# FILED October 1, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N TH E C O U R T O FA PPEA LSO FTEN N ESSEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

AR THUR BLAI R , ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9604- C

H

- 00128 ) Pe tition e r - A

pp e lla nt , ) GR EENEC HANC ER Y ) v. ) HON. DENNI SH. I NM AN, ) C HANC ELLOR M AR I LYN BADENHOPE, ) ) AFFI R

M ED AND R e s ponde nt - A

ppe l l e e . ) R

EM ANDED

C H A R LESG . CU R R ER , K n o x v ille , for Pe tition e r - A pp e lla nt . J OHN T. M

I LBUR N R OGER S , R OGER S , LAUGHLI N, NUNNALLY, HOOD & C R U M , G r e e ne vi l l e , f or R e s ponde nt - A

ppe l l e e .

O PI 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 A r t hur Bl a i r . Sus a n Ba de nhope , a r e s i de nt of N or t h Ca r ol i na , di e d w he n t he c hi l d w

a s l e s s t ha n one ye a r ol d. A f t e r he r de a t h, J oy be ga n r e s i di ng w i t h he r m

a t e r na l gr a ndm

ot he r , M a r i l yn Ba de nhope , i n Te nne s s e e . The gr a ndm ot he r w

a s gr a nt e d c us t ody by a N

or 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 he f i l e d s om

e t w o m ont hs a f t e r t he m ot he r ’ s de a t h. The f a t he r s oon t he r e a f t e r m ove d t o Te nne s s e e a nd f i l e d a n a c t i on i n1 T . C. A. § 36- 6 - 214 i s t h e Te nne s s e e U n i f o r m Ch i l d Cu s t ody J u r i s d i c t i on A c t . It re a d s : R e c og ni t i on a nd e nf or c e m e nt of f or e i gn de c r e e d. - Th e Cour t s of t h i s s t a t e s h a l l r e c ogni z e and e n f o r c e an i n i t i a l or m odi f i c a t i on dec r e e of a Cour t of anot h e r s t a t e w h i c h had a s s u m

e d j u r i s d i c t i on under s t a t u t o r y p r ovi s i ons s ubs t a n t i a l l y i n ac c o r d a n c e w i t h t h i s par t or w h i c h wa s m

a d e unde r f a c t u a l ci r c u m s t a n c e s m

e e t i ng t h e j u r i s d i c t i ona l s t a nda r d s of t h e p a r t , so l o n g as t h i s decr ee h as no t b een m o d i f i e d i n acco r d a n ce w i t h j u r i sdi c t i o n a l st a n d a r d s s u b s t a n t i a l l y si m i l a r t o t h o se of t h i s par t . 2 Te nne 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 C ha 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 ch a n g e o f ci r c um s t a nces t om

e r i t a ch a n g e o f c us t ody a nd he r e f us e d t o a l t e r vi s i t a t i on.

Th e f a t h e r ci t e s cas e s s h o w i n gt h a t u n de r r ecent c our 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 gi ve n pr e f e r e nc e ove r non- pa r e nt s i n m a t t e r s of c us t ody, a nd a r gue s t ha t Te nne s s e e s houl d not f ol l ow t he N or t h Ca r ol i na de c i s i on a s t o c us t ody of hi s da ught e r .

Te nn e s s ee i s r e qu i r e dt or eco g ni ze andenf or ce t h e c us t ody 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 . N

or t h Ca r ol i na w

a s t he hom

e s t a t e of J oy Ba de nhope a nd A r t hur Bl a i r . The N or t h Ca r ol i na C

our t ha d s ubj e c t m a t t e r a nd pe r s ona l j ur i s di 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 de c i s i on de t e r m

i ni ng w

ho i s gr a nt e d c us t ody unde r Te nne s s e e l a w . Th e r e f or e t h e qu e s t i o ni s , h a s t h e r e b eena m a t e r i a l c h a n g e o f ci r c um

s t a nces s u f f i c i e nt t oal t e r t h e N or t hCa r o l i n a a w a r d of c us t ody? M at t e r of Par s ons , 914 S . W . 2d 889, 893 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1995) . The bur de n i s on t he non- c us t odi a l pa r e nt t o pr ove c ha nge d c i r c um s t a nc e s . M

us s e l m an v . Ac uff , 826 S . W . 2d 920 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1991) . The onl y ?

m a t e r i a l ch a n g e ?

c i t e d i n t he body of t he3

f a t h e r’s b r i e f i s t h a t ? A r 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 e r e vi e w

t he Tr i a l C

our t ’ s de c i s i on de novo upon t he r e c or d w

i t h a pr e s um

pt i on of c or r e c t ne s s . T. R. A . P. R ul e 13( d) . The Tr i a l C our t w a s not pe r s ua de d t ha t t he r e ha d be e n a ch a n g e o f ci r c um s t a nce s u f f i c i i e nt t oal t e r cu s t o dy . ? C h a n g e dci r c um

s t a nces ?

i n c l u de s anym

a t e r i a l ch a n g e o f ci r c um

s t a nces af f ect i n gt h e w e l f a r e o f t h e chi l d , i n c l u di n g ne w f a c t or s or c ha nge d c ondi t i ons w hi c h c oul d not be a nt i c i pa t e d by t he c us t ody or de r . D a lto nv . D

a lto n , 858 S . W . 2d 324 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1993) . W

e c onc l ude f r om

our r e vi e w

of t he 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 he Tr i a l C

our t ’ s f i ndi ng of no m a t e r i a l c ha nge . The e vi de nc e t ha t t he c hi l d ha s gr ow n c l os e r t o he r f a t he r a nd s t e p- m ot he r i s a c i r c um

s 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 vi s i t a t i on, not a n une xpe c t e d c i r c um s t a nc e . W

e a f f i r m

t he j udgm e nt of t he Tr i a l C our t . Th e f a t h e r r a i s e s t h e i s s u e ? di d t he C

ha nc e l l or e r r i nde c lini n gtoin c r e a s e a pp e lla nt ’ s v i s ita tio n ? ? Th e i ssu e i s r a i s e dinthe s e c tio ntitle d ? I s s ue s Pr e s e nt e d on A ppe a l . ? H ow e ve r , i t i s not di s c us s e d i n t he br i e f . W he n a pa r t y f a i l s t ob r i e f a nis s u e , th e is s u e is w a i v e d . T. R. A

. P . 2 7 ; T

ay l or v . S t a t e , 875 S . W . 2d 684 ( Te nn. C

r i m . A pp. 1993) . W e a f f i r m

t he j udgm

e nt of t he Tr i a l C our t a t a ppe l l a nt ’ s c os t , a nd r e m a nd.

________________________4 H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J . CONC UR:

___________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J .

___________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J .