THI RD DI VI SI ON

DI L LA RD, P. J.

, GOBEI L and HODGES, JJ.

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

October 9, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A1 44 8 . HANNAH et al . v . HATCHER et al

.

D I LLA R D , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

W ay n e an d Bi l l i e A. Han n ah ap peal fro m t h e s u peri o r co u rt ’ s d i sm i s s al o f t h ei r

p et i t i o n fo r em erg en cy an d p erm an en t cu s t o d y o f m i no r ch i l d L

. R. i n an a c t i o n

ag ai n s t h er l eg al m o t h er, Sara Pai g e Hat ch er, an d h er b i o l o gi cal fat h er, Ran d y Kei th

Ray

. Th e Han n ah s arg u e t h at t h e s u p e ri or co u rt erred b y (1 ) co n cl ud i ng t h at t h ey

l ack ed s t an d i n g as L. R.’ s p at ern al g ran d p aren ts t o b ri ng an act i on fo r cu s to d y wh en

t h ei r s o n , Ray

, n ev er leg i t i m at ed L

. R

. , a n d (2 ) d i s m is s i n g t h e act i o n wh en t h i rd

p art i es m ay p rev ai l i n cu s t od y act i o n s u n d er OCGA § 1 9 -7 -1 (b .1 ). Becau s e we ag ree

t h e s u p eri o r co u rt erred i n co ncl u d i n g t h at t h e H an n ah s l ack s t an d i n g , we rev ers e t h e

co u rt ’ s ju d g m en t an d rem an d th e cas e fo r fu rt h e r p ro ceed i n gs co n s i st en t wi t h t h i s

o p i n i o n

.Th e reco rd s h o ws t hat t h e Han n ah s fi led a p et i t i o n f or em erg en cy an d

p erm an en t cu s t o d y o f L. R. o n No v em b er 2 1

, 20 1 8

. In d o in g s o , t he Han n ah s al l eg ed

t h at (1 ) t h ey w ere t h e p at ern al g ran d p aren t s t o L. R., wh o was 8 y ears o l d at th e t i m e;

(2 ) t h ei r s o n was i n carce r a t e d a n d n e v er l eg it i m at ed L. R.; (3 ) Hat ch er was L. R.’ s

n at u ral m o t h er an d l eg al cu s t o d i an ; (4 ) L. R.’ s paren t s n ev er m arr i e d ; (5 ) L. R.

res i ded w i th th em fo r ap p ro x i m at el y 80 p ercen t o f h er l i fe an d cu rren t l y d i d s o ; an d

(6 ) Hat ch er ex ecu t ed an ag ree m e n t o n Sep t em b er 2 5

, 2 0 1 7

, g ran t i n g t em p o rary

g u ard i an s h i p t o Bi l l i e Han nah

. T h u s , t h e H an n ah s req u es t ed t h at t h e co urt g ran t t h em

i m m ed i at e, t em

p o rary , an d p erm an en t cu st o d y of L. R. b ecau s e h er p aren t s were u nfi t

fo r a n u m

ber o f reas o n s

— ran g i n g fro m cu rren t i nc a r c erat i o n , pen d i n g cri m i n al

ch arg es , d ru g ab u s e, an d m o re. In t h e al t ern at i v e, Bi l l i e H an n ah req ues t ed t h at s h e b e

g ran t ed g ran d p aren t v is i t at i o n

.

On N o v em

b er 2 7

, 2 0 1 8

, t h e s up eri o r co u rt award ed t em p orary l eg al an d

p h y s i cal cu s t o d y of L

. R. t o t h e Han n a h s a n d s ch ed ul ed a s ho w-cau s e h eari n g fo r

J an u ary 9

, 2 0 1 9

, t o es t ab l is h wh et h er t h e Han n ah s ’ p et i t i o n s h ou l d b e g r a n t ed

.

Nei t h er H at ch er n o r Ray fi l ed a res p o n se to t h e p et i t i o n

. Th en , at t he h eari n g , Bi l l i e

Han nah t es t i fi ed

, an d t h e Han n ah s t en d ered i n t o ev i d en ce bo t h t h e t em p o rary

2g u ard i an s h i p ag reem en t p rev i o u s l y ex ecu t ed b y Hat ch er, as wel l as a J u l y 1 5 , 2 0 1 1

co n sen t o rd er fo r ch i ld s u p p o rt co n cl u d in g t h at Ray was “ th e p aren t ” o f L. R.

