Opinion ID: 2284287
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Deficiencies in Pre- and Post-Transfer-of-Custody Proceedings under Chapter 453

Text: Mother claims there were multiple failures to comply with the statutes and one court rule applicable to the proceedings for the placement and transfer of custody of Child to Adoptive Parents. She claims a failure to comply with section 453.014.1(4) (who may place a minor for adoption), section 453.026 (requirement of a written report regarding child before adoptive parents accept physical custody), section 453.110, (transfer of custody requirements), and Rule 44.01(d) (requirement of five days notice before any hearing on a motion). Specifically, she asserts that: (1) the Velascos do not fall within the authorized intermediaries under section 453.014.1(4), and, therefore, they did not have the statutory authority to place Child in the Adoptive Parents' custody; (2) the record does not contain a written report about Child that was created before the Adoptive Parents accepted custody, as required by section 453.026; (3) custody of Child was surrendered and taken before a petition was filed and an order entered pursuant to section 453.110.1; [9] and (4) she did not receive any notice of the hearing to transfer custody of Child in violation of Rule 44.01(d). She argues that these deficiencies render the proceedings void and require reversal of the judgment, dismissal of the Adopted Parents' petition, and return of custody of Child to her. Mother quotes from In re Baby Girl, 850 S.W.2d 64 (Mo. banc 1993), in support of her claim that Adoptive Parents' failure to comply with all statutory requirements in the judicial proceedings in this case makes the court's order transferring custody void. She asserts that because judicial approval of the transfer of custody of the child was not obtained, all acts thereafter regarding custody were void from any legal perspective. Id. at 68. She reads In re Baby Girl too broadly. In that case, this Court found the transfer of custody from birth mother to prospective adoptive parents illegal from its inception because the prospective adoptive parents took custody of the child from the hospital where she was born and transported the child to their home state of Arkansas without any person seeking and obtaining judicial approval of the transfer of custody. Id. The Court found that this was precisely the type of action that the legislature sought to avoid when it enacted [section] 453.110.1. Id. In contrast, in this case, Adoptive Parents filed their petition for transfer of custody in the circuit court sitting as a juvenile division of the county in which Child was located, and that court entered an order transferring custody of Child to them pursuant to section 453.110.1. Mother challenges the proceedings and resulting order transferring custody because there were deficiencies in those proceedings. She does not claim that no judicial action was filed or that there was no order transferring custody. The proceedings and resulting court order for transfer of custody, even if defective, are not void. While each statute and rule serves a valid purpose, such as to prevent the indiscriminate placement and transfer of custody of the child, see id. at 68 (discussing section 453.110's purpose), a party aggrieved by noncompliance with statutes and rules still must timely raise the error. In re P.G.M., 149 S.W.3d 507, 516 (Mo.App.2004). See also In re Duren, 355 Mo. 1222, 200 S.W.2d 343, 345 (1947); In re Z.L.R., 306 S.W.3d 632, 638 (Mo.App.2010). The errors Mother asserted occurred in October 2007 when the Velascos surrendered custody of Child to the Adoptive Parents and the proceedings on the Adoptive Parents' request for transfer of custody occurred. Mother first objected to the proceedings and claimed error in the order transferring custody approximately two years later on appeal after entry of the judgment terminating her parental rights and granting adoption of Child by Adoptive Parents. She did not timely protest the lack of investigation and filing of reports, the lack of notice of the transfer-of-custody hearing, or the allegedly improper transfer of custody when the case was pending in the trial court; therefore, her claims of error are not preserved. [10] Because Mother failed to properly preserve her claims, they only can be reviewed for plain error. Rule 84.13(c). Despite the failure to raise the issue, this Court, in its discretion, may review these claims for plain error. In re Duren, 200 S.W.2d at 345; In re Z.L.R., 306 S.W.3d at 638. In determining whether to exercise its discretion to provide plain error review, the appellate court looks to determine whether there facially appears substantial grounds for believing that the trial court committed error that is evident, obvious and clear, which resulted in manifest injustice or a miscarriage of justice. In re R.S.L., 241 S.W.3d 346, 351 (Mo.App.2007). Even statutory errors that are evident, obvious, and clear, must result in a manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice. In re Z.L.R., 306 S.W.3d at 638 (noncompliance with section 211.447 had the effect of shifting burden of proof to natural parent and resulted in a manifest injustice). Here, the statutory errors are evident, obvious, and clear from the record, so the issue is whether they resulted in manifest injustice or a miscarriage of