FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, M CM ILLI A N, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 6, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A1 86 6 . CRITTENDEN v . CRITTENDEN.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Th i s ap p eal ch al l en ges t h e d i s m i s sal o f t he ap pel l an t ’ s co m p l ai n t fo r d i v o rce.

Becau s e t h e ap p el lan t fai l ed t o m eet h i s b u rd en of sh o w in g t h at he w as d o m i ci l ed in

Geo rg i a fo r t he s i x m o nt h s p reced i n g t h e fi l i n g o f t h e c o m p l ai n t

, t h e t ri al co u rt d id

n o t err i n d i s m i s s i n g t h e act i o n fo r l ack o f s u bject m at t er ju ri s d i ct io n . W e t h erefo re

affi rm th e ju dg m en t b el o w.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e.

Al a n a n d M ari ko Cri t t en d en w ere m arri ed i n 2 00 4 i n J ap an , w h ere A l a n

Cri t t en d en was st at i o ned as a m em b er o f t h e Un it ed St at es arm ed fo rces

. Th e co u p l e

h as two m i n or ch i ld ren , o ne b o rn in 2 0 1 1 an d t he o t her i n 2 0 1 4

. In M ay 2 0 1 8

, wh i l e

s t il l s t at io n ed i n J ap an , Al an Cri t t en d en fi l ed a co m p lai n t fo r d iv o rce i n t h e Su p eri o rCo u rt of Ch ero k ee Co u n t y , Geo rg i a, cl ai m i n g t h at h e h ad b een a co n ti n u o u s res i d en t

o f Geo rg i a fo r m o re t h an t h e s i x m o n t h s i m m ed i at el y p reced i n g th e f i l i n g o f t h e

co m p l ai n t

. Th e fo l l o wi n g m o n t h

, i n J u n e 2 0 1 8

, h e l eft J ap an fo r a new m i l it ary

p o s t i n g i n M ary l an d, wh i l e M ari k o Cri t t en den an d t h e ch i l d ren s t ay ed i n J ap an

.

M ari k o Cri t t en den m o v ed t o d i s m i ss t h e d i v o rce c om pla int on va

r i o u s g ro u n d s ,

i n cl u d i n g l ack o f s u b

ject m at t er ju ri s d ict i o n d u e t o Al an Cri tt en d en n ot h av i n g b een

a b o n a fi d e res i d en t o f G eo rg ia d u ri n g t h e s i x m o n t h s b efo re fi l i n g t he co m p l ai n t

. In

t h e m ot i o n , M ari k o Cri t t en den av erred t h at Al a n Cri t t en d en d o es n o t h av e a s i n g l e

fi xed p lace o f ab o d e i n Geo rg i a an d has n ev er s u bm i t t ed an y ev id en ce o f an y p h y s i cal

ad d res s fo r s u ch an ab o d e i n Ch ero k ee Co u nt y

. In res po n se t o t h e m ot i o n , A l a n

Cri t t en d en s t at ed t hat he h ad l i s t ed Geo rg i a as h i s h om e o f reco rd w i t h t h e m i l it ary

an d h ad fi l ed t ax es i n Geo rg i a, b u t h e d i d n ot i n di cat e an y ad dres s fo r an act u al

res i den ce i n Geo rg i a. T h e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed t h e m o ti on t o d i s m i s s , fi nd i n g , am o n g

o t h er t h i n g s , t h at i t l ack ed ju ri s d i ct io n b ecau s e Al an Cri tt en d en h ad n o t s h o wn t h at

h e was a b o n a fi d e res i d en t o f Geo rg i a fo r t h e s i x m o nt h s i m m ed i at el y preced i n g t h e

fi li n g o f t h e co m

p l ai n t as req u ired b y

OCGA § 1 9 -5 -2 . Al an Cri tt en den ap peal s. 1

1 Al an Cri tt en d en s t at es i n an ap p el l at e b ri ef t o t h i s co u rt t hat h e h as al s o fi l ed

a d i v o rce act i o n i n M ary l an d

.

22

. Ju r i s d i ct i o n

.

Al an Cri t t en d en co nt en d s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n d i s m i ss i n g h i s co m p l ai nt

fo r l ack o f ju ri s di ct i o n

. 2 W e d i s ag ree.

OCGA § 1 9 -5 -2

. . . p ro v i d es i n p ert in en t part t hat “ n o co u rt sh al l

g ran t a d i vo rce t o an y p ers o n wh o h as n o t b een a b o n a fi d e res i d en t o f

t h i s s t at e fo r s i x m o n th s befo re t h e fi li n g o f t h e p et i t i o n fo r d i vo rce.” As

we h av e ex p l ai n ed b efo re, t h e p art y p et i t i o n i n g fo r a d i v o rce b ears th e b u rd en to p ro v e t h at h e was a b o n a fi d e res i d en t o f Geo rg i a fo r t h e t i m e

req u ired b y OCGA § 19 -5 -2

, an d t o carry t h at b u rd en , th e p et i t i o n er

m u s t s h o w t h at h e was do m i ci l ed i n Geo rg i a fo r th e s ix m o n t h s

p reced i n g h i s fi l in g o f t h e p et it i on

. W e al s o h av e ex p l ai n ed th at

, to s h o w

s u c h do m i ci le, t h e p et i ti o n er m u s t p ro v e t h at h e m ai n t ai n ed act ual

res i d en ce i n G eo rg i a d u ri n g t h e rel ev an t t i m e an d t h at he h ad an i n t en t

at t h at t i m e t o rem ai n i n Geo rg i a i nd efi n i t el y

.

