Tuesday, December 18, 2007

War Story No. 1: Brutal Trustee


Two years ago a 47-year-old man called my firm seeking help because his brother was freezing him out of his mother's trust. He was too ill to travel so I reluctantly agreed to make a house call later that evening. Upon arrival I did a double take because his house looked abandoned. The yard was covered with overgrown bushes and weeds, the front gate was hanging sideways, held up by a single hinge, and the paint was faded and chipped. The place was dark and spooky. Remembering the man's plea, I continued walking up the long walkway, instead of back to my car. As I approached the front door, I heard a tired voice say, come on in the door's open. As I entered the dark house, The man directed me to the kitchen table which was illuminated by a single candle. He didn't come too close, and walked slowly following me as I hurried to the table. He sat down across from me. For the first time I got a good look at him. His skin was pale and sunken, his eyes were yellow and he wore old baggy gray clothes and a civil war period mustache. While I was reaching for a notepad he said, "my brother stole my army issue cap-and-ball black power Colt revolver." For a minute it seemed like I was in the presence of a civil war era ghost.
Peter wasn't a ghost, he was a terminally ill man whose passing was being hastened by the disgraceful acts of a greedy brother named Richard. Richard was the trustee of their mother's trust. When peter took ill he was unable to work so moved in with his mother, at her request. A few months later, his mother unexpectedly died. She left a trust that provided for both brothers equally. Richard worked in Japan but returned home for a month to attend his mother's funeral. During that time he ransacked the house and tried to force Peter out. Peter was defenseless. He had no money, no place to go and was preparing to die. Rather than help, which was within his discretion as trustee of the trust, Richard insisted that Peter leave the house. To speed up the process, Richard canceled the utilities and had them specially locked so they could not be turned on without his permission. Within two weeks, Peter was without water, electricity and food. As the trustee of their mother's trust, Richard was suppose to distribute the assets between himself and Peter in equal shares. Although his mother left 75,000 in her savings account and $5,000 in her checking account, and both of those assets were in the trust, Richard refused to give Peter any money. He was waiting for Peter to die so he could inherit it all. According to the trust, if one of the settlor's (mother) sons died before getting his full share of the assets, his remaining share would go to the surviving brother. Richard was trying to take full advantage of that clause. But putting his interests first, is a clear breach of his duties as trustee.
Within two weeks we were able to convince the court to remove Richard, appoint a temporary neutral trustee and obtain a preliminary distribution on Peter's behalf. It wasn't much, but with the money Peter was able to turn on the utilities and get some food and medication. About one month later, Peter was under hospice care. He died two weeks later in his home with the support of a couple of strangers. Richard collected the balance of his mother's trust so I guess you can say he won that battle.

4 comments:

melissaduran777 said...

Something similar has happened to me, my grandmother was dying and my father was appointed trustee/ executor of the estate, and my father Alvin and his brother Earl had to distribute the assets equally,well the trust said if Alvin or Earl dies within 20-30 days before my grandma, (after the amendment of the trust was taking out on April 8th 2013), my father "dies" mysteriously exactly 20 days later!!! The corner did an exam, but NO ONE new about this amendment being taking out on the trust! They looked into murder but didnt know about the trust nor knew about the long fight over this money of my grandmothers for he last 20 years! The coroner said my dad was shot in the head with a colt 375 magnum, his own gun, and supposedly my Uncel didnt hear the gun going off, ever since my father has died, my uncle has been a renegade trustee, telling us if we want my fathers share we have to take him to court, so we are! he is a drug addcit and was only chosen by my grandmother on her will to get a lamp LOL, but since my dad "commiteed suicide" we dont get anything to help pay fro my fathers death, he brags about how good his lawyers are, and I beleive he had some invovlment with the amendment of the trust and my fathers death, we contested the will and waiting for court, were asking for an acoounting of the money and to take him off as trustee, and for our fathers share of 50% Do we have a case?

De bench judge francis devaney!! said...

