Muhlheim v. Armstrong

175 P.3d 521, 217 Or. App. 275, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 1871
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedDecember 26, 2007
Docket040204, 051267 A129926 (Control) A129927
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 175 P.3d 521 (Muhlheim v. Armstrong) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Muhlheim v. Armstrong, 175 P.3d 521, 217 Or. App. 275, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 1871 (Or. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

*277 HASELTON, P. J.

In these consolidated cases, father challenges the award of custody of his daughter, E, to her maternal aunt and uncle pursuant to the psychological parent statute, ORS 109.119. 1 Father contends that the trial court erred in determining that aunt and uncle had established a “[c]hildparent” relationship with E, ORS 109.119(10)(a), and that aunt, and uncle had rebutted the statutory presumption of ORS 109.119(2)(a) that “the legal parent acts in the best interest of the child.” Father further contends that the trial court erred in admitting certain evidence and in considering issues not framed by the pleadings. Because we agree with father that aunt and uncle did not rebut the statutory presumption that father acts in the child’s best interests, we reverse without reaching father’s remaining assignments of error.

We review the facts de novo. Wurtele v. Blevins, 192 Or App 131, 84 P3d 225, rev den, 337 Or 555 (2004). Most of the facts are not disputed, although the inferences to be drawn from them are strongly disputed. E was born in January 2001. Father and mother were not married or living together when E was born, but they voluntarily acknowledged father’s paternity.

Mother lived at various times in Portland and Albany. Mother’s life apparently was quite chaotic, and she had numerous mental health problems. On occasion, she and E would stay with E’s maternal grandparents in Albany during crises. E also saw aunt and uncle, who live in Portland, on holidays and for visits and she stayed with them on occasion when mother was having problems. Father had visits with E both in Albany and in Portland. Mother would bring E to visit father, who lives in St. Helens, on some holidays as well. However, most of father’s efforts to share time with the child were unsuccessful because of mother’s unreliable and unpredictable behavior.

*278 Mother initiated a custody proceeding in January 2004. In that proceeding, both parents sought custody of E. A temporary order was entered on January 30, 2004, which prohibited both mother and father from hiding or secreting E from the other party or changing E’s usual place of residence, which was mother’s address in Albany. The temporary order also provided for father to have supervised parenting time up to twice a month. However, despite the temporary order, mother’s willingness to follow through with plans for E to spend time with father lessened after the custody case was filed. Attempts to mediate a parenting time plan were not successful. Mother would not allow father to see E at Christmas in 2004.

In January 2005, mother’s situation apparently took a turn for the worse. 2 Father was no longer able to contact her by telephone. Aunt — mother’s sister-in-law — testified that mother was experiencing mental health problems, was taking drugs, and was involved in an abusive relationship. In late January 2005, the Department of Human Services (DHS) became concerned about E’s welfare after receiving reports about drugs and domestic violence in mother’s home. In light of those concerns, a DHS worker, Davis, consulted E’s maternal grandparents about possible family resources for E. Grandparents identified aunt and uncle as potential resources. Mother agreed with Davis that E could live with aunt and uncle.

Davis did not contact father or consider him to be a placement resource because mother indicated that father had no relationship with E and had engaged in domestic violence. Davis knew that a custody case was pending between father and mother concerning E, but he was unaware of the order that prohibited moving E from her current address or secreting E from father. Davis placed E with aunt and uncle on January 26, 2005, and instructed them not to contact father.

*279 Father became concerned when he was unable to reach mother, and he left a telephone message for the maternal grandparents, trying to locate E. Father also tried contacting mother’s attorney in the custody proceeding but had no success in locating mother. Finally, in early April, father was able to reach mother’s boyfriend by telephone and learned that E was with aunt and uncle. Father telephoned uncle and left a message that he wanted to see E. Uncle returned the call several days later and agreed to set up a visit. Shortly thereafter, aunt and uncle filed their petition for guardianship of E.

The custody case was scheduled for trial on May 2, 2005. Mother’s lawyer appeared and sought a continuance on the ground that mother was currently hospitalized. Aunt and uncle’s lawyer appeared and requested that the guardianship petition be consolidated with the custody proceeding. The court allowed both the continuance and the consolidation. The court scheduled a status check and parenting time hearing for June 15. After the May 2 continuance, aunt and uncle initiated their action pursuant to ORS 109.119 seeking custody of E.

Meanwhile another DHS caseworker, Purcell, had become involved in the case. Approximately a week after father contacted uncle, Purcell contacted father. He told father that E’s maternal grandparents had not wanted father to be contacted because they were afraid that he would take custody of E. Father was upset that he had not been contacted earlier and indicated that he wanted to talk with his attorney. Father also contacted the sheriffs office to inquire about getting E removed from aunt and uncle’s care, and the sheriffs office called Purcell at DHS. Purcell later told father that he should have contacted DHS rather than the sheriffs office.

Purcell thereafter arranged a “family decision meeting” on May 12 with father, aunt and uncle, maternal grandparents, and paternal grandmother. At that meeting, father inquired why DHS had removed the child from mother’s care, and Purcell responded that the reasons were confidential. Father made it clear that he wanted custody of E. At that meeting, father was upset because he discovered that E was *280 referring to her aunt and uncle as “mom and dad” and because aunt claimed that she was the child’s mother. The parties, however, managed to reach an agreement that father would be allowed to schedule visits with E. Thereafter, father had a number of successful visits and outings with E at which she appeared to enjoy herself and enjoy father’s company.

On June 15, the court held the previously scheduled status check and parenting time hearing. Mother did not appear at that hearing, and the court was informed that her attorney had withdrawn from the case. The court directed that aunt and uncle’s new petition under the psychological parent statute be consolidated with the other pending matters, and the case was scheduled for trial the following week.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re the Marriage of Nguyen
203 P.3d 265 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
Venture Properties, Inc. v. Parker
195 P.3d 470 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
175 P.3d 521, 217 Or. App. 275, 2007 Ore. App. LEXIS 1871, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/muhlheim-v-armstrong-orctapp-2007.