Bl a ck v. Bl a ck

, 2 9 2 Ga. 6 9 1

, 6 9 2 (1 ) (7 4 0 SE2 d 6 1 3 ) (2 0 1 3 ) (c i t a t i o n s an d

p u n c t u a t io n o m i tt ed ). See al s o Pa d r o n v. Pa d

r o n , 2 8 1 Ga. 6 4 6 (6 4 1 SE2 d 5 4 2 )

(2 0 0 7 ) ( “ As u s ed i n OCGA § 1 9 -5 -2

, ‘ res i d en t ’ m ean s ‘ d o m ici l ary .’ ”) (ci t at i o n

o m it t ed ). “ [T] h at do m i ci l e refers t o a s i n g le fi x ed p l ace o f ab o d e w i t h th e in t en t i o n

o f rem a i n i n g t h ere i nd efi n i t el y , o r t h e s in g l e fi x ed p l ace o f ab o de wh ere a p ers o n

i n t en d s t o ret u rn , ev en t h o u gh t h e p ers o n m ay i n fact b e res i d i n g el s ewh ere[.] ” Ab o u

Is s a v. Ab o u -Is s a , 2 2 9 Ga. 7 7

, 7 8 (1 8 9 SE2 d 44 3 ) (1 9 7 2 ). Acco rd Sa s tr e v. McDa n i el

,

2 W e n o te th at a di s m is s al fo r l ack o f s u b ject m at t er j u ri sd i ct i o n i s n o t a ru l i n g

o n th e m e r i t s an d s u ch d i s m i s s al i s wi t h o u t p reju d i ce. See Ga l e v. Ha yes Mi cr o co mp u t er

Pr od u ct s , 1 9 2 Ga. Ap p . 3 0 , 3 2 (3 ) (3 8 3 SE2 d 5 9 0 ) (1 9 8 9).

32 9 3 Ga. Ap p

. 6 7 1

, 67 3 (1 ) (6 6 7 SE2 d 8 9 6 ) (2 0 0 8 ) (n o t in g t h at d o m i ci l e r e f ers t o a

s i ng l e fi x ed p l ace o f ab o d e w here a pers o n i n t en ds t o rem ai n in d efi n it el y o r ret u rn to

i f res i d i n g el s ewh ere).

In t he i n s t an t cas e, t h e reco rd s u p p o r t s th e t ri al co u rt ’ s fi n d i n g t h at t h e

ap p el l an t d i d n o t m eet h i s b u rd en o f s h owi n g t h at h e h as m ai nt ai n ed an act u al

res i den ce

– a si n g l e fi x ed p l ace o f ab o d e

– i n Geo rg i a wh ere h e i n t en d s t o rem ai n

i n d efi n i tel y

. See Bl a ck

, s u p ra at 6 9 3 (1 ) (“ So lo n g as a n y ev i d en ce ap p ears i n t h e

reco rd t o s u p p o rt t h es e fi n d i n g s , we m u st accep t t h em .”). W e ac k n o w l e d g e t h at

ap p el l an t t es t i fi ed t hat , u n t i l h e jo i n ed t h e m i l i t ary , h e li v ed i n h i s p aren t s ’ h o m e i n

Ch ero k ee Co un t y , Geo rg i a; t h at h e h as s i n ce l i v ed wh ere h e was s t at i o n ed ; an d t h at

h e h as n ev er es t ab l i s h ed an y o t her res i d en ce. Bu t t he ap p el l an t h as n o t i d en ti fi ed

, l et

al o n e ci t ed an y ev i d en ce in t h e reco rd sh o w i n g t h at h o m e o r an y ot h er p l ace t o be a

s i ng l e fi x ed p lace o f ab o d e i n Geo rg i a w h ere h e in t en d s t o rem ai n i n d efi n i t el y o r

ret u rn t o aft er res i d i n g el sewh ere. As t h e t ri al c o urt n o ted

, al t ho u g h t h e ap p el l an t

p ro v id ed co p i es o f t a x r e t u r n s, t h os e ret u rn s d i d n o t cl ai m a Geo rg i a ad d res s an d

i n s t ead s h o wed o n l y an o v ers eas p o s t o ffi ce b ox

. Bas ed on t h e reco rd b efo re u s , we

fi nd th at t h e t ri al co u rt “ pro p erl y d i s m i s s ed t h e cas e [s i n ce,] u n d er th e

. . . ev i d en ce,

[t he ap p el l an t ] s i m

p l y [h as n o t s h own t hat h e] h ad [an act u al ] res i den ce i n [Geo rg i a]

4t h at [h e] co u l d cl ai m as [h i s ] d o m ici l e.” Co n r a d v. Co n r a d

, 2 78 Ga. 1 0 7

, 1 1 0 (5 9 7

SE2 d 3 6 9) (2 0 0 4).

3

. Rema in i n g

en u mer a t i o n s

.

Becau s e o f o u r h o l d i n g ab o v e, we n eed n o t ad d res s t h e ap p el lan t ’ s rem ai n i n g

en u m erat i o n s o f erro r.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . McMi l l i a n , P. J., a n d S en i o r Ap p el l a t e Ju d

g e Her b er t E.

Ph i p ps co n cu r

.

5