Th e s u p eri or co u rt i s s u ed an o rd er on Jan u ary 1 0

, 2 0 1 9

, no t i n g t h at Hat ch er

“ was n o t p res en t at t h e heari n g b u t s h e w a s p ers o nal l y s erv ed wi t h a s u m m o n s an d

co p y o f t hi s cu s t o d y act i o n o n t h e d ay o f t h e heari n g ” an d “ l eft th e co u rt h o u s e aft er

s h e was serv ed wi t h t h i s act i o n .” Th e co u rt al so n o t ed t h at Ray i s L

. R.’ s bi o l o g i cal

fat h er b u t “ n ot t he l eg al fat h er,” an d t hat h e “ was no t s erv ed wi t h th i s act i o n , h as n ot

ack n owl ed ged s erv ice, an d was n o t p res en t at c o u r t f o r t h e h eari n g” b ecau s e h e i s

“ i n carcerat ed i n a co u n t y d et en t i o n cen t er.”

Th e s u p eri or co u rt ’ s ord er wen t on to ex p l ai n t h at

, aft er recei v in g tes t i m o ny

an d l earn i n g t h at Ray was n o t m arri ed t o Hat ch er an d h ad n ev er l eg i t i m at ed L. R., 1

i t was u n su re o f i t s ab i li t y t o pro ceed

. Th e co urt t h en co ncl u d ed t h at t h e fact s o f t h e

cas e d i ffered fro m th o s e i n R eeves v. H a yes , 2 w h i ch t h e Han nah s as s ert ed p ro v i d ed

t h em w i t h st an d in g

. Th e co u rt al s o d et erm i n ed t h at i t co u l d n o t ap p l y h a bea s co r pu s

l aw t o g ran t cu s t o d y

t o t h e Han n ah s as t h i rd p art ies b ecau s e i t was n o t faced wi t h a

h ab eas act i o n

. Fi n al l y , t h e co u rt n o t ed t h at i t was un ab l e t o fi n d s u pp o rt in g au t h o ri t y

1 Bi l l i e Han n ah p ro v i d ed t es t i m o n y as t o t h es e fact s

.

2 2 6 6 Ga. Ap p . 2 9 7 (5 9 6 SE2 d 6 6 8 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

3fo r t h e Han n ah s ’ p o s it i o n t h at t hey co u l d p et i t i o n fo r cu s t o d y o n th e g ro u n d t h at t h ei r

s o n , Ray , h ad co n s en t ed t o p at ern i t y

.

Acco rd i ng l y , th e s up eri o r co u r t d i s m i s s ed th e req u es t fo r em erg en cy an d

t em p o rary cu s t o d y . Th i s ap p eal b y

t h e Han n ah s fo l l o ws

. 3

1

. Th e Han n ah s arg u e th at th e s u p eri o r co u r t e r red b y co n cl ud i ng t h at t h ey

l ack ed st an d i n g as L. R.’ s p at ern al g ran dp aren t s t o b ri n g an act i o n fo r cu st o d y wh en

Ray n ev er l eg i ti m at ed L. R. W e ag ree.

Un d er OCGA § 1 9-7 -1 (b .1 ),

i n an y a c t i o n i n v o l v i n g t h e cu st o dy of a ch i l d b et ween t h e p aren t s o r

ei t h er p aren t an d a t h i rd p art y l i m i t ed t o g r a n dp a r en t

, great

- g r a ndpa ren t

,

au n t

, u ncl e, g reat au n t

, g reat u n cl e, s i b l i n g , o r ad op t iv e p aren t

, p aren t al

p o wer m ay b e l o st b y t h e p aren t

, p aren t s , o r an y o t h er p ers o n i f th e co u rt

h eari n g t h e i s s u e o f cu st o d y , i n t h e ex erci se o f i t s so u nd d i scret i o n an d

t ak i n g i n t o co n s i d erat i o n al l th e ci rcu m st an ces o f t h e cas e, d et erm i n es

t h at an award o f cu s t od y t o s uch t h ird p art y i s fo r t h e b es t i n t eres t o f th e

ch i l d o r ch i l d ren an d wi l l b es t p ro m o t e t h ei r wel fare an d h ap p i n es s

. 4

3 Al t h o u g h b o t h Hat ch er an d Ray are l i s t ed as ap p el l ees , n ei t h er i s rep res en t ed

b y co u n s el n o r fi l ed an ap p el l ee b ri ef.

