Munson v. Johnston

• Decision Date: 21 June 1954
• Docket Number: No. A--150,A--150
• Parties: MUNSON v. JOHNSTON et al.
• Court: New Jersey Supreme Court

Page 31

16 N.J. 31

106 A.2d 1

MUNSON v. JOHNSTON et al.

No. A--150.

Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Argued May 31, 1954.

Decided June 21, 1954.

Ralph L. Fusco, Perth Amboy, argued the cause for the defendant-appellant.

Milton M. Abramoff, Red Bank, argued the cause for the plaintiff-respondent (Abramoff & Price, Red Bank, attorneys).

The opinion of the court was delivered by

OLIPHANT, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment of affirmance by the Appellate Division of an order made by the Superior Court, Chancery Division, denying a motion of the defendant-mother to dismiss the complaint of the plaintiff-appellant, a paternal aunt, for the custody of an infant residing in Massachusetts, or in the alternative for a summary judgment for lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter and the person and for the failure of the complaint to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.

The trial court held it had jurisdiction, refused to dismiss the complaint on the ground the child was domiciled in this State and held the cause for final hearing. It further stated in answer to the argument that its judgment would be unenforceable, that whether the judgment would be enforceable in this State or elsewhere was not for the court to determine at this time.

The Appellate Division affirmed in a Per curiam opinion 27 N.J.Super. 251, 99 A.2d 328, and held the court had jurisdiction because the domicile of the child was here and the fact that a third party removed the child from the State did not affect the child's domicile, which seemed to indicate the result would be otherwise if the child was removed with the mother's consent or that it would reside outside of the State permanently or for a prolonged or indefinite period.

When this court granted certification the appellant was given permission to add to the record the transcript of the Massachusetts adoption proceeding, hereafter alluded to, and it is clear from reading this that the mother consented to the adoption of the child by its maternal grandmother.

The parents of the child were married in Elkton, Md., in 1948 and took up their residence in Monmouth County and continued to live there until August 1950, when marital discord arose and an action for maintenance was instituted. Their child, the subject of these proceedings, was born October 31, 1950. The husband went to live with his parents and then entered the University of Miami Law School in Florida. On June 21, 1951, the maintenance suit was terminated and a reconciliation took place and the parents and the child returned to Florida where the husband resumed his studies. On December 1, 1951 the wife brought an action for divorce in Florida which was granted, and thereafter the wife returned to New Jersey with the child and took up residence in Middletown Township. The husband returned to New Jersey and lived with relatives and entered Temple University Law School in Philadelphia. On a visit with his wife on August 11, 1952 they became embroiled in an argument and she shot and killed him.

The wife entered a plea of non vult to manslaughter and she is now in Clinton Reformatory serving a term of from seven to ten years. In the interim the child was taken to the home of the maternal grandmother in Massachusetts.

Subsequent to the determination of the cause by the Appellate Division a Massachusetts court...