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Attorney sold my mother's entire estate

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beth5646

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? OK

My dear mother died two weeks ago and made me executor of her estate. My grandparents, her parents died about 10 years ago and left her their entire estate. She was their only surviving child. My mother and my grandparents worked very hard their entire lives and lived very frugally, saved and worked and built a very successful business. After my grandparents died they left her with a lot of very valuable property worth many millions of dollars and also 27 active producing oil wells. My mother's health had been very bad for the last 20 years and at my brother and sister in laws suggestion she hired one of their friends from high school to handle all the properties and oil wells. Imagine my surprise when I met with the new attorney my mother had hired to make out her will, and she told me that all that was left was 7 tiny pieces of property--a couple of small houses and empty lots, no cash except a very small IRA, and no oil wells. It appears to me, after starting to go through about 15 boxes of her records, that the attorney that she originally hired--my brother's friend--sold all of her property and oil wells for basically next to nothing and then any money that was left he also took that for his attorney fees. There is no cash left in her bank accounts......nothing. My sister and I had to dig up the money to pay for her funeral. Over the years, when anyone would mention anything about her property, she wouldn't want to talk about it. I could tell by the way she acted that she was upset about something, but she would never talk about it. I think she was probably very embarrassed about what happened. I remember talking with her one time right after my grandparents died she told me that when she died she wanted everything divided equally between all her children and that there would be enough that if any or all of us wished to retire right then we should be able to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. The last few years I do know that she has been very worried about one of my sisters who is mentally ill. She was worried about how she would be taken care of. I now understand why she was so worried. The only thing my mother ever said to me about the whole situation which is just now coming to light, is that she got rid of the first attorney--my brothers friend--because he was pressuring her to sell her home and move by him where he said he would take care of her for the rest of her life. I am in total shock about this whole situation and I don't know what to do. I am so very upset that someone took advantage of my mother while she was grieving for her parents and too ill to manage things for herself. What I am wanting to know is---Is there anything that can be done. What my brother's friend did to my mom was completely unethical. He basically stole everything she had and now he is living in a mansion and very wealthy. His wealth suddenly appeared a couple of years after my mother hired him. What, if anything can be done about this. I don't know where to turn or who to ask. I don't know any attorneys and don't have a clue who to trust. Please answer. If nothing can be done, I will just accept it as God's will and we will move on.What is the name of your state?
 


seniorjudge

Senior Member
beth5646 said:
What is the name of your state? OK

My dear mother died two weeks ago and made me executor of her estate. My grandparents, her parents died about 10 years ago and left her their entire estate. She was their only surviving child. My mother and my grandparents worked very hard their entire lives and lived very frugally, saved and worked and built a very successful business. After my grandparents died they left her with a lot of very valuable property worth many millions of dollars and also 27 active producing oil wells. My mother's health had been very bad for the last 20 years and at my brother and sister in laws suggestion she hired one of their friends from high school to handle all the properties and oil wells. Imagine my surprise when I met with the new attorney my mother had hired to make out her will, and she told me that all that was left was 7 tiny pieces of property--a couple of small houses and empty lots, no cash except a very small IRA, and no oil wells. It appears to me, after starting to go through about 15 boxes of her records, that the attorney that she originally hired--my brother's friend--sold all of her property and oil wells for basically next to nothing and then any money that was left he also took that for his attorney fees. There is no cash left in her bank accounts......nothing. My sister and I had to dig up the money to pay for her funeral. Over the years, when anyone would mention anything about her property, she wouldn't want to talk about it. I could tell by the way she acted that she was upset about something, but she would never talk about it. I think she was probably very embarrassed about what happened. I remember talking with her one time right after my grandparents died she told me that when she died she wanted everything divided equally between all her children and that there would be enough that if any or all of us wished to retire right then we should be able to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. The last few years I do know that she has been very worried about one of my sisters who is mentally ill. She was worried about how she would be taken care of. I now understand why she was so worried. The only thing my mother ever said to me about the whole situation which is just now coming to light, is that she got rid of the first attorney--my brothers friend--because he was pressuring her to sell her home and move by him where he said he would take care of her for the rest of her life. I am in total shock about this whole situation and I don't know what to do. I am so very upset that someone took advantage of my mother while she was grieving for her parents and too ill to manage things for herself. What I am wanting to know is---Is there anything that can be done. What my brother's friend did to my mom was completely unethical. He basically stole everything she had and now he is living in a mansion and very wealthy. His wealth suddenly appeared a couple of years after my mother hired him. What, if anything can be done about this. I don't know where to turn or who to ask. I don't know any attorneys and don't have a clue who to trust. Please answer. If nothing can be done, I will just accept it as God's will and we will move on.What is the name of your state?


