Source: http://brandeslaw.blogspot.jp/
Timestamp: 2013-06-19 04:55:45
Document Index: 23221067

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 70', '§240', '§ 215', '§ 173', '§ 170', '§76', '§ 76']

Important New Decisions - May 15, 2013 Court of Appeals
Child Support- Award - Imputed Income - Court May Impute Income Based upon Value of His Employer-provided Apartment - Support Magistrate Properly Declined to Credit Respondent with "Extraordinary Expenses" in Connection with His Visitation with the Child. In Matter of Perel v. Gonzalez, --- N.Y.S.2d ----, 2013 WL 1578227 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.), the Appellate Division affirmed an order which denied respondent's objection to the Support Magistrate's imputation to him of income based on the full market value of his employer-provided apartment, and an order which denied his objections to the parts of the Support Magistrate's order of support that required him to pay child support in the amount of $476.49 per week, applied the child support percentage to the parties' combined income above the $130,000 statutory cap, and required respondent to pay his pro rata share of the child's private pre-kindergarten tuition. It held that the court correctly determined the parties' income for purposes of calculating their basic child support obligations based on his 2008 annual gross income and the value of his employer-provided apartment and petitioner's income based on her 2008 annual gross income and her previous full-time employment as a concierge.
In Matter of Estrellita A. v. Jennifer D., --- N.Y.S.2d ----, 2013 WL 1660674 (N.Y.Fam.Ct.) the parties registered as domestic partners in 2007. Thereafter, they decided to have a child and together went to North Shore University Hospital to choose a sperm donor. In February of 2008, respondent became pregnant by artificial insemination and as a result the child, Hannah Elizabeth A.-D., was born on November 23, 2008. Although there were discussions between the parties regarding petitioner adopting Hannah, no adoption was filed. In September of 2012 the parties stopped residing together. On October 24, 2012 the respondent herein filed a Petition for an Order of Support of the child against Estrellita A. Ms. D. asserted in her petition that she and Ms. A. had a child in common, Hannah Elizabeth A.-D., born November 23, 2008. The biological father of the child was not legally established as the child was donor conceived. The Family Court was asked to rule upon whether Ms. A. should be declared a parent for the purposes of establishing a child support order. After a hearing it was established that Estrellita A. was a parent to Hannah A.-D. and petitioner was charged with support of the child. On January 10, 2013 the petitioner Estrellita A. filed a Petition for Custody of Hannah. The petition alleged that the respondent Jennifer D. was the biological mother, and that the child Hannah is their child in common. The petitioner further asserted that it would be in the child's best interest that she have custody as she is better suited to foster a relationship between the child and her biological mother. Respondent asserted that the custody petition must be dismissed as the Petitioner was not a "parent" for purposes of custody/ visitation under the Family Court Act Article 6, Domestic Relations Law § 70 and §240, and thus has no standing to bring this action. Ms. D. relied upon the rulings in two Court of Appeals cases, Alison D. v. Virginia M ., 77 N.Y.2d 651, 572 N.E.2d 27, 569 N.Y.S.2d 586 (1991) and Debra H. v. Janice R., 14 N.Y.3d 576, 930 N.E.2d 184, 904 N.Y.S.2d 363 (2010), Alison D. holding where, as here, the biological mother is a fit parent, that the court cannot displace her choices as to the child's best interest, including those with whom she allows the child to associate.
In Grucci v Grucci, --- N.E.2d ----, 2012 WL 5845008 (N.Y.), 2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 07856 Plaintiff Michael Grucci and defendant Christine Grucci were married in 1988 and had two children. In 1998, Christine sued Michael for divorce. A few months later, Michael was charged with harassing Christine, and the District Court issued an order of protection directing him to stay away from her. In January 2000, Michael was accused of violating the order. The matter was presented to a grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Michael with two counts of first-degree criminal contempt for placing Christine in fear of death or injury by telephone, and harassing her by repeated telephone calls with no purpose of legitimate communication (Penal Law § 215.51[b][iii], [iv], respectively). After a bench trial in August 2001, County Court acquitted Michael. The court concluded that Christine's testimony was not credible because of "discrepanc[ies]" in the way she described Michael's alleged threat to the police, the grand jury and at trial. In March 2002, Michael brought a civil action against Christine to recover damages for malicious prosecution. At trial Michael sought, through the testimony of his brother, Anthony Grucci, to play for the jury an audiotape of a telephone conversation in which Christine purportedly made clear to Anthony, at some point after she went to the police, that she was not afraid of Michael. Christine's attorney successfully objected, inter alia, to admission of the audiotape. Michael's attorney sought to play the audiotape during Anthony's testimony "as part of [his] presentation of [the telephone] conversation" with Christine that Anthony was recounting. Christine's attorney objected to the audiotape's admission on the grounds it was unreliable, "pieced together from a number of things" and "unintelligible"; that no chain of custody had been established; and generally that "no foundation [had been] laid for it at [that] point."In response, Michael's attorney offered only to have Anthony identify the voices on the tape and state "whether or not the tape recording [was] fair and accurate." When the judge asked if the tape had been authenticated, Michael's attorney responded "Not yet; this witness will authenticate."The judge then sustained the objection, and Michael's attorney stated that he had no further questions for Anthony. The Court of Appeals affirmed. In an unsigned memorandum, it observed that while a party to a taped conversation can identify the speakers, "identity and authenticity are separate facets of the required foundation, both of which must be established" ( People v. Ely, 68 N.Y.2d 520, 528 [1986] ). The Court of Appeals stated: "The predicate for admission of tape recordings in evidence is clear and convincing proof that the tapes are genuine and that they have not been altered" ( People v Ely, supra, at 522). Here, there was no attempt to offer proof about who recorded the conversation, how it was recorded (e.g., the equipment used) or the chain of custody during the nearly nine years that elapsed between early 2000, when the conversation allegedly took place, and the trial in late 2008. Given the facts and circumstances of this case, the judge did not abuse his discretion by requiring more than Anthony's representation that the tape was "fair and accurate" to establish a sufficient "predicate" before playing the tape for the jury.
