Fraudulent Business Practice

[vscheer]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania
My 65 year old friend has a business in which she inherited from her belated husband 9 years ago. She has a mentally challenged adult child and her husbands brother living in her home with her. The business is a equipment rental business. She has a person named "Bud" working in the business. Bud has taken over the business literally. He has talked her into getting all of her US mail (business and personal) rerouted to his home. He has talked her into not having a key to her own business. He does all the book work for the company. He sets his own salary and makes all decisions within the company. He is ripping her off so bad. We live in a very small community in PA and everyone knows everyone. What is happening to my friend breaks my heart. She has an attorney but I'm not sure the attorney isn't in on all of this. But then again, the attorney only knows what my friend tells him. The brother-inlaw living with her has now received eviction papers. He helps her around the house and to care for her mentally challenged son. This is what I see happening: Bud gets the brother-inlaw out of the house. Bud gets mentally challenged son into a mental institution. Bud then gets my friend declared incompetent and takes everything she has. How do I stop this train wreck from happening to my friend????. This Bud person also has complete access to her banking. My friend will end up living in a box under a bridge in someone doesn't stop this. She seems to believe everything Bud says. Its sad to watch this play out. Is there any advise on what a concerned friend can do?

[NDickinson]

There are usually organizations related to abuse of the elderly that might be able to assist with this. Contact the local Social Services office and talk to them for advice/contacts. As an outsider, there really isn't much you can do, but getting someone like an organization for protecting the elderly is a good first start.

[vscheer]

Thanks for the advice. That is a good place to start. I will look and hopefully someone can talk some sense into my friend. It is so sad that her husband didn't have a clause in his will that the business was to be desolved.
I know even then there are those who target the elderly, but I can't help to think that her situation would be entirely different.