ÿWPCQ …# VU:a %› 0û¡w@œ 4Ü ð 0Lÿ K Q Y 0J_ 0T© 0^ý 0h[ 0rà 0|5 0†± 07 1uÇ 0d<U *  BÊB)çDCU>S AM‘ D3Þ¼v~Í 0@KvÓ‹ 0N^ AO¬Æû 0DÁ D/ B4˜HP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,ð,,,,,ð0nLDÒ,c½¬AZ‹"Arial Regular»(Ó~Ð$¡¡Ñ  ÑÒH°ÒÒ°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ LegalLˆhÐ (Avery 4167 Post Card AØ'ÿ LegalhÐ (Avery 4167 Post CardTÑÔ€Xm¢XXXÔÑ7€¥3XXdìXXdæ7Ñ cDdeDfgDhÊijDkÊlÓ€Úƒç"Ú 3|xw> ÿÿ$Large Circleððà0 àÈH2 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 d% Line 7 d&&&&7Border 1dd< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman€-'Cþÿ << Gÿÿ%%%%'ÿÿdxd ²Ý ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€$ÔÔ€$¼ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€d#ÑÝ  ÝÔ€$ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€$XÔÌÌò òNovemberÏ3,Ï1997ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€$ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  ÒStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva Ò>û¥$Large Circleððà0  à€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€$ÔÔ€$¼ÔÑ  ÑÒ  ÒÒ H ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÑ#€Xd#ÑÝ  Ý›ÓÓò òœÙ€€ÙÔ€(ÔßR€)+'A1-j|` à. `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àEASTERN€SECTION€AT€KNOXVILLEÌÌÌÓÓó óSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,à àà à)ÌDEPARTMENT€OF€à àà àà à)à àHAMILTON€JUVENILEÌCHILDRENððS€SERVICES,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àPetitioner/Appellee,à àà à)à àNO.€03A01„9705„JV„00152Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à àHON.€SUZANNE€BAILEYÌà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àJUDGEÌYVONNE€BARDIN,à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àRespondent/Appellantà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌIN€THE€MATTER€OF:à àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌJames€Richard€Bardinà àà àà à)Ìà à(D.O.B.€1/28/85),à àà àà à)ÌJoshua€Isaiah€Bardinà àà àà à)Ìà à(D.O.B.€11/24/86),à àà à)ÌAngela€Mariah€Bardinà àà àà à)à àÌà à(D.O.B.€œ1/8/88),›à àà àà à)ÌJustin€Andrew€Bardinà àà àà à)Ìà à(D.O.B.€2/23/91)à àà àà à)à àAFFIRMEDÌÌà àÌÌLorraine€Raymond,€Chattanooga,€for€Appellant.ÌÌJohn€Knox€Walkup,€Attorney€General€&€Reporter,€and€Douglas€Earl€Dimond,ÏAssistant€Attorney€General,€Nashville,€for€Appellee.ÌÌÌò òòòà@ àÔ€( ÔO€P€I€N€I€O€NÔ€(¼ÔÌÌó óóóà àà àà àà àà àà àà àINMAN,€Senior€JudgeÌÌÓÓà àThe€parental€rights€of€Yvonne€Bardin€were€terminated€by€the€JuvenileÏCourt€of€Hamilton€County€and€she€appeals.€€Four€(4)€children€are€involved.€ÏThe€issue€presented€for€review€is€whether€the€evidence€is€clear€and€convincing.€ÏWe€find€that€it€œis›€and€affirm.Ìà àThe€Tennessee€Department€of€Human€Services€[ððDHSðð]€became€officiallyÏinvolved€on€May€1,€1991€when€it€petitioned€for€the€temporary€custody€of€theÏfour€children.Ìà àOn€July€17,€1991,€the€children€were€placed€in€the€temporary€custody€ofÏDHS€with€instructions€to€conduct€a€home€study€of€the€maternal€grandparents.€ÏThe€DHS€alleged€that€Ms.€Bardin€kept€the€children€[James,€Joshua,€Angela,ÏJustin,€all€of€whom€were€under€six€years€of€age]€ð ðin€utter€filth€and€deplorableÏneglect€.€.€.€without€running€water,€electricity,€or€any€basic€necessities.ððÌà àBy€December€19,€1991€the€Juvenile€Court€had€returned€the€children€toÏtheir€mother.