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BGa(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($c:\office\wpwin\template\opinion.wpt DUDUDUӀօ#%(;2`$ !    0  3|x!"T$&C<< C 9 )$  1    (#$  0  (9 Z 6Times New Roman Regular((3Q$ !   d  ""  XWXXX XXW   Ad FILEDXWX   September24,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh   )$  1      Thisorderrepresentstheculminationofovertwoyearsofcustodyhearingsandcourtactionsrelatingtothethreechildreninvolved.Itisthisorder,enteredNovember23,1997,andbearingJudgeShookoffssignaturewhichrepresentstheappellatecourtsinterpretationoftheactionappealedfrom. 9 )$  1      `$  1    ݛThisorderrepresentstheculminationofovertwoyearsofcustodyhearingsandcourt  actionsrelatingtothethreechildreninvolved.Itisthisorder,enteredNovember23,1997,andbearingJudgeShookoff'ssignaturewhichrepresentstheappellatecourt'sinterpretationoftheactionappealedfrom.,cAZ"Arial Regular ""  XWXXX XXW   Ad FILEDXWX   September23,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular dLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  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T^y  <<= 8C____3 TripledxdCTriple 1+| d d d !  7oXXdXXd7  GXX*XXXX*TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'Tr )<,(j 8` `@E` 8ttxP,  rDEPARTMENTOFHUMAN 8   )  SERVICESXoXG,#GXXo#and     8   )    THEASSOCIATIONFOR 8   ) , 9XXDpXXXX9GUIDANCE,AID,PLACEMENT  )  AppealNo. B ANDEMPATHY     8   )  01A019712JV00745  X   0      8   ) Petitioners/Appellees 8   ) 4    0      8   )vs.  0      8   )  DavidsonJuvenile `    0      8   )  Nos.951918567, v  t )>.*jx` `@E ` 8ttxP tROBERTRUDD,     8   )  28568&18569   М  0      8   ) Respondent/Appellant 8   )     COURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEEAPPEALFROMTHEDAVIDSONCOUNTYJUVENILECOURTATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEETHEHONORABLEANDREWSHOOKOFF,JUDGE  M.ALLENEHMLINGMcClellan,Powers,Ehmling&Dix,P.C.116PublicSquareGallatin,TN37066 ATTORNEYFORTHEPETITIONERS/APPELLEESJ.MICHAELONEILP.O.Box60125Nashville,TN37206 ATTORNEYFORTHERESPONDENT/APPELLANT  AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED   :L62 WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE  |GOPINION  , ̜G|   Thiscaserepresentsafathersappealfromanorderterminatinghis  d parentalrightswithregardtothreeminorchildren.Onappeal,thefatherraisesthefollowingissue: Whetherarelativecanenjoythesameplacementpreferenceasaparentwhereterminationofparentalrightsandnonrelativeadoptionaretheonlyalternativetorelativeplacement.Mr.Ruddattemptstoadvancethepositionthataslongasaparentorparentalrelative(inthiscaseapaternalgrandmother)canprovideastablesafeenvironmentforadependentandneglectedchild,terminationofparentalrightsisnotaviableoptionunderthestatutes.AppellantseekstorelyontheparentalrelativepreferencenotedintheTitle37,Chapter2.Tenn.Code.Ann.372403(1996).Nostatementoffactswasfiledwiththeappeal. See Tenn.R.App.P.24(1998).Duetoappellate ^ counselsableargumentregardingtherightsatstake,thiscourtissuedanordertoconsiderthiscaseonthebriefsandtechnicalrecordalone.̛ ThethreechildreninquestionwereallborntoJenniferPinson.Atdifferenttimesandindifferentcombinations,eachwassurrenderedtothecourtpursuanttounopposedthirdpartypetitionsfortemporarycustody.Indeed,thiscaserepresentsnumerousthirdpartypetitions,custodyhearingsandparentingplansregardingthethreechildren.ThefirstoccurredafterMs.Pinsonviolatedherprobationwithrespecttoasentenceforcocaine.ThispetitionwasfiledinJulyof1995.AGAPEbecameinvolvedinJuly1996whencustodyoftwoofthechildrenwasassignedtotheassociation.Fromtherecorditappearsthatseveralindividualspetitionedthejuvenilecourtfortemporarycustodyofthethreechildren.Thepaternalgrandmotherwassuccessfulinobtainingcustodyofoneofthethree.Otherpetitions,onebyafriendoftheMother,JenniferPinson;onebythematernalaunt;twobyamemberofAGAPE;andonepetitionbytheAGAPEfosterparent,whowasawardedinitialcustodyoftheoldestandyoungestofthethree.Fromtherecorditappearsthatthepersonwhoexercisedtheleastparentalrightsinthesechildrenslivesistheappellant.Yetheappeals 84= theorderϜbelow.