senecawoman
New Member
My brother is an alcoholic and a drug addict. In 2006 he had a baby with a street woman. The Denver department of Human Services (DHS) took the custody of the baby shortly after birth. I found this out when I went to see the baby and the parents didn't have her. When I found out the baby had gone to foster care, I applied for custody and had custody of the baby from 2006 to 2008. (6 weeks to 2 and 1/2) during this time the parents had another baby that that died shortly after birth. The DHS returned my niece to him in September of 2008 after a several court hearings in which I and the GAL objected that my brother was not capable of caring for her.
Over the next 7 years my niece was removed from his home 3 times because of the unacceptable conditions of the home (filth, waste, hoarding), and placed with me while he was ordered to clean up the premises. After cleaning up. my niece was returned to him despite my objections.
The problem with this is that my brother is living in the family home where we grew up. My mother owns the home outright and does not charge him rent. She is in a co-dependent relationship with him. She is the one cleaning up the mess he creates, not him. he does not clean anything. he does not work, He spends his days accumulating more trash everyday. I have been to court four times trying to get custody of my niece but all I have is visitation. In 2003, my Mom hired a lawyer to represent my brother and I could not afford a lawyer. My Mom's lawyer was not what you would call an "above board" lawyer.
I could not fight her tactics in court by myself. Even though I had court ordered visitation, my brother stopped bringing my niece to visit. On February 14, 2014, I went to the house with Valentines presents to give to my niece and when I when to give my niece a hug, my brother assaulted me and injured my niece. Now there is a warrant out for his arrest for Assault on me and Child Endangerment on my niece because he grabbed her and hit her head on the door while dragging her into the house.
Now, I found out from a family member that my brother had been seen for the last two months without my niece. He is a single parent, so there is no reason for him to be going around without my niece. I went to the police, and they started searching. They called my mother, (my niece's Grandmother) and her husband told them my niece is with them. As far as I know, they have no legal right to the child. What should I do?
Over the next 7 years my niece was removed from his home 3 times because of the unacceptable conditions of the home (filth, waste, hoarding), and placed with me while he was ordered to clean up the premises. After cleaning up. my niece was returned to him despite my objections.
The problem with this is that my brother is living in the family home where we grew up. My mother owns the home outright and does not charge him rent. She is in a co-dependent relationship with him. She is the one cleaning up the mess he creates, not him. he does not clean anything. he does not work, He spends his days accumulating more trash everyday. I have been to court four times trying to get custody of my niece but all I have is visitation. In 2003, my Mom hired a lawyer to represent my brother and I could not afford a lawyer. My Mom's lawyer was not what you would call an "above board" lawyer.
I could not fight her tactics in court by myself. Even though I had court ordered visitation, my brother stopped bringing my niece to visit. On February 14, 2014, I went to the house with Valentines presents to give to my niece and when I when to give my niece a hug, my brother assaulted me and injured my niece. Now there is a warrant out for his arrest for Assault on me and Child Endangerment on my niece because he grabbed her and hit her head on the door while dragging her into the house.
Now, I found out from a family member that my brother had been seen for the last two months without my niece. He is a single parent, so there is no reason for him to be going around without my niece. I went to the police, and they started searching. They called my mother, (my niece's Grandmother) and her husband told them my niece is with them. As far as I know, they have no legal right to the child. What should I do?