(Topic ID: 296840)

My 88 year old aunt has been swindled

By HandsOfStone

2 years ago


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  • 30 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by gdonovan
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#1 2 years ago

My aunt is 88 years old. She is in great health for her age. Her husband passed about a year ago and she decided to go stay with her daughter for a while in another state. Unfortunately, her daughter died unexpectedly a few months ago. Her son-in-law called me immediately wanting to know if I had power of attorney over my aunt's affairs (I was her daughter's backup). I told him yes, and he immediately told me I needed to hand that over to him so he could take care of her. I told him that wasn't possible. A few days later, he called me back with his daughter on the phone (my aunt's granddaughter). She screamed at me and told me I was going to hand over "The Power" or else. She told me her grandmother had dementia and she was going to put her in a home nearby. I laughed and told her that wasn't happening. I went up there (10 hr. trip) and drove her back to live with me. She is doing great, and shows no signs of dementia. She has saved all of her retirement over the years and built up a nice nest egg. He was counting on getting it (to go along with his NASA retirement and parent's money). When her daughter passed, that wasn't going to happen anymore and he tried everything he could to keep her up there and get control of her finances.

So here's my question:

Back in 2004, my aunt bought a little house by the river. She was 71 back then. It was only the 2nd house she'd ever bought. Her son-in-law "helped" her through the buying process and even took her to his lawyer to draw up the paperwork. Turns out, he had his name put on the deed from day one. The day before I picked her up, he said "You know I own half of your house, and I can make you sell it". I have talked to a real estate attorney and he has told me it is a lost cause and we'll either have to pay him half, or have a court ordered split-sale. I have offered to pay him half of the value of the house, but of course he thinks it is worth WAY MORE that what the other houses have sold for in the past year. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this and what course of action you took. The house is located in Alabama. Thanks everyone.

#3 2 years ago

I don't think he wants to settle for half of the value. He wants to wait it out and get the whole house (if he outlives her, he's 72 himself).

The attorney I talked to has handled her affairs for the last 10 years. He actually told me, a few years ago, the son-in-law called him and tried to get him to add his name to another piece of property she owns (of course without telling her). I wonder what a judge would think if that little piece of info was told.

#14 2 years ago

The house deed states "Right of Survivorship". No one can sell or transfer their part. It's last man standing. He had his lawyer buddy draw it up that way back in 2004. She had no idea. He had only been married to her daughter for a few years and hadn't shown his true colors yet.

I'm grateful that I got her away from him when I did. He shoved a stack of papers and demanded she sign them the day before I got there. He is also using her 28 year old granddaughter (and her baby) as a lure to try to get her to come back up there. She is smarter than that and told me she is never going back.

The fact that her granddaughter bought into the whole dementia (put her in a home) thing makes me sick.

#18 2 years ago

BTW, I have removed her from all of this drama. We don't talk about it. It is just me handling this. She was in terrible shape when I picked her up a month ago. She was a nervous wreck and had dropped 35 lbs. in the 9 months she stayed there. She is doing much, much better now.

#31 2 years ago

What it all boils down to is this house is near and dear to her. She moved there because her daughter (with the scammer son-in-law) lived in a big house right on the water. She wanted to be close to her. This house is much smaller (1,400 sq. ft.) and has a small view of the river from across the street. They cashed out ~10 years ago and moved on. My aunt kept her little house, having no idea that he scammed her. Part of the deal is he knows that it breaks her heart that he can control what happens to her house. That's why he doesn't want to settle.

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