Opinion ID: 1614077
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the chancellor erred in refusing to terminate the natural father's parental rights.

Text: ¶ 14. Appellate review in a case to terminate parental rights is the manifest error/substantial credible evidence test. S.N.C. v. J.R.D., Jr., 755 So.2d 1077, 1080 (Miss.2000). As long as there is credible evidence to support the chancellor's findings of fact, we must affirm the decision. K.D.F. v. J.L.H., 933 So.2d 971, 976-77 (Miss.2006). We will examine the case de novo, however, when it is clear that the chancery court's decision resulted from a misunderstanding of the controlling law or was based on a substantially erroneous view of the law. R.L. v. G.F., 973 So.2d 322, 324 (Miss.Ct.App.2008). ¶ 15. The Pendletons requested that the chancellor find abandonment and/or unfitness, terminate Tony's parental rights, and award them custody. In refusing to terminate the father's parental rights, the chancellor referenced Mississippi Code Section 93-15-103 [1] , which addresses adoption, not custody, and provides, in relevant part, that: (1) When a child has been removed from the home of its natural parents and cannot be returned to the home of his natural parents within a reasonable length of time because returning to the home would be damaging to the child or the parent is unable or unwilling to care for the child, relatives are not appropriate or are unavailable, and when adoption is in the best interest of the child, taking into account whether the adoption is needed to secure a stable placement for the child and the strength of the child's bonds to his natural parents and the effect of future contacts between them, the grounds listed in subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall be considered as grounds for the termination of parental rights. The grounds may apply singly or in combination in any given case. . . . (3) Grounds for termination of parental rights shall be based on one or more of the following factors: . . . (b) A parent has made no contact with a child under the age of three (3) for six (6) months or a child three (3) years of age or older for a period of one (1) year[.] . . . (f) When there is an extreme and deep-seated antipathy by the child toward the parent or when there is some other substantial erosion of the relationship between the parent and child which was caused at least in part by the parent's serious neglect, abuse, prolonged and unreasonable absence, unreasonable failure to visit or communicate, or prolonged imprisonment[.] Miss.Code Ann. § 93-15-103(1),(3)(b), (3)(f) (Rev.2004) (emphasis added). As noted in the trial court's judgment, subsection (1) of the statute provides certain criteria which must be met prior to a consideration of the grounds for termination. The following three prerequisites must exist before a chancellor can terminate parental rights: (1) the child has been removed from the home of its natural parents and cannot be returned to the home of his natural parents within a reasonable length of time or the parent is unable or unwilling to care for the child; (2) relatives are not appropriate or are unavailable; and (3) adoption is in the best interest of the child. Miss.Code Ann. § 93-15-103(1) (Rev.2004). Because Zach was never removed from the home of his natural parents, the trial court examined whether Tony was unable or unwilling to care for his child. See id. ¶ 16. The chancellor focused on the period of time following Deanna's death and found that Tony's actions had demonstrated that he was willing to care for Zach. The record reflects that at Deanna's funeral, Tony expressed an interest in forging a relationship with his son, and when ordered by the chancellor, began regularly visiting Zach and paying child support. As noted in the GAL's opinion, Tony did everything the chancellor and the Pendletons asked of him in order to prove his dedication to reuniting his family. Therefore, we find credible evidence to support the trial court's determination that the first condition of Section 93-15-103(1) was not met. Furthermore, the Pendletons failed to present any evidence as to the second condition or even to request adoption, much less prove that adoption was in Zach's best interest. We cannot say that the chancellor committed manifest error in finding that Tony was currently willing to care for his son, notwithstanding his history of failing to do so. ¶ 17. Even where a chancellor finds one or more grounds which justify termination of parental rights, nothing in our law requires the chancellor to do so. Rather, Mississippi Code Section 93-15-109 provides that if the chancellor is satisfied by clear and convincing proof that grounds justifying termination of parental rights exist then the court may terminate all the parental rights of the parent or parents.... Miss.Code Ann. § 93-15-109 (Rev.2004) (emphasis added). We have affirmed our chancellors in similar cases where they have refused to terminate parental rights yet still found sufficient grounds to award custody to third parties. See, e.g., Veselits v. Cruthirds, 548 So.2d 1312, 1315-16 (Miss.1989) (affirming custody award to third party and chancellor's refusal to terminate parental rights). On the record before us, we cannot say the chancellor committed manifest error in refusing to terminate Tony's parental rights.