Intimate Betrayal: When the Elderly Are Robbed by Their Family Members

Wall Street Journal ^ | 30 August 2006 | JEFF D. OPDYKE

[YellowRoseofTx]

money is "their inheritance"

This struck a cord with me.....my sister got very upset with my dad over something he bought and told him it was wasteful because he was spending her inheritance. I came unglued about that and told her it was HIS money he'd worked for and it was his right to spend it any way he wanted. There was no "inheritance" until he was gone. After he died, we got the will and found......he'd left everything to me. Cut her out completely.

[dinodino]

That's not a "proper" strategy, it's a dishonest and unethical strategy.

[YellowRoseofTx]

The court doesn't want to hear about it despite an abundance of evidence and the San Diego prosecutor won't prosecute.

This sort of thing is disgusting, but happening in California doesn't really surprise me.

[from occupied ga]

families will begin murdering their family members to get at their cash and be rid of the burden of caring for them.

Nothing new here - in the 18th century arsenic trioxide was called "inheritance powder"

[The Red Zone]

Terri showed but one spot to most people. Who is watching the broader chicken coop?

[Quilla]

One by one all 5 of the checks came back to him with notes attached saying in different words, "you keep the money, you took care of pop when he needed it".

Wow. My 86 year old mother has lived with me for eight years (She requires round the clock care.). My three sisters live a considerable distance away, yet visit when they can. Each of them have expressed the same sentiments as your uncles. They think I deserve everything. Who am I to argue? ;-)

[navygal]

How sad.

[longtermmemmory]

However we have to be careful, there are government bureacrats who would welcome mandatory senior homes where they could "take care" of senior citizens and their money.

Even decide how old they should allowed to be before they are "too old."

Just saying we need to be cautious.

[staytrue]

My brother and I were left with no inheritance thanks to these vultures.

I'm not surprised. I am totally amazed by what happens to people when a chunk of money is involved. I think they should do a reality show on it. Eating worms is nothing to what I have heard. These people who you would think would be civil to their relatives, turn into near animals.

[staytrue]

This is a proper strategy because the govt. rules are wrong.

It is the govt. that is the problem.

[surely_you_jest]

This is a very old story in Florida. It was an old story 35 years ago when I was in law school. Some things are eternal. This, sadly, is one of them.

[OldFriend]

That whole side of the family was always America hating commies. They did well here but always thought the Soviet Union was utopia. Hah. No morals, no honor, no integrity.

Glad I walked away as I'd rather not be associated with them in any way.

[CORedneck]

My great uncle got a sizable inheritance back in the 1920/1930's. Since he was a minor, it was put into a conservator-ship. By the time he was of legal age, the money was gone - cleaned out by the lawyers. Pretty sad !

I think a better method would to be lock up the money until legal age in a special account paying enough interest not only to keep up with inflation but also appreciate beyond that. Lawyers would be barred from robbing the minor blind !

[Vinnie]

This is sick but I know it happens often.
I was in charge of part my mother's estate while she was in a nursing home.
I kept her monies separate from mine. Even not having a joint account with her.
Had I been in an auto accident and was sued, they could have come after her funds. I didn't want that to happen.
Her funds were able to pay for the years she was in the home.
She passed away in 2002, was born in 1900. She saw part 3 centuries.

[MoochPooch]

And, as soon as society permits assisted suicide, or something similar - families will begin murdering their family members to get at their cash and be rid of the burden of caring for them.

I see this especially happening now that the standard of living has risen, along with the culture of consumerism and the pressure to appear successful. People will stop at nothing to maintain their lifestyles.

[Justa]

Makes perfect sense that the first victims of Moral Relativism would be close relatives.

[OldEagle]

Nobody will screw you out of money better than family.

[concerned reader]

Of course the elder-law advocates and attorneys claim that family are the biggest threat.
Why would they rat out one of their own? They don’t.
But the truth is guardians and their attorneys often abuse, neglect and exploit guardianship wards but too many times they are never held accountable. Guardians routinely force their victims into nursing homes so they can sell off real estate and personal belongings, converting to cash so they can over bill, double bill, downright fraudulently bill until all of the hard earned money and assets of the ward is in the guardians and attorneys pockets. Many victims are left penniless with broken spirits and failing health. Some victims do not survive as they are denied medical treatment and necessary medications. This is happening every day in our country. And it is a crying shame. The worst of it all, is a guardianship ward is stripped of all rights, including the right to complain about the abuse.

Any abuse of an elderly or vulnerable person is unacceptable. And this should include guardianship abuse. Please visit the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse at www.stopguardianabuse.org for more information about the epidemic practice of guardianship abuse.