Ìà àOn€September€15,€1993,€the€DHS€again€petitioned€for€and€was€grantedÏtemporary€custody€of€the€children€as€ð ðvictims€of€ongoing€physical€and€medicalÏneglect.ðð€€The€oldest€child,€James,€then€eight€years€old,€was€hospitalized€due€toÏhis€motherððs€inattention€to€his€medical€needs,€but€his€custody€was€returned€toÏhis€mother€on€November€1,€1993.Ìà àIn€the€Spring€of€1994,€Dr.€William€Hillner,€a€psychologist,€assessed€Ms.ÏBardinððs€interaction€with€her€children.€[He€had€previously,€in€1993,€evaluatedÏher€parental€competency,€with€dismal€œfindings.]›€€As€a€result€of€his€assessmentÏthe€following€œyear,›€he€found€that€she€did€not€control€their€behavior,€could€notÏcontrol€her€anger,€assaulted€James,€was€generally€dysfunctional€and€œwas€mildly›Ïretarded.Ìà àOn€January€20,€œ1995,€Susan€Ford,›€the€œcaseworker€assigned›€to€Ms.ÏœBardin,›€entered€into€a€plan€of€reunification€of€the€family.€€Ms.€Bardin€agreedÏto€provide€better€care€for€the€children.Ìà àBut€the€matter€worsened.€€Ms.€Bardinððs€public€housing€apartment€wasÏfilthy;€she€kept€dogs€in€the€apartment;€the€stench€sometimes€was€overpowering;Ïon€one€occasion€the€caseworker€observed€a€dead€rat€on€the€bathroom€floor.€ÏMs.€Bardin€was€evicted€from€her€apartment€on€September€6,€1995€owing€toÏfilthy€conditions.€€James€was€removed€because€of€bizarre€conduct€in€school€andÏeventually€was€hospitalized€for€psychiatric€treatment,€where€he€remained€at€theÏtime€of€trial.Ìà àMs.€Bardin€has€never€married.€€Jamesðð€father€is€James€B.€Stark.€€JoshuaÏand€Angela€were€fathered€by€Percy€Connley.€€Justinððs€father€is€unknown.€œ€Ms.›ÏBardin€was€born€February€9,€1964;€her€life€has€been€melancholy€beyondÏdescription.€€She€suffered€a€traumatic€childhood,€being€sexually€abused€first€byÏher€father€and€then€by€her€motherððs€boyfriend.€€She€and€her€mother€movedÍconstantly,€apparently€to€avoid€her€father.€€She€eventually€settled€inÏChattanooga,€where€she€was€placed€in€a€childrenððs€home€on€two€occasionsÏduring€her€teenage€years€for€ððwildnessðð.€€On€one€occasion€during€these€yearsÏher€mother€was€admitted€to€Moccasin€Bend€Mental€Health€Center.Ìà àMs.€Bardin€has€difficulty€in€comprehending€her€predicament,€e.g.,€œsheÏdoes›€not€understand€that€the€children€were€twice€removed€from€her€care.€€SheÏworks€very€œlittle:›€ten€weeks€in€1995,€none€in€1994,€1993,€1992€or€1991.€ÏBefore€trial€she€worked€six€months.€€She€admitted€spending€$200.00€per€monthÏon€25€dogs,€although€she€has€received€only€$400.00€in€total€support€from€theÏidentified€fathers€of€her€children€during€the€past€five€years.Ìà àMs.€Bardin€testified€that€she€has€taken€parenting€classes,€that€she€lovesÏher€children,€and€that€there€was€never€a€reason€to€remove€them€from€her€care.Ìà àOne€caseworker€testified€that€ð ðthe€prospect€of€the€childrenððs€returning€toÏher€[the€motherððs]€care€is€so€monstrous€I€personally€could€not€be€a€part€of€it.ððÌà àThe€Juvenile€Court,€in€terminating€the€parental€relationship,€madeÏvarious€findings€typical€of€which€is€that€ð ð[Ms.€Bardin]€put€the€stinking€filth€ofÏdogs€or€other€animals€ahead€of€her€own€children€and€subjected€her€ownÏchildren€to€that€type€of€unsafe€environment€repeatedly€over€the€years.