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Æ 0DV 0@š 0DÚ AM D/k Bš B· D3Ô  v~ vÓ›˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLhÎ, øð AZ‹"Arial RegularX($¡¡- ù - '(D)*D+,-D./0Ó€ê‚_#3|x92 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d7Border 1dd!"#$&Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó!#Cþÿ << Gÿÿ(('÷ÿ dxd düÿP Pd'''''ÿÿdxd Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ""ÝÝ  ÝÔ€ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€XÔÌÌNovember€19,€1997ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÑ  ÑÒ € ÒÒ ° ÒÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ€ÑÑ7€¡XXdædÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÑ  ÑÙ€!ÙßR€%*A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRßÞ ÞÌNORMAN€DEAN€NILSEN,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àPlaintiff/Appellee,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àAppeal€No.Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à à01„A„01„9705„CH„00212ÌVS.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àMontgomery€ChanceryÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àNo.€97„01„0102ÌJENNIFER€LEA€BLACK,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àDefendant/Appellant.à àà à)ÌÌÌÌà@ àÔ€¼ÔCOURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àMIDDLE€SECTION€AT€NASHVILLEÔ€XÔÌÌÌÌAPPEALED€FROM€THE€CHANCERY€COURT€OF€MONTGOMERY€COUNTYÌAT€CLARKSVILLE,€TENNESSEEÌÌTHE€HONORABLE€ALEX€W.€DARNELL,€CHANCELLORÌÌÌÌÌÌNORMAN€DEAN€NILSENÌ318€6th€Avenue€S.€#117ÌSeattle,€Washington€98104Ìà àPro€Se/Plaintiff/AppelleeÌÌGORDON€W.€RAHNÌTROY€L.€BROOKSÌ127€South€Third€StreetÌClarksville,€Tennessee€37040Ìà àAttorneys€for€Defendant/AppellantÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà@ àAFFIRMED€AND€REMANDEDÌÌÌÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àBEN€H.€CANTRELL,€JUDGEÌÌCONCUR:ÌTODD,€P.J.,€M.S.ÌBUSSART,€J.ÌÌÌÓÓÓ  Óà@ àò òòòÔ€„ÔO€P€I€N€I€O€Nó óóóÔ€XÔÌÌà àà àThe€divorced€father€of€a€fourteen€year€old€girl€filed€a€Petition€for€WritÏof€Habeas€Corpus€in€the€Chancery€Court€of€Montgomery€County,€to€compel€theÏmother€to€return€the€girl€to€his€physical€custody€in€the€state€of€Washington.€€TheÏtrial€court€found€that€custody€jurisdiction€remained€in€the€state€of€Washington,€andÏthat€a€prior€order€of€the€Washington€court€had€transferred€custody€to€the€petitioner.€ÏThe€court€accordingly€granted€the€writ.€€We€affirm.ÌÌà@ àò òI.ó óÌÌà àà àNorman€Dean€Nilsen€and€Jennifer€Lea€Mills€married€and€becameÏthe€parents€of€three€girls,€Kristine,€who€was€born€in€1983,€Nicole,€born€in€1984,Íand€Danielle,€born€in€1986.€€By€a€default€judgment,€a€court€in€King€County,ÏWashington€granted€the€parties€a€divorce€in€1986,€gave€the€wife€custody€of€theÏchildren,€and€ordered€the€husband€to€pay€child€support€of€$600€per€month.€€InÏ1990,€the€parties€executed€a€modification€of€the€divorce€decree€that€lowered€theÏamount€of€child€support€to€$200€per€month.€€The€mother€claims€that€the€fatherÏnever€paid€any€support€under€either€order.ÌÌà àà àApparently€the€father€lived€(and€still€lives)€with€his€parents€in€theÏstate€of€Washington.€€There€are€rooms€in€the€house€of€his€parents€for€the€girls€toÏstay€when€they€visit€the€father.€€In€July€of€1987,€the€mother€married€a€soldier,€AlanÏBlack,€and€moved€with€her€family€to€a€military€base€in€California.€€During€theÏPersian€Gulf€War,€Staff€Sergeant€Black€served€in€Saudi€Arabia.