In re Nelke
In re Nelke
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by Justice Schenck *919In this mandamus proceeding, relator Evelyn Nelke (Maternal Grandmother) seeks relief from the trial court's November 29, 2018 temporary orders (Temporary Orders) in this suit affecting the parent-child relationship. After reviewing the parties' briefs and the mandamus record, we have determined Maternal Grandmother is entitled to partial relief from the Temporary Orders. We therefore conditionally grant the writ in part and deny it in part.
BACKGROUND
Real party in interest Mother, Father, and Older Child
On March 23, 2018, Paternal Grandmother filed an original petition in suit affecting the parent-child relationship (SAPCR) regarding Older Child. That same month, Child Protective Services (CPS) received a referral regarding Older Child.
In July 2018, Younger Child was born, and about that time, CPS received a referral regarding Younger Child. Concerned about allegations of Mother's drug use, CPS conducted an investigation, during which Mother tested positive for drug use. Mother agreed to a CPS parent-child safety placement, which placed both children with Maternal Grandmother and required that Mother move out of Maternal Grandmother's home and have only supervised visitation with the children.
On July 12, 2018, Maternal Grandmother filed a petition to intervene in Paternal Grandmother's SAPCR regarding Older Child and filed an original SAPCR regarding Younger Child.
On November 29, 2018, the respondent trial court judge held a temporary orders hearing, at the conclusion of which the trial court ruled that Paternal Grandmother would have some access and possession *920and be appointed a possessory conservator "because the elements of [family code section] 102.004(a)(1) were met." That same day, the trial court signed the Temporary Orders, which appointed Maternal Grandmother as managing conservator and Mother and Paternal Grandmother as possessory conservators, granted Paternal Grandmother an expanded standard possession schedule, granted Mother supervised access at agreed times, and provided for health insurance and medical support of Younger Child. The trial court set trial on the SAPCR regarding Younger Child for March 7, 2019.
On January 14, 2019, Maternal Grandmother filed this petition for writ of mandamus and a motion for emergency relief requesting this Court stay the underlying proceedings pending this Court's ruling on her petition for writ of mandamus. By order dated January 18, 2019, this Court granted Maternal Grandmother's motion for emergency relief, stayed the underlying proceedings, stayed the Temporary Orders, and requested that the real parties in interest respond by February 1, 2019. Only Paternal Grandmother responded.
In her petition for writ of mandamus, Maternal Grandmother raises two issues. First, she challenges Paternal Grandmother's standing to file a petition to intervene in Maternal Grandmother's pending original SAPCR regarding Younger Child. Second, Maternal Grandmother argues the trial court abused its discretion in awarding Paternal Grandmother possession of and access to Younger Child.
AVAILABILITY OF MANDAMUS REVIEW
Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy. See In re Sw. Bell Tel. Co. ,
DISCUSSION
I. Paternal Grandmother's Standing
As a preliminary matter, we address Paternal Grandmother's argument that we should not address Maternal Grandmother's challenge to her standing on mandamus because Maternal Grandmother did not object to her standing in the trial court.
Because the family code by its terms confers standing on parties, we begin by *921reviewing whether a party has established standing within the framework of that code. See State v. Naylor ,
Here, the petition in intervention maintains that Paternal Grandmother has standing to intervene under section 102.004 of the family code because (1) she is related to the child within the third degree of consanguinity and (2) "the order is necessary because the child's present circumstances would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development." Further, the trial judge stated on the record at the November 29, 2018 hearing that she was granting Paternal Grandmother custody, possession, and access under section 102.004(a)(1), not under section 153.433(b), and that she believes the elements of 102.004(a)(1) were met.
Section 102.004(a)(1) provides:
(a) In addition to the general standing to file suit provided by Section 102.003, a grandparent, or another relative of the child related within the third degree by consanguinity, may file an original suit requesting managing conservatorship if there is satisfactory proof to the court that:
(1) the order requested is necessary because the child's present circumstances would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development....
FAM. § 102.004(a)(1).
Subsection (a), however, applies by its plain terms only to the filing of an "original suit," which Paternal Grandmother did not file in connection with Younger Child; instead she filed a petition to intervene in Maternal Grandmother's suit. See
Accordingly, we cannot sustain the trial court's jurisdictional conclusion on the grounds asserted and found below. That does not end our inquiry, of course. Because standing is a component of subject matter jurisdiction and a question of law, we can conclude the trial court did not err in concluding Paternal Grandmother had standing on a subsection other than the one referenced by the trial court at the hearing. See In re M.P.B. ,
the court may grant a grandparent or other person, subject to the requirements *922of Subsection (b-1) if applicable,5 deemed by the court to have had substantial past contact with the child leave to intervene in a pending suit filed by a person authorized to do so under this chapter if there is satisfactory proof to the court that appointment of a parent as a sole managing conservator or both parents as joint managing conservators would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development.
FAM. § 102.004(b).
