Court Opinion

ID: 9737214
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:19:06.236787+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:23:57.252128
License: Public Domain

*676MUSMANNO, J.,
Dissenting.
¶ 1 I cannot join the majority’s conclusion that the Orphans’ court did not err when it involuntarily terminated Mother’s parental rights rather than permitting Mother to voluntarily relinquish her parental rights. I believe that we are bound by our prior holding in In re Adoption of A.J.B., 797 A.2d 264, 2002 PA Super 67, ¶ 5 (2002). In Adoption of A.J.B., this Court addressed a similar situation involving OCY’s refusal to consent to a voluntary relinquishment petition, and concluded that the Orphans’ court properly denied OCY’s motion to dismiss mother’s voluntary relinquishment petition because OCY had implicitly consented to accept custody of the child.
¶ 2 Therefore, I am constrained to conclude that the trial court erred when it involuntarily terminated Mother’s parental rights. On the authority of Adoption of A.J.B., I would reverse the September 14, 2001 Order and remand this matter for the Orphans’ Court to enter an order granting Mother’s Petition to voluntarily relinquish her parental rights.16

. We recognize that the Orphans’ court judge did not have the benefit of our decision rendered in Adoption ofAJ.B.