Opinion ID: 2451885
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: waiver of consent

Text: For her second point, the appellant urges that she did not fail to communicate with her children for a year, and even if this court concludes that she did, this lapse was justifiable under § 9-9-207(aX2). Statutes for the adoption of children are strictly construed and applied. Swaffar v. Swaffar, 309 Ark. 73, 827 S.W.2d 140 (1992). We have placed a heavy burden of proof on one wishing to adopt a child without the consent of a parent and that burden is by clear and convincing evidence. In the Matter of the Adoption of Glover, 288 Ark. 59, 702 S.W.2d 12 (1986); Harper v. Caskin, 265 Ark. 558, 580 S.W.2d 176 (1979). The question we must now answer on appeal is whether the probate judge's finding of lack of parental contact without justification was clearly erroneous. See Anderson v. Douglas, 310 Ark. 633, 839 S.W.2d 196 (1992). The record reveals that the appellant's last visit with her children was on March 20, 1989, and no contact was had with them until she mailed birthday cards on September 27, 1990. That represents a period of a year and one-half when there was no communication between the appellant and the twins. The appellant insists that a letter she wrote dated March 8,1990, to Ms. Evelyn Green, the appointed friend of the Michigan court, requesting visitation of the children, and a progress report sent from the appellees to her concerning the children made in April 1990 qualify as communication with the children. The argument though is specious. Communication with Ms. Green or the appellees did not constitute communication with the children. The fact of the matter is there was no contact with the children for more than a year. We are left then with the pivotal question of whether the failure to communicate was without justifiable cause under the statute. We do not believe that the probate judge clearly erred in finding no justification. Failure to communicate without justifiable cause means a failure that is voluntary, willful, arbitrary, and without adequate excuse. Bemis v. Hare, 19 Ark. App. 198, 718 S.W.2d 481 (1986); Roberts v. Smm, 268 Ark. 917, 597 S.W.2d 840 (Ark. App.1980). The appellant presents several reasons why her lack of communication with the twins was justified. She points to her relationship with the appellees, which, she stated, had been adversarial since the birth of the twins, and to the age of the twins, which made it impossible for her to communicate with them without the cooperation of the appellees. She also states that she sent letters and cards to the twins which they never received. And, she maintains that she tried to arrange for a visit with the children in March of 1990. Lastly, she claims that financial problems and her pregnancy prevented her from traveling. In his findings, the probate judge highlighted the frustration that Evelyn Green had in maintaining contact with the appellant and in arranging her visits with the children: Ms. Green continued trying to arrange visits for respondent (appellant) and was unable to make any arrangements. In fact, during part of this time respondent refused to give her her home address and when she finally met with Ms. Green she informed her she was pregnant.... It must be noted that during all of the time Ms. Green was seeking to arrange visitation with these children, the appellees cooperated fully and completely in order to facilitate respondent's court ordered visitation with the children. It appears to this Court that Ms. Green complied fully and completely with the Michigan Court Orders and did everything within her power to help respondent in arranging these periods of visitation with the children. It appears that she was frustrated in her attempts to carry out the Orders of the Court due to respondent's actions and not due to any reluctance on the part of petitioners (the appellees) to assist with the visitation or any refusal on the part of Ms. Green to comply with the Orders of the Court. Respondent testified that she was unable to exercise some visitation periods scheduled by Ms. Green due to lack of finances required for travel. She also admitted, however, that during the period of time from the entry of the Order in 1988 until her last visitation with these children in March, 1989, she had engaged in relationships with at least two men, one relationship resulting in the birth of three children and her later marriage to that man just prior to the hearing in this case. At one point she candidly admitted that she did not furnish Ms. Green her address because the man she was living with did not want his address given to third parties. During the time in question respondent made no effort to communicate with these children in any manner other than the visitations which have already been discussed. The record supports the probate judge's findings. In addition, though the appellant argues on appeal that she sent cards and presents to the children during the relevant eighteen-month period, this is not reflected in the record. What the record does reflect is that during this time period the appellant had a job, received money from a student grant and loan to attend college, and was paid for an article on surrogate motherhood. She also made several trips out of state, including a trip to Florida in May 1990 with her other children. We view the issue of justifiable cause as factual but one that largely is determined on the basis of the credibility of the witnesses. This court gives great weight to a trial judge's personal observations when the welfare of young children is involved. In re Adoption of Perkins/Pollnow, 300 Ark. 390, 779 S.W.2d 531 (1989); see also In the Matter of the Adoption of J.L.T., 31 Ark.App. 85, 788 S.W.2d 494 (1990). The probate judge found that proof of the appellant's disregard of the children for more than a year was clear and convincing. We cannot say that the evidence is to the contrary.