Posted on 08/31/2009 5:47:31 AM PDT by blueyon
Video at link DALLAS - They’re not criminals. They’ve broken no laws. But they’re being held against their will by the State of Texas. Why? It’s a tragic story about what can happen when you are alone in the world and lose control of your rights, your money, and your ability to complain.
Jean and Michael Kidd never imagined their retirement would play out like this. “I feel like I am not in America,” said Michael Kidd. “I can’t believe I have been hi-jacked off the street, virtually from the hospital, and imprisoned,” Kidd told FOX 4.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxdfw.com ...
Read the following article that mentions this couple. It's down right spooky what's happening in Texas.
Broadcast tells of probate court appointing questionable guardianships
August 26, 5:27 PM
Bell County Legal News Examiner
The actions of probate courts (or other courts handling probate matters) are becoming increasingly controversial due in part to guardianship actions which functionally transfer control of a person's life and property to a court-appointed administrator.
KDFW, FOX 4 in Dallas/Fort Worth, aired an important story about Jean and Michael Kidd of Richardson (TX) whose lives have been overtaken by a Collin County probate court.
Court-appointed guardianships are a growing trend. According to The Texas Probate Web Site, guardianships are defined as: "a court-supervised administration for a minor or for an incapacitated person. A person -- called the guardian -- is appointed by a court to care for the person and/or property of the minor or incapacitated person -- called the ward. In some other states, guardianships are called conservatorships, but in Texas they are called guardianships."
The site provides these definitions of a "minor" and an "incapacitated person": "A minor is a person younger than 18 years who has never been married or who has not had his or her disabilities of minority removed by judicial action. A minor is considered an incapacitated person. An adult who, because of physical or mental condition, is substantially unable to provide food, clothing or shelter for himself or herself, to care for his or her own physical health, or to manage his or her own financial affairs is considered an incapacitated person. The definition of incapacitated person also includes a person who must have a guardian appointed to receive funds due the person from any governmental source."
Two types of guardians/guardianships exist: a guardian of the person and a guardian of the estate. The guardian of the person takes care of a ward's physical well-being while care of a ward's property may be assigned to a guardian of the estate. A ward may be assigned only one type of guardian, but in other cases, both types of guardians are assigned with sometimes the two guardianship roles being filled by one person.
Texas is currently experiencing rapid population growth. With that, a recent five-part series addressed Is Texas' population growth a "stimulus" for estate looting, probate abuse?
Today's seniors with their accumulation of wealth are an especially attractive population segment, but probate exploitation and estate thefts increasingly impact Americans of all ages. These Involuntary Redistribution of Assets (IRA) actions use wills, trusts, guardianships and sometimes powers of attorney to loot assets of the dead, disabled or incapacitated.
With guardianships, a person loses control of their individual liberty as well as their property. While guardianships are often associated with the elderly, the mentally or physically disabled or anyone incapacitated via illness or injury can also be subjected to this status. Family members may serve as guardians, but a new industry has evolved and been in a growth mode as courts increasingly elect to use professional guardians.
The use of probate venues and legal instruments like wills, trusts or guardianships to confiscate or divert resources - and with guardianships, also potentially deny individual freedom - is becoming more common. Without direct involvement, few people realize how these things occur. Despite being labeled "incapacitated" by a court, Jean and Michael Kidd appear to well understand that guardianships can functionally hijack people's lives.
In some cases, the targeted parties may need some type of assistance. However, the intrusive approach along with the questionable denial of freedom and/or confiscation of assets increasingly used by many government entities should serve as a warning to all Americans who value personal freedom and property rights.
Forewarned is forearmed.
Because he’s a failed sportscaster and radio guy.
There was a story just the other day on FR where that happened.
I thought TEXAS was a personal freedom state...?
I had an aunt with Alzheimer’s living in a distant state, who would fog in and fog out. The neighbor of the aunt, the family and I learned too late, was apparently emotionally abusing her to turn her against her family. She would only go clear in the presence of the neighbor, fogging out in presence of family.
You have an axe to grind but what?
States can be full of paradox. “First in gay marriage” Vermont has the least restrictive gun laws in the country.
TV Sportscaster, radio host, politician..
What is the common theme?
"Look At MEEEE!!!!"
He's a self-aggrandizing attention whore.
Just my opinion.
That's why the scripture teaches us to take care of our own. In fact, it says that we're worse than the heathens if we don't.
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (I Timothy 5:8)
So what, we need a rooftop screamer and we don’t really care why.
I am SHOCKED this is happening in my state! Truly scary. I hope something is done to help them now that their story has been made public.
Texas has horrible people working in "social services". The only government people in Texas worth a damn are Law Enforcement(Rangers, Troopers, Deputies), State Reps and State Senators. The rest are all power hungry idiots.
He is also a Texas state senator who won with over 70% of the vote... Including mine. I fail to see how his past career in sports has any relevance.
Did you intend to leave off the "/sarc" tag?
Dan Patrick is pro-life. That makes him almost as hated by the left as Terri Schiavo. As the civilized world eulogizes Terri’s father today, the left is desperate to put a death spin on the events of the day. It’s painful for them to see a Christian being treated with the respect he deserves, so they lash out wildly. Anyone seen as potentially serving God, especially in matters of defending the lives of innocent people, will be minimized and degraded as much as possible. Today is not the day for the trolls to continue directly insulting Terri Schiavo and her family. They have to take a break from that for now, or receive the zot they so richly deserve. But they will push the envelope, and insult Terri’s supporters, believing themselves to be clever in their imagined subtlety.
That doesn't seem to be the issue. Dan Patrick is pro-life. That's enoough to draw fire from lefties.
The state has the responsibility to make sure the Kidds are safe. But is a nursing home the best answer? There are other possible options such as assisted living or home health care that may be less expensive and confining. But the Kidds say those options were never discussed with them.
Why does the state have the responsibility to make sure the Kidds are safe? The Supreme Court has ruled that the government doesn't have the responsibility to keep you safe -- in other words, you can't sue if the police don't protect you from harm.
So how did the state get the power to be responsible for keeping old people safe?
"... and it sounds like another case of state "social workers" over reacting without knowing any of the facts."
Forewarned is forearmed.
You won't like this.
Check out #41, too.
My father often acted as guardian for older people or people who were not able to take care of their own affairs. Sometimes it was simply going to their home, assisting them in writing their bills, establishing meal on wheels etc. Many were people who had NO YOUNG RELATIVES and knew their mental capacities were going. They would request help.
One couple I can think of were therefore able to stay in their own home, until the husband died. Then his wife, suffering from dimentia, went to assisted living, and was later hostitalized until her death. Dad visited regularly to make sure she had the needs and was properly cared for. (Not all facilities give the care they should.)
It is nothing new...but a produce of having uncaring or lack of living relatives. It protects people from those who would take advantage of them...Indiana has had to create a law to protect the elderly from being taken from relatives....Unbelieveable but a real problem these days.
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