In Palermo v Palermo, 35 Misc.3d 1211(A)950 N.Y.S.2d 724 (Sup Ct 2011), an action for a divorce, the Supreme Court denied the defendant's motion to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a cause of action. It held that the complaint stated a cause of action for a divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown, because a sworn statement by one partner that the marriage has been irretrievably broken for a period in excess of six months was set forth on the face of the amended pleadings, and complied with the language of the statute. Supreme Court held that it was not subject to the trial right under DRL § 173. The court also denied the motion to dismiss for violation of the statute of limitations. It held that there is no statute of limitations under DRL § 170(7) because the cause of action only arises at the time the party swears that the marriage has been irretrievably broken for a period in excess of six months. A cause does not accrue until there is “a legal right” to be enforced.. The cause of action for divorce on the basis of irretrievable breakdown accrues at the time of the attestation by one partner and not sooner. The statute of limitations has no pertinence to a cause of action that arises at the time of the filing of the complaint. In
Palermo v Palermo, 953 NYS2d 533 [4th Dept 2012], 2012 WL 5458608 (Mem), 2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 07528 2012 NY Slip Op 07528 the order of the Supreme Court was unanimously affirmed without costs for reasons stated in the decision at Supreme Court. (See Palermo v Palermo, 35 Misc.3d 1211(A), 950 N.Y.S.2d 724 )
Second Department Holds That Family Offense Proceeding Did Not Constitute a "Child Custody Proceeding" Within the Meaning of the UCCJEA Where it Did Not Raise an Issue of Legal Custody, Physical Custody, or Visitation with Respect to the Children In Matter of Hassan v. Silva, --- N.Y.S.2d ----, 2012 WL 5503641 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) the father appealed from orders of the Family Court as, upon finding that the Court of Common Pleas, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was the more appropriate forum for the father to seek custody of the subject children, or obtain any other related relief, declined jurisdiction over the matters and dismissed his child custody and family offense petitions upon the ground that New York is an inconvenient forum. The Appellate Division pointed out that a court of this state which has jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, may decline to exercise it if it finds that New York is an inconvenient forum and that a court of another state is a more appropriate forum (Domestic Relations Law §76-f[1]) The factors to be considered in making this determination include the length of time the child has resided outside the state, the distance between the court in this state and the court in the state or country that would assume jurisdiction, the nature and location of the evidence required to resolve the pending litigation, the ability of the court of each state to decide the issue expeditiously and the procedures necessary to present the evidence, and the familiarity of the court of each state with the facts and issues in the pending litigation (Domestic Relations Law § 76-f[2]). Family Court providently exercised its discretion in adhering to so much of its original determination as declined jurisdiction over the father's custody petitions and dismissed those petitions on the ground that New York is an inconvenient forum. The children, who were now five and three years old, lived in Pennsylvania since August 2010 with the father's permission and, therefore, evidence regarding their care, well-being, and personal relationships was more readily available in Pennsylvania. There was no evidence that the children retained substantial connections with New York or that significant evidence was in this State. The Court of Common Pleas, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was familiar with the family and the pending issues, having issued a final order of protection against the father in favor of the mother and children and an interim custody order in the mother's custody proceeding. Furthermore, the travel time between the courts was only 2 ½ hours, and the Pennsylvania court is willing to exercise jurisdiction. Accordingly, the Family Court properly determined that the Pennsylvania court was a more appropriate forum to determine the issues of custody and visitation.
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