4 (Em p h as i s s u p pl i ed ).

4Th e Han n ah s arg u e t h at th ey h av e s tan d i n g t o p et i t i o n fo r cu st o d y u n d er OCGA § 1 9

-

7 -1 (b .1 ) as p a t e r n al g ran d p aren t s , an d t h at t he s u p eri o r co u rt erred i n co n cl u d i n g

o t h erwi s e.

Sp eci fi cal l y , t h e s u p eri o r co u rt co n cl u d ed t h at t h i s cas e d i ffers fro m Reeves v.

Ha yes , 5 u p o n wh i ch t h e Han n ah s rel y , b ecau se i n Reeves

, “ t he b i o lo g i cal fat h er d i ed

an d n o l o n g e r c o u l d fi l e fo r l eg i ti m at i on ,” wh ereas L. R.’ s fat her i s s t i l l al i v e an d

co u ld fi l e fo r leg i t i m at i on

. Al t h o u g h t h e s u p eri o r co u rt i s co r r e ct th at t h es e fact s

d i ffer, i t i n co rrect l y d et erm in ed t h at a fat h er’s a b i l i t y to l eg i t i m at e a ch i l d h as an y

i m p act o n h i s p a r en t

s’ s t an d in g t o p et i t i on fo r cu st o d y u n der OCGA § 1 9-7 -1 (b .1 )

as g ran d paren t s

.

I n R e e v es , we hel d t h at al t h o u g h th e ch i ld ’ s fat h er h ad n o t l eg i t i m at ed t h e

ch i l d

, an d t h ere was n o po ss i b i l i t y h e co u l d d o s o b ecau s e h e was d eceas ed

, “ n o

au t h o ri t y l i m it [s ] a g ran d p aren t’ s s t an d i n g t o ch al l en g e cu st od y t o ci rcu m st an ces [i n

wh i ch ] t h e fat h er has l eg i t i m at ed t h e ch il d[.] ” 6 W e fu rt h er no t ed t h at OCGA § 9 -7 -3

(a) (2 ) d efi nes “ g ran d p aren t ” as “ t he p aren t o f a p aren t o f a m i n o r ch i l d

, t h e p aren t o f

a m i n o r ch i l d ’ s p aren t wh o h as d i ed

, an d t h e p aren t o f a m i n or ch i l d ’ s paren t wh o s e

5 2 6 6 Ga. Ap p . 2 9 7 (5 9 6 SE2 d 6 6 8 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

6 Id

. at 2 9 7

.

5p aren t al ri gh t s h av e b een t erm in at ed .” Th u s, al t h o u g h t h i s d efi n i t i o n i s “ l i m i t ed to

t h i s Co d e s ect i o n (o u t l i ni ng vi si t at i o n ri g h t s fo r g ran dp aren t s ), i t s h ed s l i g h t u p o n a

g ran d p aren t ’ s s t at u s as t hat o f t h e p aren t o f a p aren t .” 7

Here, it i s un d i s p u t ed t h at Ray i s L. R.’ s b i o l o g i cal fat h er o r p aren t

. An d as o u r

Su p rem e Co u rt h as reco g n i zed

, ev en a fat h er wh o h as n ev er l eg i t i m at ed a ch i l d i s a

p a r en t wi t h cert ai n ri gh t s an d d u t i es

. 8 In d eed

, Ray ’ s s t at u s as L. R.’ s p aren t h as ev en

b een reco g n i zed i n a co n s en t o rd er fo r ch i l d s u p p ort

. It fo l l o w s , t h en , t h at Ray ’ s

p aren t s , t h e Han n ah s , are L

. R.’ s g ran d p aren t s , reg ard l es s o f t he fact t h at Ray n ev er

l eg i t i m at ed L. R. 9 Acco rd i n g l y , t h e Han n ah s ’ ri g h t as p at ern al g ran d p aren t s t o b ri n g

7 Id

.