€€In€February€ofÏ1991,€the€mother€sent€the€two€oldest€girls€to€live€with€their€paternal€grandparents,Ïbecause€she€was€afraid€of€the€effect€that€demonstrations€at€the€base€and€securityÏcounter„measures€might€have€on€them.€€€€ÌÌà àà àIn€April€of€1991,€the€parties€signed€another€modification,€which€gaveÏjoint€custody€to€the€parties,€but€transferred€physical€custody€to€the€father.€€TheÏagreement€also€provided€that€the€mother€would€pay€child€support€of€$25€per€childÏper€month,€and€would€release€the€husband€from€any€liability€arising€from€his€ownÏfailure€to€pay€child€support.€ÌÌà àà àThe€mother€testified€that€the€modification€was€signed€in€the€office€ofÏthe€fatherððs€attorney,€after€a€lunch€at€which€the€father€bought€her€several€drinks.€ÏThe€father€maintained€that€it€was€signed€at€the€base.€€The€signature€of€the€fatherððsÏattorney€appears€on€the€instrument,€as€does€the€signature€of€a€legal€assistanceÏattorney€with€the€Department€of€the€Army.€€The€modification€was€filed€in€the€KingÏCounty€Superior€Court,€and€was€made€an€order€of€that€court€on€July€12,€1991.ÌÌà àà àAt€some€point,€Sergeant€Black€was€transferred€to€Fort€Campbell,Ïand€his€family€took€up€residence€in€Kentucky.€€In€1994,€Nicole€moved€to€KentuckyÏto€live€with€her€mother.€€Kristine€joined€her€sisters€and€mother€at€Ft.€Campbell€1nÏ1996.€€Her€father€testified€that€he€only€intended€for€Kristine€to€have€a€summer€visit.€ÏThe€mother€testified€that€it€was€Kristineððs€choice€to€stay€in€Kentucky€past€the€endÏof€the€summer€€Ìà àà àThe€mother€took€the€girls€to€Washington€in€October€of€1996,€on€a€tripÏthat€she€claimed€was€only€to€visit€family€members.€€The€husband€insisted€that€theÏpurpose€of€the€trip€was€to€return€Kristine€to€his€custody,€and€he€allegedly€sent€theÏmother€$300€for€travel€expenses.ÌÌà àà àEarlier€that€same€year,€the€husband€wrote€a€letter€to€his€former€wifeÏfrom€a€jail€cell,€where€he€was€being€held€on€drug€charges.€€In€the€letter,€heÏadmitted€he€had€a€drug€problem,€and€acknowledged€several€warrants€related€toÍhis€use€of€illegal€drugs.€At€the€hearing€of€this€cause,€the€mother€moved€that€theÏletter€be€entered€into€evidence.€€The€trial€court€denied€the€motion.€€ÌÌà àà àBy€1997,€the€mother€had€moved€with€her€family€to€Tennessee.€€OnÏJanuary€23,€the€father€filed€his€Petition€for€Writ€of€Habeas€Corpus,€asking€that€bothÏKristine€and€Nicole€be€returned€to€his€custody.€€The€mother€answered,€arguingÏthat€it€was€in€the€best€interest€of€the€children€that€the€court€deny€issuance€of€theÏwrit.ÌÌà à€€€€€After€a€hearing,€attended€by€both€parties€and€their€attorneys,€the€trialÏcourt€ruled€as€follows:€Ò 0 ÒÒ  ÒÓÓÌÌIT€IS€HEREBY€ORDERED,€ADJUDGED€AND€DECREEDÏthat:ÌÌ1.à àThis€court€recognizes€the€prior€court€order€enteredÏin€Washington€in€1991€that€transfers€custody€to€theÏPetitioner.€The€parties€acknowledge€that€the€youngestÏchild€has€never€lived€with€the€Petitioner,€and€that€this€partÏof€the€court€order€does€not€apply.€€The€custody€jurisdictionÏremains€in€the€State€of€Washington.ÌÌ2.à àKristie€Nilson€shall€return€to€Washington€with€theÏPetitioner.€€He€shall€pick€her€and€her€sisters€up€at€2:30Ïp.m.€today€and€return€them€at€8:30€p.m.€€He€shall€then€pickÏKristie€up€at€1:00€p.m.€tomorrow.€€These€exchanges€shallÏtake€place€in€the€parking€lot€at€Dairy€Queen€on€RiversideÏDrive€in€Clarksville.ÌÌ3.à àThe€parties€agreed€in€1994€that€Nicole€would€comeÏto€Fort€Campbell€to€live€with€Respondent.