80 A.D.2d 892 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1981
In a matrimonial action in which the plaintiff wife was granted a divorce, she appeals from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered September 24, 1980, as denied her cross motion, inter alia, to “dismiss” defendant’s motion for custody of the infant issue of the marriage upon the ground of lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Order reversed insofar as appealed from, on the law, with $50 costs and disbursements, and cross motion granted to the extent that defendant’s motion is denied insofar as it seeks custody of the infant issue of the marriage, with leave to either party to move to reinstate this appeal in the event the Superior Court of the State of California shall refuse to assume jurisdiction. The parties, who had resided with their two minor children in Nassau County, were divorced by a judgment of the Supreme Court, Nassau County, entered on August 23, 1978. The judgment incorporated an earlier separation agreement, which was to survive the judgment. The agreement provided, inter alia, that plaintiff would have “principal custody” of the two children and defendant would have certain visitation rights. The agreement also provided that each party could live wherever he or she chose. Defendant moved for custody of the children and other relief at Special Term early in 1979, alleging that plaintiff had interfered with his visitation rights. The court found that plaintiff had interfered with defendant’s rights by removing the children to California and Florida and that she had decided, without consulting defendant, to move to California permanently with the children. The court ordered that the children remain in Nassau County and ruled that plaintiff would remain their principal custodian as long as she remained in Nassau County with the children. The order also prohibited either parent from removing the children from this State without either a further court order or written consent of the other party. Plaintiff did not obey the order and took the children with her to California. On April 28, 1979 the parties entered into an agreement to modify some of the terms of the original separation agreement. The “modification agreement” recited that both parties recognized that plaintiff is the appropriate custodian of the children and authorized her to live with them in California. The agreement provided for the termination with prejudice of all pending litigation in New York and California. Also, “in connection with the proceedings being taken in conformance with [the modification] agreement”, it provided that neither party admits to the jurisdiction of the courts of any State and that the agreement shall survive any judgment. In March, 1980 plaintiff commenced a proceeding in Superior Court, Los Angeles County, to modify the order of the New York court by removing the restriction that she remain in Nassau County to retain custody. By order dated November 12, 1980, the California court (1) denied defendant’s motion to dismiss the proceeding without prejudice, and (2) declared it would retain jurisdiction pending a final determination of that issue by this court. On April 18, 1980 defendant again moved at Special
This ground has not been raised on appeal.