Court Opinion

ID: 9729452
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:36:07.174782+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:58.268607
License: Public Domain

Justice BAER
concurring.
I join the majority opinion, but write to ensure that such joinder is not misconstrued in the future. Initially, I believe this ruling is fact specific and will not be of general application. With the exception of eight months around her thirteenth year, Francesca has lived her entire life with the *119Costellos. Francesca’s mother is dead, and at the conclusion of the eight-month period during which Francesca lived with her father, her father signed a formal agreement entrusting the Costellos with responsibility for Francesca’s health, education, welfare, and physical and emotional needs. The only thing missing in the agreement between Francesca’s lather and the Costellos that would have mooted this suit is formalized adoption. Moreover, Francesca’s child Felicity, who is at the center of this dispute, lived her entire life with the Costellos until Appellant obtained primary custody of Felicity through a court action. This is simply not a case of the devoted nanny or next door neighbor from a parent’s childhood seeking custody of the parent’s child, but rather this holding applies only to those individuals who stand in loco parentis to the parent and have lived with the child for twelve months or more. Accordingly, while I join the majority opinion, I emphasize the compelling nature of the facts of this case which would have to be present in any case before this would be applicable as precedent.
Finally, the majority notes at footnote 3 the potential interaction of this opinion with our Court’s decision in R.M. v. Baxter ex. rel T.M., 565 Pa. 619, 777 A.2d 446 (2001), which provides grandparents with automatic standing to petition pursuant to Section 5313(b) for full custody without limitation. For similar reasons to those stated above in relation to Section 5313(a), I am convinced that few will be able to satisfy the requirements for custody under Section 5313(b). Moreover, I must note that I believe that Baxter was wrongly decided and notwithstanding my deep respect for stare decisis, will urge its reversal when the opportunity arises.