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REL: 04/13/2012

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, 2011-2012

2101154

A.E.

and J.E. v. M.C.

Appeal from M a r s h a l l C i r c u i t (DR-10-882)

Court

2101173

A.E.

and J.E. v. M.C.

Appeal from M a r s h a l l J u v e n i l e Court (JU-10-300302.01)

2101154 a n d 2101173 PER CURIAM. A.E. uncle") aunt ("the m a t e r n a l (hereinafter aunt") and J.E. ("the maternal

together referred

t o as " t h e m a t e r n a l their niece, of

and u n c l e " )

appeal

a determination that

T.L.S. custody

("the c h i l d " ) , of the c h i l d

i s n o t dependent to the c h i l d ' s

and t h e award father, M.C.

("the

father"). The c h i l d ' s m o t h e r , J . L . S . never m a r r i e d . ("the m o t h e r " ) , a n d t h e f a t h e r

A F e b r u a r y 5, 2005, judgment o f t h e M a r s h a l l

J u v e n i l e C o u r t , i n c a s e number C S - 0 4 - 2 0 0 1 7 2 , a d j u d i c a t e d t h e f a t h e r ' s p a t e r n i t y and o r d e r e d him t o pay c h i l d support.

On June 7, 2 0 0 6 , t h e m o t h e r d i e d ; t h e c h i l d was two y e a r s old at that time. According to allegations death, S.K.P. i n the r e c o r d , ("the maternal a

shortly

after

t h e mother's a n d R.S.

grandmother") petition child

("the m a t e r n a l g r a n d f a t h e r " ) f i l e d Juvenile On Court

i n t h e Etowah

s e e k i n g t o have t h e 4, 2006, the Etowah 4,

declared

dependent.

August

Juvenile

C o u r t e n t e r e d an o r d e r

(hereinafter

t h e "August

2 0 0 6 , d e p e n d e n c y o r d e r " ) f i n d i n g t h e c h i l d t o be d e p e n d e n t a n d awarding pendente l i t e custody of the c h i l d to the maternal

2

2101154 and grandmother.

2101173
1

A handwritten notation

on

t h e A u g u s t 4, and

2006, order

dependency order s t a t e s t h a t the dependency p e t i t i o n were t o be Within served a few on the father. of receiving custody of

months

the

child

p u r s u a n t t o t h e A u g u s t 4, 2 0 0 6 , d e p e n d e n c y o r d e r , t h e m a t e r n a l grandmother t r a n s f e r r e d p h y s i c a l custody of the m a t e r n a l a u n t and seek or obtain a uncle. court the The order child m a t e r n a l a u n t and awarding remained the them in child uncle to did of of the not the the 2011

custody home the

child. maternal

However, aunt and

the of

uncle

until

entry

July

judgment i n the u n d e r l y i n g On October 14, Family 2010,

actions. the of was the the father f i l e d Marshall a petition the in the

"Unified

Court"

County; as

action DR-

i n i t i a t e d by 10-882. and

that petition

designated

c a s e number

In h i s p e t i t i o n , custody of

f a t h e r s o u g h t an a w a r d o f child. The father as named

legal the been

physical

m o t h e r , whom he

identified

i n that

petition

having

d e c e a s e d f o r more t h a n f o u r y e a r s ,

as t h e s o l e d e f e n d a n t ; t h e

T h e r e i s no i n d i c a t i o n i n t h e r e c o r d t h a t t h e m a t e r n a l g r a n d f a t h e r was a w a r d e d p e n d e n t e l i t e c u s t o d y o f t h e c h i l d o r t h a t he has b e e n i n v o l v e d as a p a r t y t o any o t h e r actions p e r t a i n i n g to the c h i l d .
1

3

2101154 father

and

2101173 the maternal grandmother as a "potential sometimes The that trial the

named

intervenor" referred court

i n case

number DR-10-882 custody an

(hereinafter action").
2

t o as

"the f a t h e r ' s action entered

i n that

order

specifying

f a t h e r ' s p e t i t i o n be s e r v e d on t h e m a t e r n a l g r a n d m o t h e r . On November 18, 2010, t h e m a t e r n a l a u n t a n d u n c l e i n the M a r s h a l l child the filed

J u v e n i l e C o u r t a p e t i t i o n s e e k i n g t o have t h e

d e c l a r e d d e p e n d e n t and s e e k i n g an a w a r d o f c u s t o d y o f The action initiated by the maternal aunt and

child.

u n c l e ' s d e p e n d e n c y p e t i t i o n was d e s i g n a t e d as c a s e number J U 10-300302.01 and i s h e r e i n a f t e r s o m e t i m e s r e f e r r e d t o i n t h i s opinion as " t h e d e p e n d e n c y a c t i o n " o r " t h e m a t e r n a l a u n t and In t h e i r dependency p e t i t i o n , the

u n c l e ' s dependency a c t i o n . "

m a t e r n a l a u n t and u n c l e a l l e g e d t h a t t h e m a t e r n a l g r a n d m o t h e r had relinquished physical the mother's death, custody and t o them the i n 2006, child had shortly resided alleged

after

that

c o n t i n u o u s l y i n t h e i r home s i n c e t h a t t i m e ; t h e y a l s o

I n h i s c u s t o d y p e t i t i o n , t h e f a t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t he h a d b e e n a d j u d i c a t e d t h e f a t h e r o f t h e c h i l d i n 2005 and h a d p a i d s u p p o r t f o r t h e c h i l d p u r s u a n t t o t h e 2005 j u d g m e n t . The f a t h e r f u r t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t t h e m o t h e r h a d d i e d i n 2006 and t h a t t h e c h i l d h a d b e e n r e s i d i n g s i n c e 2006 i n t h e p h y s i c a l c u s t o d y o f t h e m a t e r n a l g r a n d m o t h e r o r t h e m a t e r n a l a u n t and uncle.
2

4

2101154 and that child their the to

2101173 voluntarily maternal to r e l i n q u i s h e d c u s t o d y of aunt and uncle that later the the

f a t h e r had them. The

amended was the

dependency

petition

allege

child

dependent because, t h e y argued, the child. In their

f a t h e r had

abandoned the

amended d e p e n d e n c y p e t i t i o n ,

maternal parental and the in the

a u n t and u n c l e s o u g h t t h e t e r m i n a t i o n o f t h e f a t h e r ' s rights. uncle At the trial their of t h i s m a t t e r , the seeking the

m a t e r n a l aunt termination to of

withdrew

claim

father's conformity

parental with

rights,

but

they continued

assert, that child.

their

amended d e p e n d e n c y p e t i t i o n , abandonment o f t h e

f a t h e r ' s a c t i o n s c o n s t i t u t e d an We County custody circuit

note t h a t t h i s c o u r t ' s c l e r k v e r i f i e d t h a t i n M a r s h a l l a domestic-relations i s within
3

action

such

as of

the that

father's county's

action court.

the

jurisdiction aunt and

The

maternal

uncle's

dependency

Under the c u r r e n t Alabama J u v e n i l e J u s t i c e A c t ("the A J J A " ) ,

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