WPC >ߑ-)1)lz3VU>i.x\";q"&D,Q9F81]8.Qz4Jy19Z\Y '?nR` bgUm0oAܜէiG{:Q:PaTy@.Z' e!)_<-Z4M4+W-f`]RDӎSTWnI\ؾaHHo01?E~_%@Dѥb,3ޛ-htXta,Ha;`B<埋^[1LT/-:1ɚEUUCƆDז}Ll1Y9 lyN,6.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP tt )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP tߛ@(ATNASHVILLE `  ______________________________________________ INTHEMATTEROF: h      p DavidsonJuvenileNo.971938503    COURTNEYJADECANOVA,     p C.A.No.01A019803JV00113    MARYWITTLEVRAEA,     p Hon.AndrewJ.Shookhoff,Judge    LUKELEVRAEA,  BRENDACANOVARIDDLE,     ` Petitioners,Vs. `     h      p yxDISxyz z{{|DISMISSED|{ww{zv vzANDREMANDED     JENNIFERCRUZMcKELL,     ` Respondent.CAROLDOWNTON,Nashville,AttorneyforPetitioners.ROSEMARYE.PHILLIPS,Goodlettsville,AttorneyforRespondent. 7  7ܶXXdXXd7  X4XXX4  @% MEMORANDUMOPINION  ##  1        ___________________________________________________________________________ TOMLIN,Sp.J. !   ` Thisisagrandparentsvisitationrightscase.MaryWittLevraea,LukeLevraea,andBrendaCanovaRiddle( Petitioners)filedsuitintheJuvenileCourtofDavidsonCountyagainstJenniferCruzMcKell( Respondent),seekingtoestablishvisitationrightswithCourtneyJadeCanova.TheLevraesarethegreatgrandparentsandMs.Riddleisthegrandmotheroftheminorchild.Respondentisthechildsmotherandcustodialparent.ThechildwasbornoutofwedlocktoRespondentandGarthBryanCanova,thesonandgrandsonrespectivelyofthePetitioners.Whiletheparentsnevermarried,Garthlegitimatedthechildandpaidchildsupport.Someeighteenmonthsfollowingthebirthofthechild,Garthwas 4--9 killedinanautomobileaccident.Respondentrespondedandsubsequentlyfiledamotionforsummaryjudgmentseekingtohavethepetitiondismissed.Bothsidesfiledsupportingaffidavitstotheirrespectivepleadings.ThetrialjudgegrantedRespondentsmotionforsummaryjudgment.AlthoughPetitionershaveraisedtwoissuesonappeal,thisCourtdoesnotreacheitherissueasraised.Forthereasonsashereinafterstated,wedismissandremandthiscasetothetrialcourtforsuchotherproceedingsasarenecessary. ` Petitionersbroughtthisactionpursuanttowhathasbeenreferredtoasthe GrandparentsVisitationRightsAct,enteredintolawbythelegislatureeffectiveJuly23,1997,andcodifiedasT.C.A.366306and307. ` Thepertinentprovisionsoftheseapplicablecodesectionsareasfollows:8 ` 8 ` !` ! 366306.Visitationrightsofparentsofdeceasedor  divorcedparents. (a)If:    8 ` 8 ` !` !(1)Eitherthefatherormotherofanunmarriedminorchildisdeceased;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(2)thechildsfatherandmotheraredivorcedorlegallyseparated;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(3)Thechildsfatherormotherhasbeenmissingfornotlessthansix(6)months;or    8 ` 8 ` !` !(4)Thecourtofanotherstatehasorderedgrandparentvisitation;    8 ` 8 ` !` !then,theparentsofsuchdeceasedpersonortheparentsofeitherofsuchdivorcedorseparatedpersonsortheparentsofthemissingpersonmaybegrantedreasonablevisitationrightstothechildduringitsminoritybyacourtofcompetentjurisdictionuponafindingthatsuchvisitationrightsareinthebestinterestsoftheminorchild,basedonthefactorsin366307(d)(2).     `     `     h *    * p   *  0))  ` TheabovecodesectionmustbereadinconnectionwithT.C.A.366307(Supp.1998),whichreadsasfollows:8 ` 8 ` !` ! 366307.Visitationrightsofparentsadopting  6// relativeorstepparent. 󀄀(a)Ifarelativeorastepparent 700 adoptsachild,thegeneralassemblyfindsthatitissoundpublicpolicytoprovidechildrenwiththestabilityandcontinuityofmeaningfulrelationshipsintheirlives.If :33 grandparentshavehadasufficientexistingrelationshipwithachild,alossofthatrelationshipwouldbeasevereemotionalandpsychologicalblowtothechild,andsuchalosscreatesarebuttablepresumptionofsubstantialdangertothewelfareofthechild.    8 ` 8 ` !` !(b)Agrandparentwhosechildistheabsentbiologicalparentmaypetitionthecourtforreasonablevisitationrightsifasufficientrelationshipexistsbetweenthegrandparentandthechild.    