justice. While custody of Child was surrendered and taken before a court order in violation of section 453.110.1 and no investigation and report was ordered and completed as required by section 453.110.2 before the court ordered the transfer of custody, Mother has failed to show a manifest injustice or a miscarriage of justice occurred. The record shows, and Mother does not dispute, that a transfer of the Child's custody urgently needed to occur. The record shows that Child was in need of food, clothing, shelter, and medical care at the time the trial court ordered transfer of custody to Adoptive Parents. It also shows that the trial court reviewed a report prepared after an extensive investigation of whether Adoptive Parents were qualified to be foster parents, and the content of the report was relevant to their qualifications to take custody of Child. Although Mother's circumstances were not investigated or addressed in any report, she does not contest that she was incarcerated or that her family members' scarce resources and work schedules limited their ability to care for her Child. Moreover, Mother does not claim that Adoptive Parents have not provided appropriately for Child during the time he has been in their custody. She asserts, instead, that she should have had the opportunity three years ago to argue that the Child should have been placed in foster care with someone who would have allowed visitation. While the record supports Mother's claim that Child's placement with Adoptive Parents had a negative impact on her relationship with Child, that negative impact has been exacerbated significantly by Mother's delay in challenging the transfer-of-custody proceedings. She asserts that she was not accountable for the delay because of her initial lack of counsel, her then ineffective counsel, and her failure to have notice of the transfer-of-custody hearing, all which precluded her from asserting her rights at an earlier time. As a threshold issue, Mother never requested counsel. Although Missouri recognizes a statutory right to counsel in actions brought to terminate parental rights, the parent must assert that statutory right. Section 211.462.2; section 453.030.12. Section 211.462.2 states: 2. The parent or guardian of the person of the child shall be notified of the right to have counsel, and if they request counsel and are financially unable to employ counsel, counsel shall be appointed by the court. Notice of this provision shall be contained in the summons. (Emphasis added). Section 453.030.12 states: 12. A birth parent, including a birth parent less than eighteen years of age, shall have the right to legal representation and payment of any reasonable legal fees incurred throughout the adoption process. In addition, the court may appoint an attorney to represent a birth parent if: (1) A birth parent requests representation; (2) The court finds that hiring an attorney to represent such birth parent would cause a financial hardship for the birth parent; and (3) The birth parent is not already represented by counsel. (Emphasis added). The record shows that the summons gave Mother the required statutory notice that she had the right to request appointment of counsel, but she failed to make any request. While the court of appeals has stated that section 211.464 requires that [a] parent must make a clear and unequivocal waiver on the record of his or her decision to proceed to trial [on the merits of a TPR petition] without a court appointed attorney, In re B.L.E., 723 S.W.2d 917, 920 (Mo.App.1987), no statute or case has imposed the requirement of an affirmative waiver of counsel for transfer of custody proceedings. So, under sections 453.030.12 and 211.462.2, when Mother learned of the proceedings to transfer custody and had the required statutory notice of her right to counsel, she needed to request appointment of counsel. Despite her failure to do so, the trial court not once, but twice appointed counsel to represent her. The record also refutes her claim that she did not have notice and could not assert her rights absent appointed, competent counsel. The October 28, 2007, letter Mother sent to Adoptive Parents' counsel shows that she had knowledge of the proceeding and who was involved in it 22 days after the petition was filed and that she was able to send correspondence to Adoptive Parents' counsel despite her incarceration and language barriers. [11] The prejudice to Mother was exacerbated by the lateness of her claims. As discussed below, her claims of error in failure to comply with sections 453.014.1(6), 453.026, and 453.110, and Rule 44.01(d) would not result in dismissal of the petition but would, instead, require rehearing of the transfer of custody matter, which is not in Child's best interest at this point in the proceeding. Mother has failed to prove a miscarriage of justice or manifest injustice. Mother's next three claims of error, however, warrant relief under plain error review. She claims there was noncompliance with the mandatory investigations and reporting requirements of sections 211.455, 453.070, and 453.077. Those sections require examination of the fitness of the natural parents, the child's condition before and after placement, the fitness of the adoptive parents, and the filing of written reports to aid the court in adjudicating the propriety of terminating parental rights and the best interests of the child.