Maternal Grandmother urges that Paternal Grandmother could not establish the first requirement for standing under section 102.004(b) because Paternal Grandmother did not allege in her petition that she had substantial past contact with the child, and the evidence at the hearing showed she had no contact with the child before filing the petition to intervene. Paternal Grandmother argues in her response the "substantial past contact" requirement does not apply to a grandparent but instead applies only to "other person." We agree. If section 102.004(b) affords grandparents standing only if they have substantial past contact with their grandchild, then the word "grandparent" in subsection (b) is rendered meaningless as "grandparents" are inevitably persons themselves and their separate inclusion in the text would be pointless. We presume the Legislature intended the words it used to have effect. See Spradlin v. Jim Walter Homes, Inc. ,
Our conclusion is supported by more than just grammar. A grandparent is commonly and well understood to stand in a different relation to a child than members of the general public. See, e.g. , Troxel v. Granville ,
In reaching this conclusion, we note our prior opinion in which we applied the substantial past contact requirement to a grandmother. See In re J.R.W. , No. 05-15-01479-CV,
We also recognize the opinion of one of our sister courts of appeals concluding intervening grandparents lacked standing because they failed to establish substantial past contact, but that opinion did not include any analysis as to whether grandparents as opposed to "other persons" should be required to do so. See In re Tinker ,
Having concluded Paternal Grandmother did not need to establish substantial past contact, we will now address whether Paternal Grandmother presented the statutorily required satisfactory proof that appointment of Mother as a sole managing conservator would significantly impair *924Younger Child's physical health or emotional development. See FAM. § 102.004(b) ; In re E.C. ,
Here, the record showed Mother agreed to place both children with Maternal Grandmother pursuant to a CPS parent-child safety placement after she had tested positive for drug use. The safety placement required that Mother not live with Maternal Grandmother, limited Mother to supervised visitation, and was still in place at the time of the hearing. The CPS employee testified that its investigation was closed, but that CPS did not feel it was safe for Mother to live with the children until she had started services, Mother had not started services at the time of the hearing, and CPS would still be concerned to have her living with Maternal Grandmother. Further, Mother testified that she had engaged in drug use while living with Older Child and while pregnant with Younger Child, and, although she had been seeking treatment and therapy prior to the hearing, she agreed her children needed to live with Maternal Grandmother. From the foregoing, we conclude the record contains satisfactory proof that appointment of Mother as sole managing conservator would significantly impair Younger Child's physical health or emotional development. See FAM. § 102.004(b).
We conclude the trial court did not err in concluding that Paternal Grandmother had standing to intervene, although we find that standing to be supported under section 102.004(b). We therefore overrule Maternal Grandmother's first issue.
II. Trial Court's Grant of Possession to Paternal Grandmother
In her second issue, Maternal Grandmother argues the trial court abused its discretion in entering a temporary order awarding Paternal Grandmother possession of and access to Younger Child. Maternal Grandmother points to section 153.433's presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of the parent's child and urges that the record does not support a contrary finding. A trial court abuses its discretion if it issues temporary orders giving possession to a grandparent who has not overcome the statutory presumption of section 153.433 that a parent acts in her child's best interest. See In re Scheller ,
On these facts and in looking at the statute, we question whether the parental presumption remains extant.
Section 153.433 provides what facts a grandparent must establish in order to allow a trial court to order reasonable possession of or access to a grandchild by a grandparent, including, among other things:
the grandparent requesting possession of or access to the child overcomes the presumption that a parent acts in the best interest of the parent's child by proving by a preponderance of the evidence that denial of possession of or access to the child would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional well-being....
See FAM. § 153.433(a)(2); In re Derzapf ,
*925As noted, in order to establish standing to intervene under section 102.004(b), Paternal Grandmother had to present satisfactory proof that appointment of Mother as a sole managing conservator would significantly impair Younger Child's physical health or emotional development. See FAM. § 102.004(b). The question on the merits, however, contemplates a different factual inquiry of whether denial of Paternal Grandmother's possession of or access to Younger Child would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional well-being (and thus overcome the statutory presumption that Mother is acting in the best interest of Younger Child). See
We will begin with the observation that the status of the parental presumption at this stage is less than clear. Given the unique positions here, it is arguable-as at least one other court of appeals has determined-that the parental presumption is no longer extant. See In re Smith ,
At present, Mother retains only supervised access to Younger Child as a possessory conservator while Maternal Grandmother acts as managing conservator. This arrangement is a product of Mother's own agreement and arguably reflects in itself a manifestation of the presumption that she is in fact acting in the child's best interest as the case proceeds toward its final disposition. Meanwhile, of course, Mother is not seeking appointment as managing conservator. Maternal Grandmother is. Mother's decisions to this point of the proceedings may not result in her presently or ultimately becoming managing conservator of Younger Child. But that is not the object of our inquiry. It is, instead, whether Mother is acting in the child's best interest. Section 153.433, as written, requires a grandparent to overcome the presumption the parent acts in the child's best interest and does not reference whether that parent must presently (or temporarily) be acting in the capacity of a managing conservator. See
Regardless of whether the parental presumption remains applicable here, Paternal Grandmother must show either that (1) denial of her possession or access to Younger Child would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional well-being (so as to overcome the parental presumption if it applies) or (2) awarding her possession of and access to Younger Child was in the child's best interest. See FAM. § 153.002; In re Smith ,
The record at this stage shows Younger Child was safe, "happy and doing well" with Maternal Grandmother in a placement agreed to by CPS and Mother. The CPS employee testified and Paternal Grandmother admitted that Younger Child was safe with Maternal Grandmother with Mother remaining engaged. The CPS employee expressed concerns about placing Younger Child with Paternal Grandmother because both Mother and Father had used drugs while living with Paternal Grandmother and Older Child, and Paternal *926Grandmother had not acted to protect Older Child at that time.
