IN RE:
J.G.M. Rowan County
No. 99 J 112
David B. Wilson for petitioner-appellee Rowan County
Department of Social Services.
Nancy R. Gaines and E. Blake Evans for Guardian ad Litem-
appellee.
Rebekah W. Davis for respondent-appellant LaWanda McDowell.
Mercedes O. Chut for respondent-appellant Walter McDowell,
III.
ELMORE, Judge.
LaWanda Bellamy McDowell and Walter McDowell (respondents)
appeal an order terminating parental rights to their daughter,
J.G.M. As we cannot discern the basis of the trial court's order,
we vacate the order and remand for the entry of an order stating
specifically the grounds to support termination.
By order dated 12 July 1999, the District Court of Rowan
County ajudicated J.G.M. to be an abused and neglected juvenile
under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-517(1) and (21). On 20 December 2001,
the Rowan County Department of Social Services (DSS) filed a motion
in the cause seeking termination of the parental rights ofrespondents to J.G.M. This motion alleged that grounds existed to
terminate parental rights under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-1111(a)(1),
(2), and (3). On 11 June 2003, the court issued its order
terminating the parental rights of both respondents. This order
states that Pursuant to G.S. 7B-1111, sufficient grounds exist to
terminate the parental rights . . . without specifying the
provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-1111(a) upon which it based the
order.
It is the duty of the trial court to enter an order such that
the appellate court can readily understand the basis of the order.
See Coble v. Coble, 300 N.C. 708, 714, 268 S.E.2d 185, 190 (1980).
It is not the role of the appellate court to guess the grounds
upon which the trial court terminated the respondents' parental
rights. When the trial court fails to state specifically the
grounds to support its order, this Court should not be required to
analyze each and every possible ground for termination.
Accordingly, we vacate the order and remand this matter to the
trial court for the entry of a proper order, clearly stating the
provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-1111 which it found were the
basis of the termination order. Upon remand, the trial court
should, in its discretion, be allowed to receive further evidence,
and make additional findings of fact. Heath v. Heath, 132 N.C.
App. 36, 38, 509 S.E.2d 804, 805 (1999).
Vacated and remanded.
Judges CALABRIA and STEELMAN concur.
Report per Rule 30(e).
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