ðð€ÏSignificantly,€the€Court€found€by€clear€and€convincing€evidence€that€theÏconditions€which€led€to€the€removal€of€the€children€persisted€over€a€number€ofÏyears€and€were€unlikely€to€be€remedied.Ìà àThe€juvenile€court€is€authorized€to€terminate€parental€rights€if€it€finds€byÏclear€and€convincing€evidence€that€the€grounds€for€termination€of€parentalÏrights€have€been€established,€and€that€the€termination€is€in€the€best€interests€ofÏthe€child.€€T.C.A.€ðð€36„1„113(c)(1)(2).Ìà àA€court€may€terminate€parental€rights€if€it€finds€by€clear€and€convincingÏevidence€that:ÌÓÓÓ  Óà8 àThe€child€has€been€removed€from€the€home€of€the€parent€orÏguardian€by€order€of€a€court€for€a€period€of€six€(6)€months€and:ÌÌà8 à(œi›)€The€conditions€which€led€to€the€childððs€removal€or€otherÏconditions€which€in€all€reasonable€probability€would€cause€theÏchild€to€be€subjected€to€further€abuse€or€neglect€and€which,Ïtherefore€prevent€the€childððs€return€to€the€care€of€the€parent(s)€orÏguardian(s),€still€persist;ÌÌà8 à(ii)€There€is€little€likelihood€that€these€conditions€will€be€remediedÏat€an€early€date€so€that€the€child€can€be€returned€to€the€parent(s)Ïor€guardian(s)€in€the€near€future;€andÌÌà8 à(iii)€The€continuation€of€the€parent€or€guardian€and€childÏrelationship€greatly€diminishes€the€childððs€œchances›€of€earlyÏintegration€into€a€stable€and€permanent€home.ÌÌÓÓÓ  ÓT.C.A.€ðð€36„1„113(g)(A)(œRepl›.€1996).€€Thus,€if€the€conditions€leading€toÏremoval€have€not€been€cured€and€are€unlikely€to€be€œcured€in›€the€near€future,€aÏcourt€may€terminate€parental€rights€in€the€best€interest€of€the€children.Ìà àIn€this€case,€ð ðthe€conditions€which€led€to€the€childrenððs€removalðð€were,Ïin€1991,€ð ðutter€filth€and€deplorable€œneglect,ðð›€and€in€1993,€ð ðongoing€physicalÏand€medical€neglectðð€due€in€part€to€ð ðunsanitary€and€unsafeðð€housekeeping.€ÍMoreover,€James€was€removed€in€1993€because€of€Ms.€Bardinððs€neglect€of€hisÏmedical€needs€and€again€in€1995€because€of€filthy€housekeeping.ÌÑ  Ñà àMs.€Bardin€did€nothing€to€alleviate€those€conditions€or€make€it€likelyÏthey€would€soon€be€remedied.€€Her€housekeeping€remained€execrable€as€ever.€ÏCaseworkers€testified€about€the€filth,€the€numerous€animals€and€the€repellantÏodors.€€Four€days€before€trial,€Ms.€Bardin€refused€to€allow€caseworkerÏœSummerlin›€in€the€front€door€because€of€the€condition€of€her€home.€€What€areasÏMs.€Summerlin€could€see€were€heaped€with€trash.Ìà àMs.€Bardinððs€neglect€of€James€and€his€medical€condition€continued;€sheÏvisited€him€only€twelve€times€in€the€two€years€before€trial.€€She€continued€toÏsubordinate€the€childrenððs€needs€to€her€own€desires€as€exemplified€by€theÏmoney€she€spent€on€her€dogs€compared€to€the€money€she€spent€on€her€children.€ÏShe€continued€to€deny€that€she€had€any€problems€and€testified€that€all€herÏhouses€had€been€clean€and€that€she€did€not€believe€there€was€ever€a€reason€forÏher€children€to€be€removed.€€We€agree€that€this€massive€denial€indicates€thatÏMs.€Bardin€was€unlikely€to€remedy€her€problems€in€the€near€œfuture;€if›€sheÏrefused€to€recognize€her€œproblems,€›she€could€not€cure€them.Ìà àGiven€these€circumstances€and€given€the€childrenððs€own€problems,€theÏœJuvenile›€œCourt›€expressed€fear€for€the€safety€of€the€children€and€determinedÏthat€termination€was€in€the€childrenððs€best€interest.