€€Since€theÏparties€agreed€to€this,€this€Court€will€not€change€theirÍagreement€based€upon€a€court€order€entered€prior€to€theÏagreement.€€This€issue€is€reserved€for€Washington€toÏdetermine.ÌÌà àEntered€this€the€24th€day€of€January,€1997.ÌÒ € ÒÒ  ÒÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÌÓÓThis€appeal€followed.ÌÌà@ àò òII.ó óÌà àà àÌà àà àThe€appellant€has€prepared€a€well„written€brief,€presenting€theÏfollowing€issues€to€this€court:ÌÒ 0 ÒÒ „ ÒÒ 0 ÒÒ  ÒÓÓÌÌ1.à àDid€the€trial€court€err€in€not€considering€the€bestÏà àinterests€of€the€child?Ì2.à àDid€the€trial€court€err€in€not€admitting€into€evidenceÏa€Ìà àhandwritten€letter€from€the€appellee?Ì3.à àDid€the€trial€court€err€in€enforcing€the€1991Ïmodification€Ìà àentered€into€by€the€appellant€and€appellee?ÌÌÒ € ÒÒ  ÒÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÓÓÌà àà àThe€appellant€argues€that€Kristineððs€interest€is€best€served€byÏremaining€with€her€mother;€that€the€letter€in€question€contains€evidence€of€theÏunfitness€of€the€father€to€exercise€custody;€and€that€the€1991€custody€modificationÏwas€an€unconscionable€bargain€that€should€not€have€been€enforced€by€any€court.€ÌÌà àà àWe€believe,€however,€that€the€Uniform€Child€Custody€JurisdictionÏAct€of€1979€(UCCJA),€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€36„6„201€et€seq.,€is€dispositive€of€thisÏcase,€and€that€it€pretermits€all€three€issues€raised€by€the€appellant.€€A€TennesseeÏcourt€may€not€make€a€determination€as€to€the€best€interests€of€a€child€or€theÏvalidity€of€an€agreement€modifying€a€child€custody€order€issued€by€another€state,Ïunless€it€has€jurisdiction€and€can€meet€the€requirements€of€the€UCCJA€forÏexercise€of€that€jurisdiction.Ì€€€Ìà àà àThe€Act€is€designedòò€óóð ð.€.€.€with€the€express€intent€of€eliminatingÏinterstate€competition€over€custody€matters,€child„snatching,€and€unauthorizedÏholdovers€following€authorized€visitation€periods.ðð€òò€Brown€v.€Brownóó,€847€S.W.2dÏ496€(Tenn.€1993).€€It€seeks€to€ð ðmake€uniform€the€laws€of€those€states€which€enactÏit,ðð€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€36„6„201(a)(9).€€Every€state€that€has€adopted€the€Act€(and€itÏhas€been€adopted€by€all€fifty€states,€the€District€of€Columbia,€and€the€U.S.€Virgin€ÏIslands)€is€required€to€recognize€and€enforce€the€custody€determinations€of€otherÏstates:€€€ÌÒ 0 ÒÒ „ ÒÒ 0 ÒÒ  Òò òÓÓÌÌà à36„6„214.€€Recognition€and€enforcement€ofÏforeign€decree.€„„ó ó€The€courts€of€this€state€shallÏrecognize€and€enforce€an€initial€or€modification€decree€ofÏa€court€of€another€state€which€had€assumed€jurisdictionÏunder€statutory€provisions€substantially€in€accordance€withÏthis€part€or€which€was€made€under€factual€circumstancesÏmeeting€the€jurisdictional€standards€of€this€part,€so€long€asÏthis€decree€has€not€been€modified€in€accordance€withÍjurisdictional€standards€substantially€similar€to€those€ofÏthis€part.ÌÌÒ € ÒÒ  ÒÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÌÌÓÓà àà àUnder€certain€circumstances,€the€Tennessee€courts€may€modify€aÏdecree€that€was€originally€rendered€in€another€state:ÌÒ 0 ÒÒ „ ÒÒ 0 ÒÒ  Òò òÓÓÌÌà à36„6„215.€Modification€of€foreign€decree.