Speak to a malpractice attorney.

But you have to remember that if ma signed all the documents getting rid of this stuff and she was competent, then there is nothing you can do.
 

beth5646

Junior Member
I understand that. But my mother was very ill and would a competent person sign over a fortune to a stranger with absolutely nothing in return? From what I understand, the attorney and his buddies ended up with the property and oil wells.
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
beth5646 said:
I understand that. But my mother was very ill and would a competent person sign over a fortune to a stranger with absolutely nothing in return? From what I understand, the attorney and his buddies ended up with the property and oil wells.
Q: But my mother was very ill and would a competent person sign over a fortune to a stranger with absolutely nothing in return?

A: Yes.


Hire that lawyer.
 
B

butterscotch

Guest
Forum to discuss similar issues

There are laws to protect elderly persons. Search Google "adult protective services + Oklahoma". There are many sources to get additional information.

You can also go to this website
http:/www.okdhs.org/programs/programs.htm#Adult%20Protective%20Services
and find Legal Services to Older Persons and including numbers for:

Office of Client Advocacy (OCA)
Ombudsman Program - Our mission is to provide an independent proactive voice for clients and timely identification of problems affecting the health, safety or welfare of clients.
Grievance Program - Our mission is to promote grievance systems that serve as an effective and efficient resource for grievants to resolve problems and concerns.
Investigation Program - Our mission is to timely produce professional quality investigation reports that accurately identify whether caretaker misconduct has occurred.

This is a public forum- advice here can be mistaken for advice from attorneys.

See if you can find out more about what happened with your mother's estate. The attorney handling her business has no need to provide that information to you. Let someone from the state do a fact finding.

I hope you find answers.
 
C

CALIF-PRO36

Guest
butterscotch said:
This is a public forum- advice here can be mistaken for advice from attorneys.

My response:

Make no mistake, Butterscotch, I am an attorney practicing for over 26 years in California. Do NOT include me in your "caveat."

IAAL
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
butterscotch said:
There are laws to protect elderly persons. Search Google "adult protective services + Oklahoma". There are many sources to get additional information.

You can also go to this website
http:/www.okdhs.org/programs/programs.htm#Adult%20Protective%20Services
and find Legal Services to Older Persons and including numbers for:

Office of Client Advocacy (OCA)
Ombudsman Program - Our mission is to provide an independent proactive voice for clients and timely identification of problems affecting the health, safety or welfare of clients.
Grievance Program - Our mission is to promote grievance systems that serve as an effective and efficient resource for grievants to resolve problems and concerns.
Investigation Program - Our mission is to timely produce professional quality investigation reports that accurately identify whether caretaker misconduct has occurred.

This is a public forum- advice here can be mistaken for advice from attorneys.

See if you can find out more about what happened with your mother's estate. The attorney handling her business has no need to provide that information to you. Let someone from the state do a fact finding.

I hope you find answers.

Did you get any incorrect info in these threads you started?

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=321484

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=320617

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=319102
 
B

butterscotch

Guest
Question

Q: But my mother was very ill and would a competent person sign over a fortune to a stranger with absolutely nothing in return?

A: Yes.


Hire that lawyer.
I offered a resource that might be helpful to determine competency when family is concerned about a loved one, deceased or not make financial decisions. If mother was ill for 20 years and poster was executor of mothers estate I offered another suggestion. When I read the post, I didn't think the above response was meant as legal advice. Maybe it was legal advice. :)

I check the threads, and no, I did not get any bad advice. In fact, I was encouraged to ask questions and stand firm on getting answers. Thanks. As Ohiogal responded to my first post, I have a very complicated case. I also enjoy reading other postings and responses. And my caveat (well taken) is not everyone who responds to a post is an attorney (including me). Something like buyer beware??
 
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