First, thank you again to Americans for Prosperity-Texas for including Estate of Denial in the recent Defending the American Dream Summit.  Through participation in a panel entitled “Threats to Freedom and Your Pocketbook,” we were able to sound the alarm regarding Involuntary Redistribution of Assets (IRA) dangers.  Writer and legal commentator Horace Cooper  joined EoD’s Lou Ann Anderson in discussing the growing threat increasingly faced by Americans (dead and alive) as unscrupulous individuals, including lawyers and sometimes the courts, conspire to loot assets of the dead, disabled and incapacitated.     

Horace and Lou Ann agreed that criminal charges, including the potential for jail time, must become a consequence for IRA acts.  Law enforcement too often works to avoid prosecuting these cases, but they are as much a crime as any other type theft. The threat of criminal prosecutions can be an important deterrent for would-be property poachers. And furthermore, what type of society downplays the low-life act of stealing from the dead and disabled/incapacitated?

And speaking of such, former Connecticut attorney Peter Sivaslian received a three-year jail term in connection with being convicted of two counts of first-degree larceny.  Terry Erwin Stork, a former attorney from Austin, TX, will be sentenced for three counts of felony theft on Aug. 13.  We hope significant jail time is given here as well.

In case you missed it, Rick Green of The Hardford Courant has added his great (as usual) insight regarding the “exit” of Judge James Lawlor, Connecticut’s probate court administrator.  Rick says things smell “fishy” and we certainly agree. 

Interesting that nothing was found in the online edition of today’s Houston Chronicle indicating how the Harris County Commissioner’s Court has appointed Georgia Akers as interim judge for Probate Court No. 1.  See EoD link.  The vacancy is due to the recent death of Judge Russell Austin.  On Monday night, Akers was selected as the Republican candidate for the Nov. 4 election in which this seat will be filled.  With being appointed yesterday to the interim post, Akers can now claim, to some degree, “incumbency” in this fall’s campaign.      

Much is happening in the world of walker stalkers, property poachers, asset looters and grave robbers.  Estate of Denial will continue working to keep you updated. 

Forewarned is forearmed.  
 

With the recent death of Judge Russell Austin,  Harris County (TX) has a probate court vacancy. 

The political wheels are turning as the interim judge and newly chosen Republican candidate are one in the same:  Georgia Akers, an associate judge from Harris County Probate Court No. 3.  See EoD link. 

In light of questionable conduct associated with Harris County’s probate courts, we hope this will become an important, highly visible race focusing on the candidates’ ethics, respect for the law and willingness to protect the interests of taxpayers rather than enriching “tomb raiders” or other parasitic entities historically associated with the county’s probate industry.    

Here are EoD links to articles/materials detailing Harris County probate court activities. 

http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=382 (Wood/Alpert case)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=383 (EoD Update on Wood/Alpert)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=351 (Wood/Whatley case)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=338 (Wood/Alpert case)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=44 (Austin/Conte case)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=54 (Austin/Conte case)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=51 (Harris/Austin/Wood)
http://www.estateofdenial.com/?p=32 (Texas Senate Committee)

This will be an interesting race to follow and Estate of Denial will work to keep you updated.       

Word is out!  Texas is a great retirement location.  See EoD link.  Great also is this news for Involuntary Redistribution of Assets (IRA) practitioners.  Property poachers, asset looters, walker stalkers and grave robbers throughout the state must be jumping for joy.  And those within the court system and other governmental entities must be salivating at the thought of a larger tax base as well as additional IRA business that an increased retiree population will undoubtedly generate. 

And note to Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman and Lise Olsen of the Houston Chronicle:  keep your notepads out and computers on!  Without probate reform and a serious “cleansing” of the culture surrounding it, you guys will have a plenty of content for future probate abuse and estate looting stories.

At Estate of Denial, we would remind you of our column from a couple of months back.  Your Town, USA - a Great Place to Live, Launch and Loot? has even greater relevance what with Texas’ new stature as a desirable retirement spot. 

And as always, forewarned is forearmed!        

A recent Topix thread discussing the resignation of James J. Lawlor, Connecticut’s state probate court administrator, well indicates the frustration and lack of respect that many feel for their probate courts. 

It will be interesting to see how next week’s sentencing of former Torrington (CT) attorney Peter Sivaslian is received.  See EoD link.   

Whoever believes that “good” ultimately wins out over “evil” may have to rethink that position after any scrutiny of America’s probate system.  Of late, Connecticut has deservedly received much attention and today is no different with the resignation of probate court administrator James J. Lawlor. 

It’s hard to know what to say.  You want to believe wrongdoers get their comeuppance, but the truth is that bad people do bad things to good people on a daily basis and they get away with it — sometimes with the help of our American judicial system.  As James Lawlor, a guy tasked with protecting Connecticut’s taxpayers and upgrading the state’s level of judicial integrity, likely “ruffled some feathers,” he’s gone.  Next week, we’ll see if former Connecticut attorney Peter Sivaslian, accused of embezzling nearly $5 million from the estate of an elderly Barkhamsted woman suffering from dementia, will receive any jail time.  (Check back tomorrow for background on this story.) 

And of course in August we’ll be watching to see if Austin (TX) attorney Terry Erwin Stork gets jail time or any significant sentence for stealing from three of his clients’ estates.     

Bottom line:  government - and that means elected and appointed officials as well as employees - no longer deserves to be considered trustworthy in their role “of the people, by the people and for the people.”  That may position some good people in a bad light, but that’s okay as we’ve seen too many good people uselessly harmed by an unresponsive government which too often is self-dealing or else aids and abets (either directly or through tacit complicity) its unethical, greedy allies. 

We’re tired of this betrayal, but we’ve got lots of energy to keep “shining light on the dark side of estate management” - and government, this means you, too!