Opinion ID: 884022
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Is Yancy's appeal properly before us?

Text: Pamela contends that the District Court's order merely denied Yancy's motion for temporary custody and that such an order is not appealable under Rule 1, M.R.App.P. While we agree with Pamela that Rule 1, M.R.App.P., does not authorize an appeal from an order denying a motion for temporary change of custody, we disagree that the District Court's May 30, 1995, order was a mere denial of such a motion. Yancy filed a motion for a temporary order changing custody and a petition for modification of custody under § 40-4-219, MCA, on the same date. The District Court held a hearing on May 14, 1995. The record reflects that, at the beginning of the hearing, the parties and the court were confused as to whether the hearing was limited to Yancy's motion for temporary custody or whether his petition for modification also was being heard. The District Court first indicated that only Yancy's motion for temporary custody was before it, then indicated that it also would hear Yancy's petition for modification of custody and, finally, indicated again that only the motion for temporary custody was being heard. The District Court's findings of fact, conclusions of law and order state at the outset, and without further clarification, that [t]his matter was heard on May 14, 1995. The court's findings and conclusions address both jurisdiction and custody modification. Regarding the latter, the court concluded that Yancy had not met the requirements of § 40-4-219, MCA, and denied Yancy's petition. On the basis of the record before us, we cannot conclude that the District Court's order was limited to denying Yancy's motion for a temporary change of custody. We conclude that the order at issue substantively denied Yancy's § 40-4-219, MCA, petition for modification of custody on the bases of lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to satisfy the statutory requirements for custody modification. As a result, we hold that the District Court's order is appealable under Rule 1, M.R.App.P., and that Yancy's appeal is properly before us.