Case Name: DUNBAR v. ERTTER et al.
Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 2011-11-08
Citations: 312 Ga. App. 440
Docket Number: A11A0933
Parties: DUNBAR v. ERTTER et al.
Judges: Smith, P. J., Phipps, P J., and Dillard, J., concur. Barnes, P. J., Mikell and McFadden, JJ., dissent.
Reporter: Georgia Appeals Reports
Volume: 312
Pages: 440–445

Head Matter:
A11A0933.
DUNBAR v. ERTTER et al.
(718 SE2d 350)

Opinion:
Andrews, Judge.
Denise Dunbar is the maternal grandmother of A. L., a minor child born in May 2006 whose parents are deceased. After the Juvenile Court of Coweta County found the child deprived and gave Dunbar long-term custody pursuant to OCGA § 15-11-58 (i), the Superior Court of Cobb County entered an order on a petition for custody brought by Shannon and Michael Ertter, the child's aunt and uncle, which granted permanent custody of the child to the Ertters. We agree with Dunbar that the superior court erred by giving custody of the child to the Ertters while the juvenile court's prior custody order in the deprivation proceeding was unchallenged and still in effect.
Pursuant to a deprivation proceeding commenced on June 27, 2008, the juvenile court found that the minor child's parents were deceased; gave temporary custody of the child to the Coweta County Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) by order dated July 29, 2008; and on October 10, 2008, ordered that long-term custody of the child (subject to periodic review) be given to Dunbar until the child's eighteenth birthday pursuant to OCGA § 15-11-58 (i). On August 5, 2008, while the deprivation proceeding was pending, the Ertters filed a petition in the Superior Court of Cobb County, the county where Dunbar resided, seeking permanent custody of the child. When they filed the superior court petition, the Ertters knew about the pending deprivation petition and knew the juvenile court had given temporary custody of the child to DFACS. According to Ms. Ertter, she contacted DFACS in early July; told the child's caseworker to consider her as a relative willing to take custody of the child in the deprivation proceeding; and was informed that her mother, Dunbar, had indicated a willingness to take custody and was being favorably considered. On September 17, 2008, the juvenile court held a hearing (at which the Ertters did not appear) to consider a DFACS motion to transfer custody of the child to Dunbar, and on October 10, 2008, the juvenile court entered an order granting the motion and giving Dunbar long-term custody until the child's eighteenth birthday. OCGA § 15-11-58 (i). On December 16, 2009, the Ertters amended their superior court petition to seek a change of custody from Dunbar, and on June 17, 2010, the superior court ordered that permanent custody of the child be given to the Ertters based on the best interest of the child.
In the deprivation action, over which the juvenile court had exclusive original jurisdiction pursuant to OCGA § 15-11-28 (a) (1) (C), the Court granted Dunbar long-term custody of the child until the child's eighteenth birthday subject to periodic review as set forth in OCGA § 15-11-58 (i). Accordingly, the juvenile court's long-term custody order remained in effect when the superior court entered its permanent custody order. Compare OCGA § 15-11-58.1 (providing that "[ejxcept as otherwise provided by law, an order of disposition in a proceeding involving deprivation, except an order involving the appointment of a guardian of the person or property of a child, continues in force for not more than two years"). Pursuant to the juvenile court order, Dunbar obtained long-term physical custody of the child, but not permanent custody. OCGA § 15-11-13; 15-11-58 (i); Douglas v. Douglas, 285 Ga. 548, 549 (678 SE2d 904) (2009) (juvenile court does not have authority to award permanent custody absent a transfer order from the superior court; OCGA § 15-11-28 (c) (1)). The Ertters brought their action seeking permanent custody in the Superior Court of Cobb County, the county where the physical custodian, Dunbar, resided with the child. See Gordon v. Gordon, 269 Ga. App. 224, 225 (603 SE2d 732) (2004). The superior court had original jurisdiction over contests for permanent child custody in the nature of a habeas corpus between parents, parents and third parties, or between parties who are not parents. See In re J.R. T, 233 Ga. 204, 205 (210 SE2d 684) (1974); In the Interest of K. R. S., 253 Ga. App. 678-679 (560 SE2d 292) (2002). Nevertheless, because the prior juvenile court order in this case giving long-term physical custody to Dunbar remained in effect, we find that the superior court erred by exercising jurisdiction in the custody dispute. West v. Cobb County Dept. of Family &c., 243 Ga. 425 (254 SE2d 373) (1979); Segars v. State of Ga., 309 Ga. App. 732 (710 SE2d 916) (2011) (superior court correctly refused to exercise jurisdiction in custody dispute in light of prior existing juvenile court custody order in deprivation case); compare Wiepert v. Stover, 298 Ga. App. 683 (680 SE2d 707) (2009) (superior court properly exercised jurisdiction where a deprivation petition was "apparently pending" in juvenile court, but was not in the record; it was not clear why DFACS had custody of the child; DFACS moved in juvenile court to be divested of custody and dismiss the case; and juvenile court declined to exercise jurisdiction). "The statutory procedure by which [the Ertters] may seek relief is set out at [OCGA § 15-11-40]," West, 243 Ga. at 426.
Judgment reversed.
Smith, P. J., Phipps, P J., and Dillard, J., concur. Barnes, P. J., Mikell and McFadden, JJ., dissent.
Shannon Ertter is the deceased mother's sister and Dunbar's daughter.
The juvenile court found that the child's father killed the child's mother and committed suicide.
We note that the superior court action was not brought in Cobb County pursuant to the Georgia Child Custody Intrastate Jurisdiction Act (OCGA § 19-9-20 et seq.) because that Act directs where complaints must be filed which seek a change of custody by or against the "legal custodian" of the child. OCGA § 19-9-23 (a), (b); Gordon, 269 Ga. App. at 225. A "legal custodian" is defined under the Act as a person, including but not limited to a parent, who has been awarded permanent custody of a child by court order. OCGA § 19-9-22 (2).
We render no opinion on the juvenile court's order in the deprivation case entered pursuant to OCGA § 15-11-58.