Court Opinion

ID: 9768254
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:52:40.298602+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:38.703526
License: Public Domain

CLAYTON, Justice,
concurring.
I agree with Chief Justice Dies that the trial court in this case did not have in personam jurisdiction over this nonresident respondent and, therefore, did not have the necessary jurisdiction to hear or enter judgment as to conservatorship of the minor children. I further agree with his disposition of this appeal.
In personam jurisdiction of a non-resident respondent in divorce proceedings is obtain*10ed through the provisions of Tex.Fam.Code Ann. § 3.26 (Vernon Supp.1980). This is a special statute governing jurisdictional requirements in divorce and parent-child relationship cases. It is clear that certain conditions must exist so as to confer personal jurisdiction. Such jurisdiction does not obtain in the absence of the conditions set forth in this statute.
In cases involving the question of personal jurisdiction in the absence of the prerequisite conditions it has been held that there must be pleading of the jurisdictional facts. In the absence of such pleadings, personal jurisdiction may not be obtained over the non-resident defendant. See McKanna v. Edgar, supra; Gathers v. Walpace Co., Inc., 544 S.W.2d 169 (Tex.Civ.App.—Beaumont 1976, writ ref’d n. r. e.).
To acquire personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant, pursuant to Section 8.26 of the Family Code, the petitioner must plead the existence of the conditions of Section 3.26(a)(1).
The application of Section 3.26 is constitutionally limited by due process requirements of certain minimum contacts within this state. Mitchim v. Mitchim, 518 S.W.2d 362, 366 (Tex.1975); Scott v. Scott, 554 S.W.2d 274 (Tex.Civ.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1977, no writ). However, upon proper pleading of such jurisdictional conditions, the minimum contacts necessary for the exercise of jurisdiction under Section 3.26 are present unless the non-resident proves otherwise. Butler v. Butler, 577 S.W.2d 501 (Tex.Civ.App.—Texarkana 1978, writ dism’d w. o. j.). In the case at bar, the petitioner did not plead the required condition set forth in Section 3.26(a)(1) of the Family Code, and, by reason thereof, the trial court did not obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent and did not have jurisdiction over the matter of child conser-vatorship.