Court Opinion

ID: 72747
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2010-04-26 07:43:25+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:29.153863
License: Public Domain

PUBLISH

                  IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

                            FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT                          FILED
                                                                     U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                            ------------------------------------------- ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
                                                                             09/16/99
                                          No. 96-4884
                                                                         THOMAS K. KAHN
                           --------------------------------------------       CLERK
                           D. C. Docket No. 95-2588-CV-SM

WALTER L. STONE, individually, and as Natural
Guardian of S.P.S., a minor,

                                                            Plaintiff-Appellant,

       versus

GEORGENE WALL, GINA WALL MASTERSON,
BROCK GREEN,

                                                            Defendants-Appellees.

                 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                      Appeal from the United States District Court
                            for the Southern District of Florida
                 ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                   (September 16, 1999)

Before EDMONDSON, Circuit Judge, WELLFORD*, Senior Circuit Judge.**

___________________
*Honorable Harry W. Wellford, Senior U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, sitting by
desigantion.
**This decision is rendered by a quorum. 28 U.S.C. § 46(d).
PER CURIAM:

      In this diversity suit, plaintiffs asserted a common law action for interference

with a parent/child relationship or abduction. The United States District Court for

the Southern District of Florida dismissed the claim pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. Pro.

12(b)(6), concluding that Florida recognized no claim for which relief could be

granted on those grounds. We certified the question to the Supreme Court of

Florida, see Stone v. Wall, 135 F.3d 1438, 1443 (11th Cir. 1998), and asked:

      Whether a cause of action exists for interference with the parent/child
      relationship where a third party (that is, a nonparent who has no
      custody rights over that child) intentionally abducts a minor child
      from a parent legally entitled to the child’s custody?

      The Supreme Court of Florida has answered “Yes.” See Stone v. Wall, 734

So. 2d 1038 (Fla. 1999). Therefore, we VACATE the district court decision,

dismissing this case for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be granted,

and REMAND for further proceedings.

      VACATED AND REMANDED.

                                          2