A couple of important things posted today. Anthony Marshall and Francis Morrissey continue to avoid the jail sentences associated with their felony convictions in the Brooke Astor estate looting case. While this week’s get-out-of-jail cards were not free, the posting of $5,000 cash on a $500,000 bond seems cheap for a mechanism to avoid time in prison – especially considering that the appeals process could be prolonged indefinitely. Meanwhile, Marshall is evidently poised to continue battling the charities long-designated as his mother’s beneficiaries in a civil venue. News articles on Marshall and Morrissey are available here. Our latest column on the subject can be read here.
Also newly posted is Janet Phelan’s latest piece regarding California conservatorships – specifically, problems related to San Bernardino County. In her article, Phelan covers a wide range of issues and we took special notice of how real estate belonging to conserved individuals is sometimes sold at below-market or questionable values only at a later date to be “flipped” thus yielding a high return rate on an initial investment.
We mention this particularly so as to make the point that the legal industry has found numerous revenue streams within probate venues. They usually are based upon opportunism that occurs sometimes naturally, but other times seem contrived or orchestrated as part of a larger estate looting action. Nonetheless, while not all associated with such activities are perpetrating illegal or unethical deeds, we find concerted targeting of probate-oriented ventures to be of interest. Thank you to an EoD reader who brought this example to our attention.
Estate of Denial® provides news, analysis and commentary on abusive practices occurring in probate courts and via probate instruments (wills, trusts, guardianships, powers of attorney). We provide original perspective to educate the public regarding this growing threat to both individual freedoms and property rights.
