estranged wife is cultivating marijuana

What is the name of your state? washington state
My wife is cultivating marijuana in the basement of the house she is living in which is owned by both of us. I live at a separate residence. She is trying to make sure that she gets custody of the children aged 11 and 12. I don't believe that she should have custody and I don't think they should be allowed to be in that environment because she smokes it all the time and I believe she also uses methamphetamine. If I turn her in to the local authorities, will I get in any trouble because I am a legal owner of the property? Will the property be taken by the government? What would the likely punishment be for her offense if she is arrested? If the children are there at the time, will I be notified to come and get them or will they end up in foster care first?

I would encourage you to go to your local police and tell them the information you have. Also, let them know that you don't want the children to witness anything regarding this.

If you report it, she may try to implicate you, but you reporting will reduce the likelyhood that they will believe her.

Another alternative is to file a report with CPS and let them know you want the children. Just be very careful involving CPS because if you are using anything at all that may come to light as well.

I would recommend that you go to the police and report this. You may even suggest that they accompany you to the residence to take your children away and then they can search based on your allegations.

Another, better, alternative is to discuss the matter with her. Tell her that you will turn her in to the police if she does not stop her illegal activities. Imprisoning the mother of your children should be a last resort. And yes, your children may end up in foster care.

Not necessarily so. In drug bust cases, children are often put into temporary custody or foster care until it is determined where they should go. The other parent may not be given custody if he is unfit, unavailable, does not have the resources. My point was that benzwick should not assume that if the police stage a drug bust at his ex-wife's house, they will automatically drive his kids directly over to his house.

calatty said:

Not necessarily so. In drug bust cases, children are often put into temporary custody or foster care until it is determined where they should go. The other parent may not be given custody if he is unfit, unavailable, does not have the resources. My point was that benzwick should not assume that if the police stage a drug bust at his ex-wife's house, they will automatically drive his kids directly over to his house.

Click to expand...

My response:

. . . and when, my dear, was the last time you represented someone in a custody action?

Children are typically turned over to a relative - - immediately.

IAAL

In my experience of removing hundreds of doors in the pursuit of druggies, when children are in the house we immediately look for family members. If only for the reason that the CPS liberal sons a guns take 4 hours to get there. Only if no one will take custody of the kids will they go into a foster care enviroment. Less paperwork too. You probably will not be allowed to go with the police there but they can notify you when the door will be splintered and you can be down the block. They would love it, trust me. As far your property is concerned, it can be seized, especially if its paid for, but your cooperation will help quite a bit. They shouldn't file for siezure. Do it, the kids need you to.

we live in washington state the child and her mother live in alaska

we got a phone call yesterday from someone with cps in alaska asking us if my stepdaughter was going to come and stay with us for the summer, we said yes she is going to be here in about a week. they wanted to know because they were going to take her and put her in foster care because her mother is using drugs and selling drugs and the mother punched my 11 yr old stepdaughter in the face. my husband said they should not put her in foster care they should send her to live with us and this guy told my husband that they don't determine custody. if the child should not be with the mother they will petition for the state of alaska to have custody and place her in foster care! they are not putting her in foster care right now because she is coming down here but what about at the end of the summer? and why can't cps place her with us instead of her wacked out mother or foster care? it seems like a no brainer that this woman is unfit and my stepdaughter should live with us, are we going to have to go to court? we don't have the money for that right now

Hi marinerfan: I don't know how you wound up posting your question here! You should have begun a new thread (probably best posted in the family law section). Your situation made me remember a poster who, not long ago, had a situation regards CPS and her grandchild. There is some good advice given in that particular thread (and a good ending to her situation). Here is the url (below) to the first page of that thread (which is about 4 pages long). If you don't get any responses here, (or if you don't glean any information from the URL below), then just start a new thread in the family law forum and pose your question there.


https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=132539&highlight=worriedgrandma


hmmbrdzz

i posted it here because everyone was saying they don't put your kids in foster care yada yada yada. well the state of alaska is pretty much ignoring the fact that we exist and wanting to put her in foster care

marinerfan, the difference is that you are in another state. the original poster lives nearby to his ex.