Maternal Grandmother testified she had been caring for Younger Child since she brought the child home from the hospital, and that she was concerned that Paternal Grandmother did not protect Older Child from exposure to the drugs Mother and Father used while living with Paternal Grandmother. Maternal Grandmother testified that she was also concerned Paternal Grandmother would not relinquish custody of Younger Child because, in February 2018, Paternal Grandmother had previously refused to return Older Child to Maternal Grandmother or Mother. Maternal Grandmother testified Paternal Grandmother had not contacted her to see Younger Child or to ask how the child was doing.
Mother testified she did not want Paternal Grandmother to have any access to Younger Child and that she did not think it would be in the best interest of the children to be with anyone other than Maternal Grandmother. Mother also stated "the best decision I made was leaving" the children with Maternal Grandmother, the children are happy and doing well in school, and that Mother is still a part of their lives. Mother testified that she had used drugs while living with Paternal Grandmother despite the fact that Paternal Grandmother was aware that she and Father were drug users.
Paternal Grandmother explained that she had refused to return Older Child to Mother and Maternal Grandmother in February 2018 because she wanted to establish "evidence that I was doing everything I could to protect" the child. Paternal Grandmother admitted she knew Father was using drugs while living with her, but stated he was using them on the weekend when he was in jail. She denied knowing that Mother was using drugs until Father told her so shortly before his death. Paternal Grandmother testified that, if the trial court allowed her to have contact with Younger Child, she would be willing to help Younger Child with "everything," including the child's education, living, care, and other needs. Paternal Grandmother testified she had contacted Maternal Grandmother and Mother multiple times to see Older Child, but did not recall if she had asked to see Younger Child.
On this record, there is no evidence that denial of Paternal Grandmother's possession of or access to Younger Child would significantly impair Younger Child's physical health or emotional well-being sufficient to satisfy Paternal Grandmother's statutory burden under section 153.433. See FAM. § 153.433(a)(2). Moreover, on this record and at this stage of the proceedings, we cannot conclude awarding Paternal Grandmother possession of or access to Younger Child would be in the child's best interest.
We sustain Maternal Grandmother's second issue. We therefore direct the trial court to vacate the portions of the Temporary Orders that award Paternal Grandmother *927possession of and access to Younger Child.
CONCLUSION
We deny in part and conditionally grant in part Maternal Grandmother's petition for writ of mandamus. We deny Maternal Grandmother's petition for writ of mandamus on her issue concerning Paternal Grandmother's standing. We conditionally grant the petition for writ of mandamus on the issue of the grant of possession to Paternal Grandmother. We order the trial court to vacate the portions of the Temporary Orders appointing Paternal Grandmother a possessory conservator and awarding her possession of Younger Child. A writ will issue only in the event the trial court fails to comply with this opinion and the order of this date. We lift the stay issued by this Court on January 18, 2019.
Both Older Child and Younger Child have initials K.E.K., so we will refer to them as Older Child and Younger Child throughout this opinion.
In the petition to intervene in the SAPCR regarding Older Child, Maternal Grandmother named a different man than Father as Older Child's alleged father.
Paternal Grandmother later testified that since filing the original SAPCR regarding Older Child she learned that her son was not the biological father of Older Child.
At the conclusion of the temporary orders hearing, Maternal Grandmother's counsel stated, "We're not arguing that [Paternal Grandmother] doesn't have standing. But in order for the Court to grant the possession, the Court has to make the findings under [family code section] 153."
Subsection (b-1) limits when a foster parent may be granted leave to intervene. See Fam. § 102.004(b-1).
In In re Clay , the Fort Worth Court of Appeals held that, despite their involvement in caring for a child before the mother's death, maternal grandparents lacked standing to intervene because they set forth insufficient amount of evidence that the father's sole managing conservatorship would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development. In re Clay , 02-18-00404-CV,
The trial court did not make any findings on whether award of possession or access to Paternal Grandmother was in Younger Child's best interest, nor does the record support any such implied findings.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.