in a parentage action under Chapter 3111. of the Revised Code.
{¶ 49} "(h) The person or male minor otherwise admitted or acknowledged himself to be the child's natural father.
{¶ 50} "(B) A court shall not grant relief from a final judgment, court order, or administrative determination or order that determines that a person or male minor is the father of a child or from a child support order under which a person or male minor is the obligor if the court determines, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the person or male minor knew that he was not the natural father of the child before any of the following:
{¶ 51} "(1) Any act listed in divisions (A)(2)(a) to (d) and (A)(2)(f) of this section occurred.
{¶ 52} "(2) The person or male minor was presumed to be the natural father of the child under any of the circumstances listed in divisions (A)(1) to (3) of section
{¶ 53} "(3) The person or male minor otherwise admitted or acknowledged himself to be the child's father.
{¶ 54} "(C) If the determination of paternity from which relief is sought is an acknowledgment of paternity that has become final under section
{¶ 55} R.C. §
{¶ 56} "Except as otherwise provided in sections
{¶ 57} Upon review of the record in the case sub judice, we find that Appellant's motion for termination should be treated as a Motion for Relief pursuant to R.C. §
{¶ 58} We therefore reverse the trial court's denial of Appellant's motion for termination and remand this matter back to the trial court for consideration of Appellant's motion under R.C. §
{¶ 59} We should note that this Court is aware that at least two appellate courts, the Tenth and Sixth Appellate Districts, have found R.C. §§
{¶ 60} We are not persuaded that such statutes conflict with the Civil Rules of Procedure from a separation of powers standpoint but such issue is not before us at this time.
{¶ 61} In each of the above cases, the courts held individuals to child support obligations despite DNA results proving that they were not the fathers. The outcome in each of those cases was driven not only by constitutional principles but also by an analysis of what is in the best interest of the child, finding that it was in the best interest of the child to sever a relationship between the individual and the child. Such considerations are not applicable in the case at bar in that the child is now fourteen years old and it appears from the record that Appellant was not even cognizant of the child's existence until last year.
{¶ 62} Appellant's assignment of error is sustained.
{¶ 63} This judgment of the lower court is reversed and this matter is remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
By: Boggins, J. Farmer, P.J and Edwards, J. concur.
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