McCabe v. McCabe

• Decision Date: 22 May 1992
• Docket Number: No. 91-2011,91-2011
• Citation: 600 So.2d 1181
• Parties: 17 Fla. L. Weekly D1289 Sylvia Mirella McCABE, Appellant, v. Francis Clifford McCABE, Appellee.
• Court: Florida District Court of Appeals

Page 1181

600 So.2d 1181

17 Fla. L. Weekly D1289

Sylvia Mirella McCABE, Appellant, v. Francis Clifford McCABE, Appellee.

No. 91-2011.

District Court of Appeal of Florida Fifth District.

May 22, 1992.

Michael J. Belle, Law Firm of James L. Essenson, Sarasota, for appellant.

L.R. Huffstetler, Jr., Spring Hill, for appellee.

DIAMANTIS, Judge.

Appellant Sylvia McCabe appeals the order of the trial court denying her motion to divest the trial court of jurisdiction over this action for dissolution of the parties' marriage, equitable distribution of the parties' property, and custody of the parties' children. We vacate the trial court's order and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

On June 17, 1991 Francis McCabe (the husband) filed a verified petition for dissolution of his marriage to Sylvia McCabe (the wife). The petition avers that the husband has been a resident of Florida for more than six months before the filing of the petition, stating that, although he was a member of the U.S. Navy until June 13, 1991, he has maintained Florida as his state of residence. The petition also avers that the parties were married on April 18, 1987 in Hernando County and lived as husband and wife until June 14, 1991.

Two children were born of the marriage: twin boys, James and Keith, born August 29, 1989. The petition further avers that the children have resided with the parents from birth to September 1990 in Connecticut, from September 1990 until June 1991 in Maine, and then solely with the father from June 1991 to the present date in Florida. The petition also avers that the marriage is irretrievably broken and requests the trial court to enter an order dissolving the parties' marriage, awarding custody of the children to the husband, and distributing the parties' property.

At the same time the husband filed a motion for an ex parte temporary injunction, asking the court to enjoin the wife from removing the children from the court's jurisdiction and to award the husband temporary custody of the children pending disposition of the matter. In the motion the husband states that the wife "is believed to be in North Carolina with her mother and stepfather and has threatened to conceal the children and/or remove the children from the state of Florida".

The husband attached to the motion an affidavit in which he states that on numerous occasions the wife has threatened that he will "never see his children again" and thus he fears that his wife will deny him and his grandmother, mother, father, sisters and aunt access to the children by concealing the children and/or removing them from Florida.

The trial court immediately entered an ex parte order granting the husband temporary custody of the twins, prohibiting the wife from removing the children from Florida without court order, and ordering the wife to in no way cause or threaten to cause any emotional or physical harm to the husband or the children.

On July 11, 1991 the wife filed a motion to divest the trial court of jurisdiction. In the motion the wife claims that the trial court lacks personal jurisdiction over her and lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the issue of the custody of the twins.

The wife later filed with the trial court an affidavit in support of her motion. In the affidavit the wife states that on June 13, 1991 the husband was discharged from the Navy and that at the time of discharge the family was living in Maine. The wife states that subsequent to the husband's discharge "we intended to reside in the state of North Carolina where my mother and stepfather reside" and thus shipped the family's belongings from Maine to North Carolina. The wife states that on June 13, 1991 the family drove to North Carolina from Maine. The next day, while she was grocery-shopping with her mother, the husband "absconded with the minor children from the state of North Carolina, thereby fleeing to the state of Florida." The wife states that the husband has concealed the children from her. She further states that she has never denied her husband visitation with the children nor concealed the children from her husband and that she has and will promote visitation. She states that she is not a resident of Florida and that she intends to reside in North Carolina.

The wife also filed a verified complaint and affidavit of child care costs in the General Court of Justice in North Carolina. In the complaint the wife sought an order granting her temporary and permanent custody of the boys and an injunction enjoining the husband from removing the boys from North Carolina. The wife also sought an order of temporary child support.

