Stalker v. Pierce

953 N.E.2d 1094, 2011 Ind. App. LEXIS 1420
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 29, 2011
DocketNo. 61A04-1008-GU-562
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 953 N.E.2d 1094 (Stalker v. Pierce) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stalker v. Pierce, 953 N.E.2d 1094, 2011 Ind. App. LEXIS 1420 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION

RILEY, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Appellant-Protected Person/Cross-Ap-pellee, David L. Stalker (Stalker), appeals the trial court’s approval of Appellee-For-mer Guardian/Cross-Appellant’s, Mary C. Pierce (Pierce), final accounting and the trial court’s denial of Stalker’s request for money damages.

We reverse and remand for further proceedings.

ISSUES

Stalker presents two issues on appeal, which we restate as follows:

(1) Whether Pierce breached her fiduciary duty as Stalker’s guardian; and
(2) Whether Pierce violated Stalker’s due process rights when she failed to notify Stalker of her unilateral decision to demolish his home and personal belongings.
On Cross-Appeal, Pierce presents one issue, which we restate as the following:
Whether the law of the case doctrine bars Stalker’s instant claim.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On February 23, 2005, Stalker consented to the appointment of Pierce, a local Parke County attorney and appointed member of the Parke County Board of Health, as a permanent guardian over his person and property. Pierce knew about Stalker and [1098]*1098the condition of his home prior to becoming his guardian. Knowing that his home had gotten out of hand, Stalker voluntarily sought out Pierce’s legal advice and began working with her to organize his finances so that he would be able to have his house “remodeled.” (Transcript p. 17). After Stalker consulted with Pierce and after neighbors complained about the condition of his property to the Board of Health, Pierce petitioned the trial court to appoint her as Stalker’s permanent guardian. Stalker initially consented to the appointment because of the work they had done on his finances. Together with the consent of appointment of guardian and waiver of notice of hearing, Pierce filed two letters documenting Stalker’s capacity: a letter by Dr. J. Franklin Swaim with the Parke County Health Department (Health Department) and a letter from Adult Protective Services. Both letters confirmed that Stalker suffers from a mental disability and is unable to care for his personal needs or manage his residence. On April 19, 2005, the trial court appointed Pierce as guardian over Stalker’s person and property, “without bond being required.” (Appellant’s App. p. 28).

Sometime in late May or early June of 2005, Stalker submitted an application for the Community Action Program, Inc.’s (CAP) Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program which can make improvements to homes that do not meet the Indiana Housing Finance Authority’s Rehabilitation Standards. On June 10, 2005, Pierce was notified by CAP that Stalker’s residence did not qualify for the program “as the extent of the repairs required under the rehab standards far exceeded the program’s financial capacity.” (Appellant’s App. p. 144).

On November 22, 2005, when Stalker became dissatisfied with Pierce as his guardian, he petitioned the trial court to have the guardianship terminated. In his handwritten request, he asked for a “total release of the guardianship” as he felt competent to take care of himself with the aid of the Hamilton Center, a local mental health service provider. (Appellant’s App. p. 30). The trial court scheduled a hearing for January 13, 2006.

On December 2, 2005, two weeks after Stalker filed his petition to terminate guardianship, Pierce filed a complaint against Stalker with the Parke County Board of Health. Four days after filing the complaint, Pierce, accompanied by a Health Department inspector, visited Stalker’s home and asked for permission to enter the residence. On January 2, 2006, following the inspection of Stalker’s home, the Health Department notified Stalker that his home was “found to be unfit for human habitation.” (Appellant’s App. p. 113). In order to avoid penalties or an order to vacate his residence, Stalker had to complete several repairs within ten days. Specifically, he was required to repair holes in the home’s floor; repair the plumbing and sewage system; remove all animal and human feces in the house; and dispose of all household garbage throughout the home and yard. The Health Department never conducted any additional inspection of the property or took any other actions.

After Pierce received a copy of the Health Department’s notice, she arranged for Stalker to move to an apartment in Rockville, Indiana, which was almost ten miles from his house in Bridgeton, Indiana. Initially, Stalker refused to leave his family home and hometown. He did not want to live almost ten miles from Bridgeton as his only mode of transportation was a bicycle which would make traveling back and forth almost impossible in winter and would make compliance with the Health Department’s order difficult.

[1099]*1099On January 13, 2006, the trial court commenced its hearing on Stalker’s petition to terminate guardianship. During the proceedings, the trial court did not appoint a guardian ad litem or an attorney to aid Stalker. Pierce called the Health Department inspector to demonstrate the condition of the house and the need for the guardianship. As Stalker’s guardian, she had also signed a release for Stalker’s case manager at the Hamilton Center to testify about Stalker’s mental capacity and treatment. During the hearing, Pierce questioned Stalker about the steps he had taken to comply with the Health Department’s notice. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court determined that Stalker had a mental illness which prohibited him from properly caring for himself. The trial court noted that “[a]s long as [Pierce] wants to remain as [Stalker’s] guardian, she’s going to be [his] guardian” and warned Stalker to cooperate with her. (Appellant’s App. p. 93). Meanwhile, the trial court advised Stalker to start cleaning up the property with Pierce’s help, who could hire any contractor needed to get the home habitable again. The trial court then appointed counsel to represent Stalker during a review hearing.

During the two months between the January hearing and a scheduled review hearing in March, Stalker had difficulties complying with the trial court’s order to clean up his property. First, the winter weather was not conducive to travelling ten miles by bicycle between his Rockville apartment and his Bridgeton home. Additionally, the time he could spend on cleaning efforts was further limited by his therapy sessions at the Hamilton Center and his participation in intensive case management five days a week. Also, Pierce had locked his residence and refused to give him the keys, citing safety concerns.

At the review hearing of March 17, 2006, Stalker was represented by his court-appointed counsel who petitioned the court to have an independent psychiatric evaluation conducted by Dr. John Gonzalez (Dr. Gonzalez). The trial court granted the request. During the proceeding, Stalker requested the keys to his residence and outbuildings so that he could start the interior cleanup. Pierce was unwilling to allow Stalker access to the house until he made progress cleaning up the yard. As during the previous hearing, the trial court gave Pierce “the discretion as to when to provide a key to” Stalker. (Appellant’s App. p. 163).

Following this hearing, Stalker attempted to clean up the yard around his Bridge-ton home.

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Related

In Re Guardianship of Stalker
953 N.E.2d 1094 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
953 N.E.2d 1094, 2011 Ind. App. LEXIS 1420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stalker-v-pierce-indctapp-2011.