8 S ee Nel s o n v. Ta yl o r , 2 4 4 Ga. 6 5 7

, 6 5 8 (1 ) (2 6 1 SE2 d 5 79 ) (1 97 9 ) (“ It i s cl ear

. . . t hat t h e p u tat iv e fat h er i s al so a p aren t

. . . . [A] [p u t at i v e] fat h er h as s o m e p aren t al

ri gh t s, as wel l as d u t i es , i n reg ard t o h i s i l leg i t i m at e ch i l d .”); a cco rd Reeves

, 2 6 6 Ga. Ap p . at 2 9 7 ; W

el ch v. S u g g s , 1 7 5 Ga. Ap p . 2 3 3 , 2 3 3 (3 3 3 SE2 d 3 1 ) (1 9 8 5 ).

9 S ee Reeves

, 2 6 6 G a. Ap p

. at 2 9 7 (“ It fo l lo ws t h en t h at t h e fat h er’ s p aren t s are

g ran d p aren t s , reg ard l es s o f wh et h er t h e fat h er h ad l eg i ti m at ed t h e ch i l d .”); s ee a l s o Nel s o n , 24 4 Ga. at 6 5 8 (1 ) (h o l di n g t h at th e fat h er o f an i l l eg i t i m at e ch i l d i s a p aren t

,

ev en wi t h o u t l eg it i m at i o n an d

, acco rd i n g ly

, t h e fat h er’ s p aren t s are rel at i v e s f o r

p u rp os es o f ad o p t i o n ); W el ch v. S u g gs , 1 7 5 Ga. Ap p

. 2 3 3, 2 3 3 (3 33 SE2 d 3 1 ) (1 9 8 5 ) (rel y i n g u p o n Nel

s o n t o h o l d t h at “ t he ap p el l an t s are g ran d p aren t s w i t hi n t h e m ean i n g

o f t h e s t at u t e an d th at t h ei r cl ai m fo r v i s i t at i o n ri g h t s w as p ro p erl y b efo re t h e co u rt

an d s h o ul d h av e b een h eard ” d es p i t e t he fact t h at p at ern al gran d p aren t s’ s o n h ad

n ev er l eg i t i m at ed ch i l d ).

6an act i o n fo r cu s t o d y i s co n tro ll ed b y a s h owi n g t h at th ei r s o n , Ray

, was a paren t o f

L. R., n o t b y Ray leg i t i m at i ng L. R. 1 0 Th u s , t h e s u p eri or co u rt erred in co n cl u di n g t h at

t h e Han nah s l ack ed s t an d i ng t o p et i t i o n fo r cu s to d y o f L. R., an d we rev ers e t h e

s u p e r i o r co u rt ’ s ju d g m en t an d rem an d fo r fu rt h er p ro ceed i n g s co ns i s t en t wi t h t h i s

o p i n i o n

. 1 1

2

. Gi v en o u r h o l d i ng i n Di v i s i o n 1

, we need n o t ad d res s t h e H an n ah s ’

ad d it i o n al arg u m e n t t h at t h e s u p eri o r co u rt erred b y di s m i s s in g t h e act i o n wh en

u n s p eci fi ed t h i rd p art i es m ay p rev ai l i n cu s t o d y act i o n s un d er OCGA § 1 9 -7 -1 (b .1 ).

Ju d g men t r ever

s ed a n d ca s e r ema n d

ed wi t h d i r ect i o n

. Go b ei l a n d Ho d g es

, JJ.,

co n cu r

.

1 0 S ee Reeves

, 2 6 6 Ga. Ap p

. at 29 8 (“ Th e [ap p el l an t s ’ ] ri g h t as p at ern al

g ran d p aren t s t o b ri n g an act i o n fo r cu s t o d y i s co n t ro l l ed b y a s h o wi n g t h at th ei r so n

was a p aren t o f t h e ch i l d , n o t b y t h ei r s o n l eg it i m at i n g t h e ch i l d

. ”).

1 1 S ee i d

. (“ [W ] e h o l d t h at t h e co u rt erred in fi n d i n g th at t h e [ap p el l an ts ] l ack ed

s t an d i n g , rev ers e t h e ju d g m en t

, an d rem an d t h e cas e fo r p ro ceed i n g s co ns i s t en t wi th

t h i s o p i n i o n.”).

7