̛ 83?  Attrial,JudgeShookoffspecificallyfound: 0  0 T$ T$  8 T$ T$80 ! !11.Thatbothparentsarehomelessandthemajorityofthetimethatthechildrenwereinfostercarethenaturalmotherand/orthenaturalfatherresidedinthehomeofthepaternalgrandmother,EDNAMcKEEVER,andthecourtfindsthatMs.McKeevershomewasahomewheretherewasrepeatedillegalactivityinthehome,includingtheuseofillegalnarcotics,whichwouldrendertheparentconsistentlyunabletocareforthechild. 0 0  8 80 ! !12.ThattheCourtfindsthatMs.EDNAMcKEEVERknewaboutthenaturalparentsdruguseandtooknoeffortstostopthedruguseinherhomeandtherefore,thechildrenwereinhighriskofbeinginjuredorbeingexposedtocriminalconduct.   #  1        #  1        #  1      (x0 0  Л Althoughseveralplacementhearingsweremadeduetothethirdpartypetitionsforcustodyofthechildreninvolved,byAppellantsownadmission,theonlypartiesparticipatingintheterminationactionbeforethetrialcourtwerethemother,thefather,theguardianadlitem,andthepetitionerAGAPE.Thiscourtaccordstothefindingsintheabovereferencedorder,thepresumptionavailableunderRule13oftheTennesseeRulesofAppellateProcedure. SeeNashPutnam P  v.McCloud ,921S.W.2d170,174(Tenn.1996)(citingtherulein Aaronv.Aaron,  !; 909S.W.2d408,410(Tenn.1995)).Viewingtheseinthatcontextwithnootherrecorduponwhichtoproceed,thiscourtcanfindnoabuseofdiscretionatthetriallevel.0 ThecourtsfindingwithregardtoMr.Ruddwillbeupheldonappealabsentashowingofabuseofdiscretion.Tenn.R.App.P.13(d). See e.g.InRe *I&* AdoptionofSelf,836S.W.2d581,582(Tenn.Ct.App.1992).Therecordshows ,', thatduringthetemporarycustodialarrangementAppellantexercisedonlysporadicvisitation,didnotattempttoseektreatmenteventhoughofferedbytheAppellee,andcontinuedinanarcoticlifestylewhichendangeredthesafetyoftheϜchildren.Whenparentingconferenceswereheld,JenniferPinsonattendedmoreoftenthanAppellant.Intruth,theappellant,afterlegitimizingthechildren,made 4/6 onlytokensupportpayments,andmadenootherattemptstoestablishhisownϜhomeasastablepermanentenvironmentforthechildreninquestion.AsforMs.McKeever,therecordshowsthatshewasawareofhersonsdruguseandallowedsuchbehaviorinherhome.Therecordshowsthatshewas,duringthependencyofthiscause,cohabitatingwithaMr.DavidJohnson,whobyhisownadmissionhadarecentcriminalrecordandwasntinterestedinbecomingafather.SeveralmemorandaandordersappearinthisrecordwithregardtotherespectiveenvironmentsofferedbytheAppellantandhismother.Thesememoranda,asawhole,presentapicturefraughtwithinstabilityanddangertowhichnochildshouldbesubjected.  Asaresult,thejuvenilecourtsorderinsofarasAppellantsrighttodeterminetheplacementpreference,shouldbeandisherebyaffirmedinallrespects.ItisunnecessarytoproceedtothequestionraisedinAppellantsbrief,i.e., Ifthepaternalgrandmothershomepresentsnodanger,doesTennesseejurisprudenceandstatutorylawmandatethatthechildrenbeplacedwiththegrandmotherandaterminationofparentalrightsfail?Thecourtspecificallyfoundthatthegrandmothershome did presentadanger,andwefindnoabuseof @! discretioninthatfinding.Likewise,thegrandmotherisnotapartytothisappeal.Ϝ Thecauseisremandedtothejuvenilecourtforfurtherproceedingsnotinconsistentwiththisopinion.CostsinthisappealaretaxedagainstAppellant.s!Ӝ̛  0      8  XX________________________________________ ~+&0   0      8 WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE  CONCUR:̜_____________________________________HENRYF.TODD,P.J.,M.S.#X Xl%# XX 5^09 ̜_____________________________________BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE#X X&# XX 8 #X X0'#