8 ` 8 ` !` !(c)Agrandparentshallbedeemedtohaveasufficientexistingrelationshipwithagrandchildif:    8 ` 8 ` !` !(1)Thechildhasresidedwiththegrandparentforatleastsix(6)consecutivemonthsduringthetwo(2)yearsprecedingthefilingofthepetitionforvisitationrightsandneitherofthechildsparentswerelivinginthesamehousehold;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(2)Thechildandthechildsparentshaveresidedwiththegrandparentsfornotlessthanone(1)yearendingwithintheyearprecedingthefilingofthepetitionforvisitationrights;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(3)Thegrandparenthasbeenafulltimecaretakerofthechildforaperiodofnotlessthansix(6)consecutivemonthsintwo(2)yearsprecedingthefilingofthepetitionforvisitationrights;or    8 ` 8 ` !` !(4)Thegrandparenthashadfrequentvisitationwiththechildwhoisthesubjectofthesuitforaperiodofnotlessthanone(1)yearduringthetwo(2)yearsprecedingthefilingofthepetitionforvisitationrights.    8 ` 8 ` !` !(d)(1)Inahearingconcerningapetitionbyagrandparentforreasonablerightsofvisitation,thecourtshallmakethefollowingfindingsoffact:    8 ` 8 ` !` !(A)Thegrandparenthasasufficientexistingrelationship,asdefinedinsubsection(c);and    8 ` 8 ` !` !(B)Thevisitationisinthebestinterestsofthechild.    8 ` 8 ` !` !(2)Indeterminingthebestinterestsofthechildunderthissection,thecourtshallconsideranumberoffactors,includingbutnotlimitedtothefollowing:    8 ` 8 ` !` !(A)Thelengthandqualityofthepriorrelationshipbetweenthegrandparentandthechild;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(B)Theexistingemotionaltiesofthechildtothe :33 grandparent;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(C)Thepreferenceofthechildifthechildisdeterminedtobeofsufficientmaturitytoexpressapreference;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(D)Theeffectofhostilitybetweenthegrandparentandtheparentonthechildmanifestedbeforethechild,andthewillingnessofthegrandparent,exceptincaseofabuse,toencourageacloserelationshipbetweenthechildandtheparent(s)orguardian(s)ofthechild;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(E)Thegoodfaithofthegrandparentinfilingthepetition;    8 ` 8 ` !` !(F)Iftheparentsaredivorcedorseparated,thetimesharingarrangementthatexistsbetweentheparentswithrespecttothechild;and    8 ` 8 ` !` !(G)Ifone(1)parentisdeceasedormissing,thefactthatthegrandparentsrequestingvisitationaretheparentsofthedeceasedormissingperson.     ` OnNovember4,1998,apanelofthisCourt,inanopinionauthoredbyPresidingJudgeW.FrankCrawford,styled ReginaEllisonvs.CherriEllison ,Obion  ChanceryNo.20,443,C.A.No.02A019803CH00054,declaredT.C.A.366306tobeanunconstitutionalinvasionofprivacyrightsundertheTennesseeConstitutioninthatthestatuteallowsgrandparentsreasonablevisitationrightsuponafindingthatgrandparentvisitationwasinthebestinterestoftheminorchild,withoutfirsthavingfoundtheexistenceofasubstantialdangerorharmtotheminorchild,iftherewasacessationoftherelationshipbetweengrandparentsandsaidminorchild.Insoruling,thisCourtfollowedtheholdingofourSupremeCourtin  -&&  Hawkv.Hawk ,855S.W.2d573(Tenn.1993)and Simmonsv.Simmons ,900  /(( S.W.2d682(Tenn.1995). ` Underthesecircumstances,thisCourthasnooptionbuttofollowtheearlierrulingbythisCourtin Ellison ,anddismissPetitioner}s}~s~suit.Therefore,wedonot 5.. reachorconsidertheissuesraised. ` Thiscaseisremandedtothetrialcourtforsuchotherproceedingsasmaybe 9 22 necessary.Costsonappealaretaxedonehalftopetitionerandonehalftorespondent,forwhichexecutionmayissue,ifnecessary. `     h      p _________________________________ `     h      p HEWITTP.TOMLIN,JR.,    `     h      p SPECIALJUDGE     CONCUR:   ____________________________________ALANE.HIGHERS,JUDGE    ____________________________________ DAVIDR.FARMER,JUDGE