„„ó óÏ(a)€If€a€court€of€another€state€has€made€a€custody€decreeÏrecognizable€and€enforceable€under€ðð€36„6„213,€a€courtÏof€this€state€shall€not€modify€that€decree€unless:Ìà à(1)€It€appears€to€the€court€of€this€state€that€the€courtÏwhich€rendered€the€decree€does€not€now€have€jurisdictionÏunder€jurisdictional€prerequisites€substantially€inÏaccordance€with€this€part€or€has€declined€to€assumeÏjurisdiction€to€modify€the€decree;€andÌà à(2)€The€court€of€this€state€has€jurisdiction.ÌÒ € ÒÒ  ÒÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÓÓÌà à€€€€€Thus,€although€it€might€be€argued€that€Tennessee€has€obtained€custodyÏjurisdiction€over€Kristine€Nilsen€by€becoming€her€home€state,€see€Tenn.€CodeÏAnn.€ðð€36„6„203(a)(1),€Tennessee€is€not€entitled€to€exercise€that€jurisdictionÏunless€it€can€also€be€shown€that€Washington€State€has€lost€jurisdiction,€or€hasÏdeclined€to€exercise€the€jurisdiction€it€retains.€€ð ðThe€language€could€not€beÏplainer.€€Jurisdiction€simply€shall€not€be€exercised,€even€though€Tennessee€hasÏbecome€the€ððhome€state,ðð€except€in€accordance€with€the€Code€section€cited.ðð€€SeeÏòòState€ex€rel€Cooper€v.€Hamilton,óó€688€S.W.2d€821,€824€(Tenn.€1985).€ÌÌà àà àThe€appellant€cites€a€number€of€Tennessee€cases€which€she€claimsÏstand€for€the€proposition€that€in€proceedings€involving€child€custody,€the€strictÏlegal€rights€of€the€parties€must€be€subordinated€to€the€best€interests€of€theÏchildren.€òò€State€ex€rel€Daugherty€v.€Rose,óó€71€S.W.2d€685€(Tenn.€1934);€òòCecil€v.ÏState€ex€rel€Cecilóó,€237€S.W.2d€558€(Tenn.€1951).€€However€to€the€extent€thatÏthese€cases€conflict€with€the€UCCJA,€they€have€of€course€been€overruled€by€theÏLegislature.€ÌÌà àà àLest€the€reader€of€this€opinion€believe€that€the€UCCJA€offers€noÏrecourse€in€situations€where€enforcement€of€an€out„of„state€judgment€wouldÏendanger€the€welfare€of€a€child,€we€refer€them€to€another€part€of€the€Act:ÌÒ 0 ÒÒ „ ÒÒ 0 ÒÒ  ÒÓÓò òÌÌà àðð€36„6„204.€Temporary€decrees€„„ÏObtaining€permanent€custody€decree.€„„ó ó€(a)€A€courtÏof€this€state€which€is€competent€to€decide€child€custodyÏmatters€has€limited€jurisdiction€to€suspend€temporarilyÏenforcement€of€an€existing€decree€and€to€make€aÏtemporary€decree€for€a€period€not€longer€than€sixty€(60)Ïdays€if€the€child€is€physically€present€in€this€state€and:Ìà à(1)€The€child€has€been€abandoned;€€orÌà à(2)€It€is€necessary€in€an€emergency€to€protect€theÏchild€because€the€child€has€been€subjected€to€or€isÏimmediately€threatened€with€serious€harm€to€life€or€withÏserious€bodily€injury.Ìà à(b)€In€order€to€obtain€a€permanent€custody€decree,Ïthe€petitioning€party€shall€file€in€a€state€which€hasÏjurisdiction€as€set€out€in€ðð€36„6„203.ÌÒ 0 ÒÒ „ ÒÌÌÌÒ € ÒÒ „ ÒÓÓà àà àHowever€the€appellant€has€not€asked€for€relief€under€Tenn.€CodeÏAnn.€ðð€36„6„204,€and€this€does€not€appear€to€be€an€appropriate€case€for€suchÏrelief.€€The€above„quoted€statute€does€grant€Tennessee€the€power€to€act€to€protectÏan€endangered€child€who€is€physically€present€in€the€state,€but€we€note€thatÏsection€(b)€further€underlines€the€primacy€of€the€original€rendering€state€if€aÏpermanent€change€of€custody€is€desired.€€ÌÌÌÌà@ àò òIII.ó óÌÌà àà àThe€order€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Remand€this€cause€to€theÏChancery€Court€of€Montgomery€County€for€any€further€proceedings€necessary.€ÏTax€the€costs€on€appeal€to€the€appellant.ÌÓÓÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àBEN€H.€CANTRELL,€JUDGEÌÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌHENRY€F.€TODD,€PRESIDING€JUDGEÌMIDDLE€SECTIONÌÌÌÌÌ_______________________________ÌWALTER€W.€BUSSART,€JUDGEÌÌÇÑ  Ñ