House Too Sloppy-Declared Unfit for Habitation

[Blickers]

My sister is 73 and lives in Cook County, IL. She has a little trouble moving around but she can still drive, shop and get around to places with a cane. She just got out of the nursing home where she was rehabbing from blood clots, and the nurse//social worker said the house was not in inhabitable shape and had an unfit for habitation sign put on the front door.

At the moment, my sister is using a walker to get around but will eventually graduate to a cane. However, right now the social worker is talking about placing her in some facility. As she owns the house I live in here on the east coast, she's obviously not going anyplace they want to send her, she'll move in with me-I live alone.

She asked me to come out and help her get the place back in shape and I agreed. She is not sure if she even will be allowed to have me come in and clean the place up-she's afraid it's a done deal. She doesn't know.

Can a lawyer help? If so, what kind of lawyer? I'm younger than her and should have no problem getting the place in shape in a couple of weeks

Any legal advice, or place to look for advice, would be appreciated.

 

[Just Blue]

My sister is 73 and lives in Cook County, IL. She has a little trouble moving around but she can still drive, shop and get around to places with a cane. She just got out of the nursing home where she was rehabbing from blood clots, and the nurse//social worker said the house was not in inhabitable shape and had an unfit for habitation sign put on the front door.

At the moment, my sister is using a walker to get around but will eventually graduate to a cane. However, right now the social worker is talking about placing her in some facility. As she owns the house I live in here on the east coast, she's obviously not going anyplace they want to send her, she'll move in with me-I live alone.

She asked me to come out and help her get the place back in shape and I agreed. She is not sure if she even will be allowed to have me come in and clean the place up-she's afraid it's a done deal. She doesn't know.

Can a lawyer help? If so, what kind of lawyer? I'm younger than her and should have no problem getting the place in shape in a couple of weeks

Any legal advice, or place to look for advice, would be appreciated.

Have you seen the place and what kind of condition it's in? "Sloppy" doesn't get a home declared uninhabitable. Filth and hording like clutter would. You should perhaps hire a cleaning crew to assist you.

Personally I would get the home habitable and see if she will be allow back in before hiring an attorney.

 

[LdiJ]

My sister is 73 and lives in Cook County, IL. She has a little trouble moving around but she can still drive, shop and get around to places with a cane. She just got out of the nursing home where she was rehabbing from blood clots, and the nurse//social worker said the house was not in inhabitable shape and had an unfit for habitation sign put on the front door.

At the moment, my sister is using a walker to get around but will eventually graduate to a cane. However, right now the social worker is talking about placing her in some facility. As she owns the house I live in here on the east coast, she's obviously not going anyplace they want to send her, she'll move in with me-I live alone.

She asked me to come out and help her get the place back in shape and I agreed. She is not sure if she even will be allowed to have me come in and clean the place up-she's afraid it's a done deal. She doesn't know.

Can a lawyer help? If so, what kind of lawyer? I'm younger than her and should have no problem getting the place in shape in a couple of weeks

Any legal advice, or place to look for advice, would be appreciated.

If the house is structurally sound the house won't be condemned. It just needs to be cleaned up.

 

[adjusterjack]

the nurse//social worker

Just who is this nurse/social worker and what authority does she have to declare anything and keep your sister out of her house?

I suggest you get on a plane ASAP and take control of the situation.

 

[FarmerJ]

I too was wondering under what authority was this nurse able to proclaim/ condemn the home , Yes you need to go there your self in order to address this.

 

[justalayman]

the nurse//social worker said the house was not in inhabitable shape and had an unfit for habitation sign put on the front door.

She HAD a sign put on the door

It wouldn’t be unusual for a social worker to contact the health department and report a house if they believed it uninhabitable. Of course it would be an order from the health department but it would appear to have come from the nurse if one is not aware of the process and who wields such powers. Especially when dealing with elders the actions don’t appear to be totally out of line or at least plausible.

So, op needs a first person view, or at least a chat with a person who can provide an objective first hand review of,the home.