Guardian bill finally on move

Thursday, June 26, 1997 | 11:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Sandy Ambrose knew it wouldn't be easy changing Nevada's guardianship law, and she's ecstatic the bill is near final passage.

"This is what we have been waiting for," said the Las Vegas mother after the Assembly Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved Senate Bill 231, which prevents a change in guardianship of a teenager without the parents' knowledge.

The Ambrose case had sparked the legislation. Sandy's 16-year-old daughter, Tiffany, ran away from home to live with the parents of her boyfriend, Sal and Kathy Cincotta. The Cincottas, who had hid Tiffany in their home "to teach the Ambroses a lesson," petitioned Clark County Family Court to be her guardians. A temporary guardianship was approved immediately -- without the knowledge of Tiffany's parents, Kyle and Sandy.

The Ambroses were not notified of the guardianship change until 12 days later -- during which time they had filed two missing person reports and were frantically searching for their daughter.

Family Court Judge Terrance Marren later awarded permanent guardianship of Tiffany to the Cincottas -- despite the lack of investigation into the couple or Tiffany's original claims that she had been abused.

The Cincottas later moved to California with Tiffany -- again without the Ambroses' knowledge.

Three days after the story about the Ambroses' ordeal appeared in the Las Vegas SUN, the Cincottas put Tiffany on a bus back to Las Vegas and Marren reversed his decision.

"She's back home and we're a family of four and we're as happy as we can be," Sandy Ambrose said, praising state Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, for spearheading the legislation.

O'Donnell said it was "the intense pressure we put on them that affected the vote," referring to the Judiciary Committee where the bill had languished for more than a month.

O'Donnell ran radio advertisements this week in Las Vegas and Reno featuring Sandy Ambrose urging lawmakers not to hold the bill hostage in the committee.

O'Donnell accused Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, of delaying the bill to force his Transportation Committee to hear her "Lemon Law" legislation. Buckley denied the allegation, saying O'Donnell threatened her.

Buckley said Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, decides when votes are conducted. Anderson said Wednesday he did not have time to move the bill. Other Assembly bills took precedent, he said.

The bill is headed for a final vote in the Assembly Friday or Saturday.