On July 16, 1991 the North Carolina trial court issued an order for immediate temporary custody and notice of hearing. In the order the court states that jurisdiction over the issue of child custody is proper in North Carolina because when the parties left Maine they did so with the intention to relocate to North Carolina. To support this finding the court cites to the fact that the moving company was directed to move all the parties' belongings to North Carolina. The court also cites, as a basis for jurisdiction, the fact that the husband absconded with the children to Florida, taking with him the parties' only vehicle and all of the funds owned by the parties. The court further states that due to the husband's actions there is a danger that he might again abduct the children and, therefore, temporary custody should be awarded to the wife. The North Carolina order further states that the husband is an abuser of alcohol and that he has assaulted and threatened to kill the wife on several occasions. The court specifically ruled that it is in the best interest of the children for the wife to have custody of the children pending a hearing on the wife's petition. The court also enjoined the husband from removing the children from North Carolina without court order. The court set a hearing for July 25, 1991.

On July 25, 1991 the North Carolina court conducted a hearing. The husband did not appear at the hearing, but his attorney made a special appearance on the husband's behalf. The North Carolina court ruled that it has jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act to adjudicate the issue of custody of the parties' children, citing the reasons set forth in its July 16, 1991 order. The court ruled that temporary custody would remain with the wife pending further proceedings on the wife's petition for permanent custody. The court also ruled that the husband is not entitled to visitation with the children because he failed to appear at the hearing.

On August 7, 1991 the trial court in Florida conducted a hearing on the wife's motion to divest the court of jurisdiction. No evidence was introduced at this hearing. The trial court denied the motion, concluding that it has jurisdiction over the wife and the issue of child custody because "the parties have had continuing and substantial contact with the state of Florida and minimal, if any, contact with the state of North Carolina". To support this conclusion the court stated that the husband "was a member of the United States Navy designated Spring Hill, Hernando County, Florida as his place of residence on all Navy records, maintained a Florida driver's license, filed all federal income tax returns in Florida and intended to return to Florida upon discharge from the military." The court then ordered that the twins remain in the custody of the husband until further order of the court. The court also stated that any order originating from any court in the state of North Carolina that asserts jurisdiction is "hereby declared null and void and unenforceable in the state of Florida."

The wife first argues that the trial court erred in ruling that it has personal jurisdiction over her. The trial court concluded that personal jurisdiction exists over the wife because she is a resident of Florida. The court based this conclusion on the fact that the husband states that he is a resident of Florida. The trial court erred in its conclusion. Even assuming, arguendo, that the husband is a resident of Florida for at least six months prior to the filing of his petition for dissolution as required by section 61.021 of the Florida Statutes (1991), ¹ this fact alone does not automatically confer upon the trial court personal jurisdiction over the wife because the residence of a wife does not necessarily follow that of her husband when facts pertinent to her particular case indicate otherwise. Beaucamp v. Beaucamp, 508 So.2d 419 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987); Simpson v. Simpson, 339 So.2d 250 (Fla. 2d DCA 1976); Bowers v. Bowers, 287 So.2d 722 (Fla. 1st DCA 1973).

In the instant case the wife's affidavit states that during the marriage she resided with her husband and her children in Connecticut and Maine; that upon leaving Maine the wife, the children, and her husband intended to reside in North Carolina; and that she has no intention of residing in Florida. Because the factual matters set forth in the wife's affidavit contradict the factual assertions of the husband regarding the wife's residency, the trial court erred in relying upon the general rule that the wife's residence follows that of her husband. ² On remand, the trial court must determine, after a full evidentiary hearing, the residence of the wife.

Also, even if the wife is a Florida resident, such a fact would not, ipso facto, result in personal jurisdiction over the wife under the applicable provisions of Florida's long-arm statute, section 48.193 of the Florida Statutes (1991). Section 48.193 provides in pertinent part as follows:

48.193. Acts subjecting person to jurisdiction of courts of state.--

(1) Any person, whether or not a citizen or resident of this state who personally or through an agent does any of the acts enumerated in this subsection thereby submits himself and, if he is a natural person, his personal...