Court Opinion

ID: 9852748
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:35:57.978425+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:33.904700
License: Public Domain

TYSON, Judge,
dissenting.
I would affirm the trial court’s order modifying the custody of Angela and awarding defendant primary care, custody, and control of the child. I agree with the concurring opinion to the extent that it upholds the trial court’s determination that plaintiff’s absconding with Angela and defendant’s relocation to Hawaii constitute substantial changes in circumstance. I would hold, however, that the trial court made sufficient findings as to the effect of the changed circumstances on Angela’s welfare. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.
In its 28 March 2000 order, the trial court specifically found as fact that its 1 November 1999 order and the psychiatric assessment report submitted to the court were incorporated into its findings of *262fact. Such incorporation of a prior order and evidence is well within the trial court’s discretion. See Starco, Inc. v. AMG Bonding and Ins. Services, Inc., 124 N.C. App. 332, 336, 477 S.E.2d 211, 214 (1996) (“there is no prohibition against incorporating documents by reference and utilizing the contents of such documents as the trial court’s findings of fact.”); Cohen v. Cohen, 100 N.C. App. 334, 396 S.E.2d 344 (1990), disc. review denied, 328 N.C. 270, 400 S.E.2d 451 (1991) (incorporating affidavit into trial court’s findings in child support order).
Any findings contained in the 1 November 1999 order and the psychiatric assessment report must be considered as the findings of fact by the court on 28 March 2000. In its 1 November 1999 order, the trial court found as fact that the result of plaintiff’s absconding with Angela was that she missed 38 days of school. The trial court further found that upon Angela’s return to school after this extended absence, she was behind in her school work, requiring that the school teacher and defendant spend additional periods of time instructing Angela.
The trial court further found as fact that the psychiatric assessment of Angela was performed “for the purpose of assessing any impact on the child with regard to the child moving to Hawaii.” The psychiatric assessment report found that the impact or effect on Angela of custody and residence being awarded to one parent would be wholly beneficial and would provide needed stability in the child’s life. The trial court incorporated the report itself into its findings of fact in the 28 March 2000 order.
In sum, the trial court’s findings on 28 March 2000 clearly state: (1) that plaintiff’s absconding with the child caused Angela to miss 38 days of school, furthering her failure to maintain her school work and requiring that she obtain additional help from her teacher and defendant to make up school work caused by the absences; and (2) that the effect on Angela of a move to Hawaii and the awarding of primary custody and residence of Angela to one parent would provide needed stability in the child’s life.
In Browning v. Helff, 136 N.C. App. 420, 524 S.E.2d 95 (2000) this Court recently held that the trial court failed to make the necessary finding of fact regarding the effect of the defendant-father’s cohabitation on the welfare of the children. Id. at 424, 524 S.E.2d at 98. The trial court simply found that the children were present in the defendant’s residence while “defendant was residing with a person of the *263opposite gender to whom he is not related.” Id. We stated that the “fact that the children were present, however, cannot be construed as a finding that the children’s welfare was affected.” Id. We further held that the trial court’s finding that the defendant’s conduct “ ‘is in violation of North Carolina Law’ ” failed to establish that the children’s welfare was affected by the change of circumstances. Id. at 425, 524 S.E.2d at 99.
The present case is easily distinguished from Browning and Brewer. The trial court did more than just find that plaintiff had absconded with Angela, and that plaintiff’s action was a violation of the court’s order. The trial court’s findings make clear that the effect of plaintiff’s action on Angela was to cause the child to miss 38 consecutive days of school and to fall further behind in her school work, requiring that she obtain additional tutoring. The trial court also did more than find that defendant had accepted employment in Hawaii, maintains a home in Hawaii suitable for the child, and had made appropriate arrangements for Angela to attend school in Hawaii. The trial court found that the court-ordered psychiatric assessment of Angela was performed “for the purpose of assessing any impact on the child with regard to the child moving to Hawaii,” and that the resulting report determined that the move’s impact or effect on Angela would provide much needed stability in her life.
The trial court’s findings leave no need to draw inferences. The trial court carefully incorporated the findings of fact from its 1 November 1999 order as well as the findings of the court-ordered psychiatric assessment report of 30 November 1999, prepared specifically to assess the impact or effect of a move to Hawaii on Angela. These findings, along with the additional findings from the 28 March 2000 order, taken as a whole, clearly support the trial court’s conclusions of law and order.
I decline to read the order appealed from so narrowly as to disregard the incorporated findings, or to constrain the trial court to use certain and specific “buzz” words or phrases beyond that included in the order. I would affirm the order of the learned trial court. I therefore respectfully dissent.