Ìà àThe€appellant€argues€that€the€caseworkersðð€testimony€revealed€that€herÏparenting€skills€showed€gradual€improvement.€€We€do€not€read€their€testimonyÏin€this€light.€€Both€caseworkers€testified€they€saw€no€improvement.€€HerÏargument€that€the€court€really€based€its€decision€on€her€failure€to€pay€childÏsupport€likewise€is€œunmeritorious›;€the€court€merely€pointed€to€that€behavior€asÏan€example€of€appellantððs€attitude€towards€her€children.€€Alternatively,€sheÏargues€that€her€ððmarginalðð€housekeeping€and€keeping€of€dogs€were€theÏpredicate€of€the€courtððs€decision€and€that€these€factors€do€not€warrant€theÏdrastic€action€of€terminating€her€parental€rights.Ìà àThe€testimony€of€the€witnesses€about€the€deplorable€and€unhealthyÏconditions€of€the€home€was€unrefuted.€€These€conditions€persisted€for€years,Ïwith€no€indication€that€they€would€ever€be€corrected.Ìà àThe€trial€court€found€that€the€appellant€was€dishonest€and€uncooperativeÏand€that€the€evidence€was€clear€and€convincing€that€the€best€interests€of€theÏchildren€required€that€the€parental€rights€of€the€appellant€be€terminated.Ìà àParents€have€a€fundamental€right€to€the€care,€custody€and€control€ofÏtheir€children.€€òòStanley€v.€Illinois,òòóó€óó405€U.S.€645,€92€œS.Ct›.€1208,€31€œL.Ed›.2dÏ551€(1972).€€However,€this€right€is€not€absolute€and€parental€rights€may€beÏterminated€if€there€is€clear€and€convincing€evidence€justifying€such€terminationÏand€under€the€applicable€statute.€€òòœSantowskyÔ% € Ô›€v.€œKramer›,óó€455€U.S.€745,€102ÏœS.Ct›.€1388,€71€œL.Ed›.2d€599€(1982);€òòIn€re:€œDrinnon›,óó€776€S.W.2d€at€97€(Tenn.ÍApp.€1988);€òòTennessee€Department€of€Human€Services€v.€Riley,óó€689€S.W.2dÏ164€(Tenn.€App.€1984).€€All€issues€are€premised€on€the€foundation€of€ð ðwhat€isÏin€the€best€interest€of€the€child.ðð€òòRileyóó€at€169.Ìà àMs.€Bardinððs€children€were€removed€due€to€health€and€safety€risks€posedÏto€them€by€their€filthy€surroundings€and€her€inattention€to€their€basic€needs,Ïincluding€medical€needs.€€Ms.€Bardin€denied€she€had€any€problems€andÏmaintained€a€deplorable€and€dangerous€household€œfor›€five€years€up€until€trial.€ÏShe€agreed€in€her€plans€of€care€to€provide€a€clean€and€healthy€livingÏenvironment€€but€her€residence€remained€filthy,€malodorous€and€filled€withÏanimals€and€their€smell.Ìà àShe€argues€that€she€now€has€a€job€and€œð ðwill›€do€better.ðð€€But€theÏexecrable€conditions€persisted€for€five€years;€her€oldest€child€remainsÏhospitalized€for€Ñ  Ñpsychiatric€problems;€the€trial€court€found€her€to€be€dishonestÏand€unworthy€of€Ìbelief.Ìà àOur€review€of€the€findings€of€fact€made€by€the€trial€court€is€òòde€novoóóÏupon€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€accompanied€by€a€presumption€of€theÏcorrectness€of€the€finding,€unless€the€preponderance€of€the€evidence€isÏotherwise.òò€€Tenn.€R.€App.€P.,€Rule€13óó(d).€€€We€agree€with€the€trial€judge€thatÏthe€evidence€is€clear€and€convincing,€and€the€judgment€is€affirmed€at€the€costsÏof€the€appellant.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà à___________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àWilliam€H.€Inman,€Senior€JudgeÌÔ€$ÔÔ€$XÔÌÔ€(ÔÔ€(¼ÔCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌHerschel€P.€Franks,€JudgeÌÌÌÌ_________________________________ÌCharles€œD.›€Susano,€Jr.,€JudgeÔ% € Ô