Posted on 12/21/2013 9:32:51 AM PST by La Lydia
LAREDO, Texas Out behind the nursing home where Josefina Alexander Gonzalez turned 99 Saturday, theres a dilapidated green ranch house, its porch cover still held up by rough-hewn tree trunks. To the southeast, you see a lot of tall brush and honey mesquite, a view that hasnt changed much since the 1940s, when her parents bought a 1,000-acre ranch any other direction, and youll see new construction on her property, as developers cash in on the last large tract of open space inside of Loop 20 in north Laredo, now worth as much as $150 million.
But if you wanted to ask her what she thought of all the changes, youd have to get past the guard in her room at Laredo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where she has been stashed by Carlos Zaffirini and his wife, state Sen. Judith Zaffirini. The Zaffirinis are battling Gonzalezs daughter and grandchildren for control of that fortune. They filed papers last month arguing that Rocio Gonzalez Guerra should forfeit her inheritance.
In two days of hearings last week, a Webb County District Court judge heard the first of dozens of motions that have piled up in three related lawsuits. This account is drawn from the records of those lawsuits .
Rocio Gonzalez Guerra and her two teenage children stand to inherit an intricate cluster of interlocking partnerships, estates and trusts established by Gonzalez and her late and childless sister, Delfina Alexander.
For all those complications, the outlines of the case are plain: Guerra and her children may be the heirs, but the businesses and their funds are controlled by the Zaffirinis and their associates.
Thats why the guard is outside Josefina Gonzalezs room so she cant be served papers in a lawsuit to appoint a guardian for her, a guardian who would wreck the Zaffirinis plans.
The Zaffirinis already have control over Delfina Alexanders estate and a trust she set up in her will, and they claim to have power of attorney over Josefina Gonzalez, although Gonzalezs bank wont let them touch her accounts, according to court records, as the papers were signed shortly before she was declared mentally incompetent.
Once she dies, theyll have unquestioned control over her estate, unless they fare poorly in court...
Isn’t this a charming family story for Christmas, Texas Mexican families trying to cheat each other out of a family fortune....all good Catholic Democrats, of course. At least there hasn’t been anyone shot....yet.
“Texas Mexican?” Is that something like “White Hispanic?”
I didn’t notice whether they are Catholics or Democrats...........I’m assuming they are probably Catholics—but have no reason to believe that they are/are not Democrats.
It’s a very sad story, tho.
> Carlos Zaffirini and his wife, state Sen. Judith Zaffirini. The Zaffirinis are battling Gonzalezs daughter and grandchildren for control of that fortune. They filed papers last month arguing that Rocio Gonzalez Guerra should forfeit her inheritance.
This isn’t a matter to be settled in court. The AFTERMATH of the settlement might be. Thanks La Lydia.
“Texas Mexican? Is that something like White Hispanic?”
They most closely resemble “Rich White Trash”, as was defined in the song “Is There A Klavern In Your Towm?”
You mean all Democrats. Big difference.
>> have no reason to believe that they are/are not Democrats.
Uh... she’s a state *senator*. “You could look it up.”
http://www.zaffirini.senate.state.tx.us/
(and, yes, she’s a ‘rat.)
Being from an old family from that area myself, I’ll say Zaffirini and some of her kin are a bad bunch, with a bad reputation for years and that is a fact-but most very old “Texas Mexican families”, like my own and this one have mixed with various other ethnic groups that came to what is now Texas-hence the label Texicans-there have not been any who are pure anything for well over 150 years-we are mostly Hispanic, but so mixed with Native American, later European arrivals, Blacks from the South, etc that no label really fits-one of the things that makes that part of south/west Texas-and part of New Mexico, as well-an ethnic stew.
Apparently, nastiness is unlimited in some people-I hope the Zaffirinis get handed their ass in court-preying on original property owners is surely a sin-greed-and against the law...
Since most Hispanics around here are mostly Caucasian/white, you are right-White Hispanic makes just as much sense...
I knew it had to be a dim . they will stew ANYTHING they can get their hands on
Isnt this a charming family story for Christmas, Texas Mexican families trying to cheat each other out of a family fortune....all good Catholic Democrats, of course. At least there hasnt been anyone shot....yet.
Thank you for picking out the truly important points of the story. </sarcasm>
I would like to see how they accomplished that.
Thats why the guard is outside Josefina Gonzalezs room so she cant be served papers in a lawsuit to appoint a guardian for her, a guardian who would wreck the Zaffirinis plans.
Guards still have to pee. The family knows what they have to do.
the papers were signed shortly before she was declared mentally incompetent.
which means that those papers may be worthless.
Once she dies, theyll have unquestioned control over her estate, unless they fare poorly in court.
This is a lawyer's dream. They will deplete that estate in a carefully choreographed paper chase over a ten year period.
The article explains how they accomplished that.
Back in the 50s and 60s, I remember D.J.s referring to the “Tex-Mex” sound, referring to certain music.
These things happen all the time. And they always get resolved because they must be resolved.
Oh well then. Please excuse the post.
Actually, I knew some nice person like you would look it up for me—LOL!
It’s a busy day here-—got a crowd coming for Thanksgiving and the cooking starts today!
I’ve never figured out just what sound they meant-there still seem to be several that are a mix of C&W, Ranchero, Conjunto, etc. I guess it depends on where you come from.
The Spanish we kids from South/West Texas ranches learned at an early age as a 2nd language-is a regional dialect and is called Tex-Mex-and most ranch dwellers of every race and ethnicity spoke it. When on vacation in the interior of Mexico, my husband and I both had to remember to use “mainstream” Spanish, as well as we were able-every area seems to have its own dialect, and some were downright incomprehensible to us as the same language we spoke...
This is an object lesson on why Probate Court is better than a Trust.
Atleast the inheritance gets to the heirs in Probate Court minus the fees which are all known upfront.
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