My situation is this: 2006-victims 2nd wife Jenny leaves him and Jennys brother Tony married to a lady Lori had a 3 year old daughter together moves into victims home, after putting her husband Tony in jail. I think Jenny and Lori coerced and premeditated the planning of this crime. Lori, the controlling and manipulating person she is somehow talked victim into moving to Las Vegas, away from his children and grandchildren. 2007-victim buys a $940,000 home in Vegas. 2008-victim sells the family business for $4,000,000, buys 80 acres land in AZ for $1,100,000 cash and owes IRS $79,000. 2009-victims daughter Stacey now moves to Vegas from Montana staying with victim waiting for her short sale to go through on home she was buying. Victim created a trust, Double Diamond Trust and stops making house payment. 2010-victim quitclaims house to Double Diamond Trust preventing foreclosure. Soon after victim has a stroke. 2011-victim doesn't file tax return now owes $79,000? and filed bankruptsy. Lori and Stacey behind this, should have been taking care of victim not pulling this with ill victim. 2012-Lori buys home with another person for $350,000 no money exchange and moves victim into HER home now. 2013-Stacey sells her home and moves back to Montana. 2014-Victim doesn't file tax return and Double Diamond Trust sells home for $315,000. 2015-victim doesn't file tax return and has 2nd stroke. Lori quitclaims other person off deed. 2016-Feb. 11, Lori takes $260,000 loan against "her" home and March 12 2016 victim dies. Lori and Stacey didn't notify family until 30 days later giving them time to clear out house of all victims property valued $500,000. Lori tried to have victim cremated to rid of evidence of possibly drugging victim. They both leave state and Lori buys home cash for $440,000 having to come up with $40,000 (money stolen from victim) was used. Lori puts house up for sale $400,000 pays off loan and pockets around $200,000. Lori and Stacey write up a will and trust making themselves trustees, not informing the other children of any of this. These 2 walked away with stealing all the victims $4,000,000 estate and killing victim through the course of all this. I can't get police to take a report on stolen property which 2 years has passed and I'm still working on this. I can't get an attorney to help me. I've opened probate 2017 and has been extremely time consuming and I need some help with this. I know what I'm saying is true as I've researched into this crime and believe this is a homicide. What's your opinion and feeling on this and what am I to do to get them caught? I've reported this crime to IRS; FTC, FBI, State secretary;DMV; Social security etc...I would like help with this. Someone please. I will pay attorney 50% to get this $4,000,000 back. I have log of what the 2 suspects have bought. They are hiding and have disconnected their #'s. I have messages of Loris and a plot to get rid of me is in the making. Why can't I get some help with this?

Unknown said...

Hiya..

I have a little problem and would love to share my tale and get some advice..
My great grandfather was a very wealthy and well respected international businessman. He had 6 kids the youngest my grandfather, the 2 eldest of the 6 were a brother and sister. They both followed into the family businesses and were integral to its success and well run systems. This was leading up to the 2nd world war and some how survived to trade into today's international markets. There was millions of liquid cash, property of class and in many countries of trade, Hong Kong, Netherlands London and new York. Each sibling enjoyed a life of having it all. Each one and their families would have been multi millionaires on the passing of our great grandfather. However somehow the eldest brother stole the absolute lot. Leaving all others in complete poverty for many years, whilst sending his children to oxford university and living a lavish international lifestyle.
It's always been a family fact come don't discuss story which severed the families.
Ive found some of the lost families children and still they have a millionaire life and there are lots of them.
This combined with watching my close relatives battle years in and out, and my grandfather pass away unable to pay for his funeral really gets my back up and makes me wonder....
Can I claim against the great uncle who stole the inheritance and claim it from his own children.. he stole dozens of millions and continued to make huge profits, putting his own children into positions to continue his work.

The children of wealth live in Hong Kong and the USA..I'm in the UK.

Please tell me I have a case just so I can have some satisfaction..
The claim would be at least 30yrs old maybe 60 or 70, depending upon how you look at it. Plus how much is it going to cost lmao

Saint Alan Joaquin Costello said...

Same here.