Posted a few new articles. Janet Phelan has sent us her latest column detailing how the professional fiduciary license of Melodie Scott, the infamous California conservator, has not only been denied, but reportedly she’s already filed an appeal. One has to hope this oversight system might have some integrity – especially for the woman who presumably inspired it – but only time will tell.
Another new post on our Stories of Denial page provides good analysis of a predatory guardianship action. In seeking assistance from an empathetic Area on Aging official, this eye-opening brush with corruption served to demonstrate these actions’ neutering effect with those in government who may be truly well-meaning.
“That’s the whole point,” I told him. “Here you are the director of a major service organization serving many clients across a very broad region, but in the face of this situation you are completely helpless. This is a person that we can recognize is not getting the quality of care or the choice of care she wanted, but we are unable to act on that knowledge to improve her situation because of the obstruction of this hostile guardianship. From this you can see that there are not two recourses available to her, there isn’t even one, because the system functions in a way biased to serve those who would take advantage of the impaired person. All this so-called report amounts to is another page in the chapter of cover-up.”
Click here to read the entire post.
And interesting developments in the case of Huguette Clark, the reclusive heiress with empty homes, no heirs and “estate managers” with interesting histories. MSNBC.com recently published a special report , Part one: At 104, mysterious heiress Huguette Clark is alone now and Part two: Who is watching reclusive heiress Huguette Clark’s millions?. Additional background information is available here.
The Manhattan D.A.’s Elder Abuse Unit, the same office that prosecuted Anthony Marshall and Francis X. Morrissey in the Brooke Astor estate looting case, has launched a criminal inquiry. Huguette’s estate is said to be worth four times that of Brooke Astor’s and EoD would remind our audience to take note regarding this and other cases as the mechanics of asset looting cases often follow similar patterns whether estate values are $500,000, $5 million, $50 million or more.
Forewarned is forearmed!
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.
