Opinion ID: 2679958
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Mother’s Fraud Allegation

Text: [¶17] The mother additionally asserts that her consent was fraudulently secured because she relied on an unauthorized “deal” offered by the Department that would allow her to have contact with her eldest child if she relinquished her parental rights to her younger children. To prevail on a claim of fraudulent misrepresentation, a party must prove, inter alia, that she justifiably relied on a false representation of a material fact. See Maine Eye Care Assocs. P.A. v. Gorman, 2008 ME 36, ¶ 12, 942 A.2d 707. [¶18] The mother points to no evidence that her consent was fraudulently secured other than her solitary statement to the court concerning the “deal.” When the court asked about her motivation, however, the mother stated that she was consenting to the termination not only because of the “deal” but also because she 12 did not believe she would prevail at the contested hearing in light of her “parenting issues” and her negative CANEP results. The mother’s attorney had also advised her of the “very real possibility” that she would be back before the court regarding her parental rights to her eldest child. We conclude that the mother’s contention that she relied on the alleged “deal” is unsupported by the evidence and therefore insufficient to invalidate her consent. See In re Danielle B., 685 A.2d at 771 (concluding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying a father’s motion for relief from judgment based on his assertion that he had been falsely assured that he could have visitation with his child after a termination judgment). The entry is: Judgment affirmed. On the briefs: Wayne Doane, Esq., Exeter, for appellant father Wendy D. Hatch, Esq., Waterville, for appellant mother Janet T. Mills, Attorney General, Nora Sosnoff, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Xi Chen, Law Student Intern, Office of the Attorney General, Augusta, for appellee Department of Health and Human Services Skowhegan District Court docket number PC-2011-24 FOR CLERK REFERENCE ONLY