Court Opinion

ID: 9588322
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:32:51.567223+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:00:58.069899
License: Public Domain

Jordan, Justice,
dissenting. The only question involved in this case is whether or not the mother lost her parental power by a voluntary contract as provided for in Code § 74-108 (1). Such a contract need not be in writing and is not revocable except for sufficient legal reasons. Bently v. Terry, 59 Ga. 555 (27 AR 399); Bailey v. Holmes, 163 Ga. 272 (136 SE 60). In this case there was ample evidence of a voluntary parol relinquishment of parental power and no legal reasons were shown sufficient to show revocation. Evidence of such a contract is shown by the positive testimony of the appellee, supported by that of a nonrelated witness, together with that of another witness who testified that appellant told her of the gift of the child to the appellee herein. There is evidence that the mother did not contribute to the child’s support for the 14 1/2 year period that the child was in the custody and care *696of the appellee and that the child was supported exclusively by the appellee, with the help of a $42 per month veteran’s benefit which was applied for and paid to the appellee by the Veterans Administration.
After hearing all the evidence, the trial court concluded that the mother "did give the said Margaret Pettiford to the defendant to be the defendant’s own child in 1959.”
So far as the record shows the mother never denied the existence of a voluntary parol contract as set forth above. She merely testified that she would "never sign any papers for them” to have the child. We are not here dealing with an adoption proceeding in which a written consent is required but a habeas corpus proceeding concerned only with the custody of the child. In such proceeding the paramount consideration is the welfare of the child, who for 14 years of her 14 1/2 year life has known only one mother, her paternal aunt, who has lovingly cared for and supported her.
Where a habeas corpus court has considered all the circumstances of a case and expressly exercised its broad discretion, such award of custody should not be disturbed unless there appears a manifest abuse of discretion. For a similar factual situation see Bougus v. Smith, 219 Ga. 493 (133 SE2d 13), where a voluntary contract was upheld though the gift was made only 4 months prior to suit. In this case the appellant let the gift stand for some 5,290 long days and nights while someone else was loving and caring for her child.
The judgment of the trial court was overwhelmingly supported by the evidence. The question is not what the judgment of any member of this court might have been had he been the trial judge. We can only look to the record to see if there has been a manifest abuse of the trial court’s discretion. I see not one iota of such abuse.
I would affirm.