Opinion ID: 1658547
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did the chancellor err in awarding custody to the maternal grandmother instead of the natural father?

Text: The general rule is: It is presumed that the best interest of a child will be preserved by his or her remaining with the surviving parent. In order to overcome this presumption there must be a clear showing that the parent has (1) abandoned the child, or (2) the conduct of the parent is so immoral to be detrimental to the child, or (3) the parent is unfit mentally or otherwise to have custody. Stoker v. Huggins, 471 So.2d 1228 (Miss. 1985); Naveda v. Ahumada, 381 So.2d 147 (Miss. 1980); Milam v. Milam, 376 So.2d 1336 (Miss. 1979); Turner v. Turner, 331 So.2d 903 (Miss. 1976). Simply stated, the natural parent is entitled to custody, as against a third party, unless one of the above conditions is clearly proved. In this case the chancellor based his decision on the fact that Rutland had not fully exercised the visitation rights granted him in the divorce decree. Testimony on this record supported that finding. However, Rutland did exercise his visitation rights. There is no finding that Rutland had abandoned the children or that he was immoral or unfit. There is no evidence in the record to support any such findings. In fact Pridgen herself testified that Rutland had not abandoned the children nor was he immoral or unfit. Pridgen relies upon Mississippi Code Annotated, § 93-11-65 (Supp. 1985), as the authority for granting her custody, while Rutland relies upon Mississippi Code Annotated, § 93-13-1 (1972). There is no doubt that the chancellor may grant custody to a grandmother pursuant to § 93-11-65, but he may do so only if one of the above is proved about the parent or parents. See e.g., Boone v. Downey, 259 So.2d 710 (Miss. 1972). This conclusion is supported by § 93-13-1. See Mahaffey v. Mahaffey, 176 Miss. 733, 170 So. 289 (1936). We therefore conclude that the chancellor was in error in awarding custody to the grandmother without making the requisite findings. We therefore reverse and render judgment here granting custody to Rutland, the natural father of the children. Under the narrow facts of this case we grant Pridgen 120 days from the date of the mandate of this Court to petition the chancery court for visitation rights consistent with Mississippi Code Annotated, § 93-16-1 to § 93-16-7 (Supp. 1985). REVERSED AND RENDERED. WALKER, C.J., ROY NOBLE LEE and HAWKINS, P.JJ., and DAN M. LEE, PRATHER, ROBERTSON, ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur.