{ "id": 9187986, "name": "ARIADNE EAKETT, Plaintiff v. DAVID EAKETT, Defendant v. GEORGE THOMAS EAKETT, Intervenor", "name_abbreviation": "Eakett v. Eakett", "decision_date": "2003-05-06", "docket_number": "No. COA02-936", "first_page": "550", "last_page": "554", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "157 N.C. App. 550" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C. Ct. App.", "id": 14983, "name": "North Carolina Court of Appeals" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "483 S.E.2d 706", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1997, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "345 N.C. 640", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 53930, 54000, 53944, 53850, 54107 ], "year": 1997, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/345/0640-04", "/nc/345/0640-03", "/nc/345/0640-05", "/nc/345/0640-02", "/nc/345/0640-01" ] }, { "cite": "477 S.E.2d 251", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1996, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "124 N.C. App. 442", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11889759 ], "year": 1996, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/124/0442-01" ] }, { "cite": "484 S.E.2d 528", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1997, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "346 N.C. 68", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 139523 ], "year": 1997, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/346/0068-01" ] }, { "cite": "530 U.S. 57", "category": "reporters:federal", "reporter": "U.S.", "case_ids": [ 9413198 ], "weight": 2, "year": 2000, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/us/530/0057-01" ] }, { "cite": "445 S.E.2d 901", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 3, "year": 1994, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "337 N.C. 397", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 2551903 ], "weight": 3, "year": 1994, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/337/0397-01" ] }, { "cite": "477 S.E.2d 258", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 3, "year": 1996, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "260" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "124 N.C. App. 357", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11889456 ], "weight": 3, "year": 1996, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "360" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/124/0357-01" ] }, { "cite": "509 S.E.2d 226", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1998, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "131 N.C. App. 793", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11205777 ], "year": 1998, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/131/0793-01" ] }, { "cite": "520 S.E.2d 105", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1999, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "135 N.C. App. 359", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11240842 ], "year": 1999, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/135/0359-01" ] }, { "cite": "524 S.E.2d 360", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2000, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "362", "parenthetical": "\"[Grandparents have standing to seek visitation with their grandchildren when those children are not living in a McIntyre 'intact family.' \"" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "136 N.C. App. 435", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11240166 ], "weight": 2, "year": 2000, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "437" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/136/0435-01" ] }, { "cite": "546 S.E.2d 111", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2000, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "353 N.C. 268", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 135842, 135882, 135952, 135665, 135890 ], "year": 2000, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/353/0268-02", "/nc/353/0268-04", "/nc/353/0268-03", "/nc/353/0268-01", "/nc/353/0268-05" ] }, { "cite": "530 S.E.2d 559", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2000, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "138 N.C. App. 149", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11078849 ], "year": 2000, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/138/0149-01" ] }, { "cite": "573 S.E.2d 606", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2002, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "608", "parenthetical": "\"[T]he statute does not grant grandparents the right to sue for visitation when no custody proceeding is ongoing and the minor children's family is intact.\"" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "155 N.C. App. 587", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 9251224 ], "weight": 2, "year": 2002, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "590" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/155/0587-01" ] }, { "cite": "461 S.E.2d 745", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1995, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "749" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "341 N.C. 629", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 793178 ], "year": 1995, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "634" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/341/0629-01" ] }, { "cite": "243 S.E.2d 894", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1978, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "295 N.C. 39", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 8560959 ], "year": 1978, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/295/0039-01" ] }, { "cite": "526 S.E.2d 214", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2000, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "215", "parenthetical": "citing Grant v. Insurance Co., 295 N.C. 39, 243 S.E.2d 894 (1978)" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "136 N.C. App. 834", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 11242419 ], "weight": 2, "year": 2000, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "835", "parenthetical": "citing Grant v. Insurance Co., 295 N.C. 39, 243 S.E.2d 894 (1978)" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/136/0834-01" ] }, { "cite": "333 S.E.2d 222", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1985, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "314 N.C. 276", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 4691903 ], "year": 1985, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/314/0276-01" ] }, { "cite": "347 S.E.2d 743", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1986, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "745", "parenthetical": "citing Oates v. JAG, Inc., 314 N.C. 276, 333 S.E.2d 222 (1985)" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "318 N.C. 172", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 4732963 ], "year": 1986, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "175", "parenthetical": "citing Oates v. JAG, Inc., 314 N.C. 276, 333 S.E.2d 222 (1985)" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/318/0172-01" ] } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 548, "char_count": 10545, "ocr_confidence": 0.766, "pagerank": { "raw": 8.929330764558729e-08, "percentile": 0.5008122095149177 }, "sha256": "edc741c30df88677cd812426139e20cca350b7cd37dccb72ea84ac5e889fbdb7", "simhash": "1:83f9dd024c2e9c56", "word_count": 1686 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T16:54:20.581695+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "Judges HUNTER and CALABRIA concur." ], "parties": [ "ARIADNE EAKETT, Plaintiff v. DAVID EAKETT, Defendant v. GEORGE THOMAS EAKETT, Intervenor" ], "opinions": [ { "text": "EAGLES, Chief Judge.\nIntervenor George Thomas Eakett appeals from the trial court\u2019s order dismissing his motion requesting visitation rights with his grandchild. Intervenor\u2019s sole argument on appeal is that the trial court abused its discretion by denying intervenor the right to proceed with the merits of his request for visitation. After careful review of the record and briefs, we affirm.\nPlaintiff Ariadne Eakett married defendant David Eakett on 12 June 1996. During their marriage, plaintiff and defendant had one child, Oscar Wilde Eakett, bom on 2 June 1999. Plaintiff and defendant separated on 17 August 1999. Plaintiff filed a complaint for custody of Oscar, child support and divorce from bed and board on 18 August 1999. Defendant did not appear and was not represented at the hearing on plaintiff\u2019s complaint. Plaintiff was awarded custody of Oscar by the trial court\u2019s order dated 30 September 1999.\nIntervenor is Oscar\u2019s paternal grandfather and defendant\u2019s father. Intervenor cared for Oscar several days a week while plaintiff worked in Asheville. Plaintiff worked in the Asheville area after plaintiff and defendant\u2019s separation. Approximately three months after the separation, plaintiff ended her employment in Asheville. After plaintiff stopped working in Asheville, she refused to allow intervenor any contact with his grandson.\nOn 15 April 2002 intervenor moved to intervene and also filed a motion in the cause seeking visitation rights. The trial court granted the motion to intervene, but denied the motion in the cause on 5 June 2002. Intervenor appeals.\nIntervenor argues that the trial court misapplied the law by requiring intervenor to allege and prove that plaintiff and Oscar were not an intact family or that the underlying custody controversy had become active. According to intervenor\u2019s interpretation, G.S. \u00a7 50-13.5(j) allows grandparents to intervene and request visitation even when the custody of a minor child has been determined and no ongoing custody dispute exists. Intervenor argues that upon a showing of changed circumstances, the grandparent should be awarded visitation under G.S. \u00a7 50-13.50) in the discretion of the trial court. We disagree.\nIntervenor argues that the trial court erred by granting the motion to dismiss for failure to allege a claim upon which relief could be granted. Dismissal of a complaint is appropriate \u201c(1) when the complaint on its face reveals that no law supports plaintiffs claim; (2) when the complaint on its face reveals the absence of fact sufficient to make a good claim; (3) when some fact disclosed in the complaint necessarily defeats plaintiff\u2019s claim.\u201d Jackson v. Bumgardner, 318 N.C. 172, 175, 347 S.E.2d 743, 745 (1986) (citing Oates v. JAG, Inc., 314 N.C. 276, 333 S.E.2d 222 (1985)). When a court considers a motion to dismiss, \u201call allegations of the complaint are deemed true.\u201d Shaut v. Cannon, 136 N.C. App. 834, 835, 526 S.E.2d 214, 215 (2000) (citing Grant v. Insurance Co., 295 N.C. 39, 243 S.E.2d 894 (1978)). Here, intervenor\u2019s complaint did not state a cause of action even if all of the allegations in the complaint are taken as true. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court\u2019s order dismissing intervenor\u2019s motion in the cause for visitation privileges.\nFour North Carolina statutes empower grandparents to request visitation rights in different circumstances. G.S. \u00a7 50-13.1(a) grants grandparents the broad privilege to institute an action for custody or visitation, as allowed in G.S. \u00a7\u00a7 50-13.2(bl), 50-13.2A, and 50-13.5(j). G.S. \u00a7 50-13.2(bl) allows grandparents to receive visitation privileges as part of an ongoing custody dispute. G.S. \u00a7 50-13.2A permits a biological grandparent to request visitation with the grandchild if the grandchild is adopted by a stepparent or relative of the child, provided the child and grandparent have a substantial relationship.\nThe fourth statute, G.S. \u00a7 50-13.5Q), is at issue here. The statute reads, in pertinent part:\nIn any action in which the custody of a minor child has been determined, upon a motion in the cause and a showing of changed circumstances pursuant to G.S. 50-13.7, the grandparents of the child are entitled to such custody or visitation rights as the court, in its discretion, deems appropriate.\nG.S. \u00a7 50-13.5(j)(2001) (emphasis added). Intervenor contends that this statute allows him to intervene and petition the court for visitation privileges with his grandson. Intervenor\u2019s suggested interpretation of G.S. \u00a7 50-13.5(j) does not agree with the long-standing public policy of North Carolina. Our Supreme Court held that the four aforementioned statutes only apply in very limited situations: \u201cUnder [G.S. \u00a7\u00a7 50-13.1(a), 50-13.2(bl), 50-13.2A, and 50-13.50)], a grandparent\u2019s right to visitation arises either in the context of an ongoing custody proceeding or where the minor child is in the custody of a stepparent or a relative.\u201d McIntyre v. McIntyre, 341 N.C. 629, 634, 461 S.E.2d 745, 749 (1995). This public policy has been designated the \u201cintact family\u201d rule. See McDuffie v. Mitchell, 155 N.C. App. 587, 573 S.E.2d 606 (2002); Price v. Breedlove, 138 N.C. App. 149, 530 S.E.2d 559, disc. rev. denied, 353 N.C. 268, 546 S.E.2d 111 (2000); Shaut v. Cannon, 136 N.C. App. 834, 526 S.E.2d 214 (2000); Montgomery v. Montgomery, 136 N.C. App. 435, 524 S.E.2d 360 (2000); Penland v. Harris, 135 N.C. App. 359, 520 S.E.2d 105 (1999) and Hill v. Newman, 131 N.C. App. 793, 509 S.E.2d 226 (1998). In a case that does not involve adoption by a stepparent or other relative, a grandparent must prove that the child\u2019s family is not intact before the grandparent can intervene to request visitation with his grandchild. See McDuffie, 155 N.C. App. at 590, 573 S.E.2d at 608 (\u201c[T]he statute does not grant grandparents the right to sue for visitation when no custody proceeding is ongoing and the minor children\u2019s family is intact.\u201d) (emphasis in original). See also Montgomery, 136 N.C. App. at 437, 524 S.E.2d at 362 (\u201c[Grandparents have standing to seek visitation with their grandchildren when those children are not living in a McIntyre \u2018intact family.\u2019 \u201d).\nWhen grandparents initiate custody lawsuits under G.S. \u00a7 50-13.1(a), those grandparents are not required to prove the grandchild is not living in an intact family in order to gain custody. See McDuffie; Sharp v. Sharp, 124 N.C. App. 357, 477 S.E.2d 258 (1996). Instead, the grandparent must show that the parent is unfit or has taken action inconsistent with her parental status in order to gain custody of the child. See Petersen v. Rogers, 337 N.C. 397, 445 S.E.2d 901 (1994); Sharp, 124 N.C. App. 357, 477 S.E.2d 258. The requirement to show unfitness if a grandparent initiates a custody dispute is consistent with a parent\u2019s constitutionally protected right to the care, custody and control of the child. Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 147 L. Ed. 2d 49 (2000); Price v. Howard, 346 N.C. 68, 484 S.E.2d 528 (1997) and Petersen v. Rogers, 337 N.C. 397, 445 S.E.2d 901 (1994). The requirement to show unfitness protects the parent\u2019s right to control with whom his child associate^ on a daily basis.\nSimilarly, the intact family rule protects the parental right \u201cto determine with whom [her] children shall associate.\u201d Sharp, 124 N.C. App. at 360, 477 S.E.2d at 260 (quoting Petersen, 337 N.C. 397, 445 S.E.2d 901 (1994)). A grandparent cannot initiate a lawsuit for visitation rights unless the child\u2019s family is already undergoing some strain on the family relationship, such as an adoption or an ongoing custody battle. The grandparent is a third party to the parent-child relationship. Accordingly, the grandparent\u2019s rights to the care, custody and control of the child are not constitutionally protected while the parent\u2019s rights are protected. Intervenor\u2019s interpretation of the statute would authorize interference with those constitutionally protected parental rights. Under intervenor\u2019s proposed reading of G.S. \u00a7 50-13.5(j), any custody order entered by a trial court could be re-opened upon a grandparent\u2019s motion asserting that he or she was not authorized enough visitation with his or her grandchildren. Although intervenor\u2019s interpretation might produce a stronger grandparent-grandchild relationship, it would provide a mechanism by which a grandparent could disrupt a stable family where no disruption previously existed.\nIntervenor contends that he was not allowed to present evidence on the question of whether his grandchild lived in an intact family. In fact, no action had been taken in reference to the child\u2019s custody for over one year before intervenor filed his complaint. The most recent court action was the order awarding custody to plaintiff. A single parent and her child can constitute an \u201cintact family\u201d for the purposes of this rule. See Fisher v. Graydon, 124 N.C. App. 442, 477 S.E.2d 251 (1996), disc. rev. denied, 345 N.C. 640, 483 S.E.2d 706 (1997). In his complaint, intervenor did not allege that his grandchild was not part of an \u201cintact family.\u201d Because of this failure, intervenor\u2019s complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. No hearing upon a change of circumstances under G.S. \u00a7 50-13.5(j) was necessary.\nIntervenor\u2019s failure to allege the absence of an \u201cintact family\u201d in his complaint meant that intervenor lacked standing to intervene. Accordingly, that portion of the trial court\u2019s order allowing inter-venor\u2019s motion to intervene is reversed. We affirm the remainder of the trial court\u2019s order, which dismissed intervenor\u2019s motion in the cause for visitation.\nAffirmed in part, reversed in part.\nJudges HUNTER and CALABRIA concur.", "type": "majority", "author": "EAGLES, Chief Judge." } ], "attorneys": [ "Robert E. Riddle, P.A., by Diane K. McDonald, for intervenor-appellant.", "Blanchard, Bowen, Newman and Justice, by Ronald G. Blanchard and Ronald E. Justice, for plaintiff-appellee." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "ARIADNE EAKETT, Plaintiff v. DAVID EAKETT, Defendant v. GEORGE THOMAS EAKETT, Intervenor\nNo. COA02-936\n(Filed 6 May 2003)\nChild Support, Custody, and Visitation\u2014 custody \u2014 grandparent\u2019s motion to intervene \u2014 lack of standing\nThe trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying a grandparent-intervenor the right to proceed with the merits of his request for visitation with his grandson where the motion to intervene came over a year after custody was awarded to the child\u2019s mother and did not allege the absence of an intact family. N.C.G.S. \u00a7 50-13.50).\nAppeal by intervenor from order entered 5 June 2002 by Judge Robert S. Cilley in Henderson County District Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 14 April 2003.\nRobert E. Riddle, P.A., by Diane K. McDonald, for intervenor-appellant.\nBlanchard, Bowen, Newman and Justice, by Ronald G. Blanchard and Ronald E. Justice, for plaintiff-appellee." }, "file_name": "0550-01", "first_page_order": 582, "last_page_order": 586 }