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Some help for my dad

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autumnsunburst

Active Member
So my dad had his other daughter living in his house in Indiana with her boyfriend for about 5 years. During this time the boyfriend started stealing his credit cards and money and using his vehicles and would shove him around and hit him. (He’s over the age of 65 btw) Plus stealing his medicines (I found my dad’s pill bottles going through their trash they left in their stuff.) and possibly tampering with the ones he needs to take every day for diabetes and other stuff.

Back in July he was finally able to obtain help to get them evicted with an order of protection from his house. The banks have been made aware of the money that he took from his accounts and also of him opening new cards with his name on it under my dad’s credit line. We haven’t heard of any progress if the banks were going to file charges against them for identity theft, they removed the charges from his accounts but then put some back on and he wouldn’t pay the bill because of it so now all of his lines of credit are frozen or closed or in dispute. Leaving it very difficult to get his groceries, pay bills or anything else he would need done.

When he left the house from being evicted he did a lot of damage to the house and the property, most of which we still have been unable to deal with still. Also when he left he stole thousands of dollars of my dad’s garage, tools and toolboxes and other garage items. He had this separate garage built in back for his workshop and it’s now been gutted and vandalized. As well as stealing furniture and appliances from the house.

He wants to sue him for the damages and money as well as get back his belongings which they have stashed at my mom’s house. So I guess my question is what kind of case is this, what kind of lawyer does he need and how do we go about this ?
 


Just Blue

Senior Member
So my dad had his other daughter living in his house in Indiana with her boyfriend for about 5 years. During this time the boyfriend started stealing his credit cards and money and using his vehicles and would shove him around and hit him. (He’s over the age of 65 btw) Plus stealing his medicines (I found my dad’s pill bottles going through their trash they left in their stuff.) and possibly tampering with the ones he needs to take every day for diabetes and other stuff.

Back in July he was finally able to obtain help to get them evicted with an order of protection from his house. The banks have been made aware of the money that he took from his accounts and also of him opening new cards with his name on it under my dad’s credit line. We haven’t heard of any progress if the banks were going to file charges against them for identity theft, they removed the charges from his accounts but then put some back on and he wouldn’t pay the bill because of it so now all of his lines of credit are frozen or closed or in dispute. Leaving it very difficult to get his groceries, pay bills or anything else he would need done.

When he left the house from being evicted he did a lot of damage to the house and the property, most of which we still have been unable to deal with still. Also when he left he stole thousands of dollars of my dad’s garage, tools and toolboxes and other garage items. He had this separate garage built in back for his workshop and it’s now been gutted and vandalized. As well as stealing furniture and appliances from the house.

He wants to sue him for the damages and money as well as get back his belongings which they have stashed at my mom’s house. So I guess my question is what kind of case is this, what kind of lawyer does he need and how do we go about this ?
Have any criminal complaints been made? Your father doesn't have to wait for the bank for file ...Dad should be doing it.
 

quincy

Senior Member
We tried to file criminal complaints but the police just told us it was civil
Your father needs to file a police report. The police cannot refuse to accept a complaint of the nature you describe.

Your father will also want to sue to recover damages - but he will want evidence to support his claims.

Here is a link to state resources, from the American Bar Association:
https://indiana.legalanswers.org/OtherHelp
Good luck.
 
Last edited:

LdiJ

Senior Member
So my dad had his other daughter living in his house in Indiana with her boyfriend for about 5 years. During this time the boyfriend started stealing his credit cards and money and using his vehicles and would shove him around and hit him. (He’s over the age of 65 btw) Plus stealing his medicines (I found my dad’s pill bottles going through their trash they left in their stuff.) and possibly tampering with the ones he needs to take every day for diabetes and other stuff.

Back in July he was finally able to obtain help to get them evicted with an order of protection from his house. The banks have been made aware of the money that he took from his accounts and also of him opening new cards with his name on it under my dad’s credit line. We haven’t heard of any progress if the banks were going to file charges against them for identity theft, they removed the charges from his accounts but then put some back on and he wouldn’t pay the bill because of it so now all of his lines of credit are frozen or closed or in dispute. Leaving it very difficult to get his groceries, pay bills or anything else he would need done.

When he left the house from being evicted he did a lot of damage to the house and the property, most of which we still have been unable to deal with still. Also when he left he stole thousands of dollars of my dad’s garage, tools and toolboxes and other garage items. He had this separate garage built in back for his workshop and it’s now been gutted and vandalized. As well as stealing furniture and appliances from the house.

He wants to sue him for the damages and money as well as get back his belongings which they have stashed at my mom’s house. So I guess my question is what kind of case is this, what kind of lawyer does he need and how do we go about this ?
Have you attempted to retrieve his belongings from your mom's house? Surely your mom would not abet them in taking his stuff?

Otherwise, I would talk to your local elder abuse agency. They should be able to help you.
 

autumnsunburst

Active Member
I forgot the guy stole some guns too :mad:

They tried to file a police report and they wouldn't take it said it was a civil matter. Does it have to be the county police? Do we need to go there in person?

My mom doesn't believe any of it and won't even let me near her house at this point plus we'd need a big truck to move the items back ourselves.
 

autumnsunburst

Active Member
The police were even their when they were ransacking the house and stealing stuff and we were even try to prove with a receipt a big toolbox belonging to my dad with a receipt and the police just said it wasn't their place and we'd have to take it up in court.
 

quincy

Senior Member
The police were even their when they were ransacking the house and stealing stuff and we were even try to prove with a receipt a big toolbox belonging to my dad with a receipt and the police just said it wasn't their place and we'd have to take it up in court.
The police might believe that the goods reported as stolen by your dad belong to the boyfriend. Ownership needs to be established.

I have to question why no one noticed the theft and abuse during the five years the daughter and boyfriend were residing with your dad.

Whatever has gone on, an elder law attorney in your dad's area should be able to sort out the facts and help your dad take the necessary steps to recover his items.

Good luck.
 

autumnsunburst

Active Member
I was going up there regular to have dinner with my dad with my boyfriend and my son and my sisters boyfriend would come upstairs to the kitchen and start shit, there were a few fights, one with knives. The last time they had the cops come and they told me and my boyfriend and our family we needed to stay away from the house since the other daughters boyfriend obviously didn't want us there and he lived there. All the crime actually happened during that one year that we weren't allowed to go over there. The place is way out in the country so there is nobody else willing to go there, when they got them evicted he had gotten a cellphone and called his sister and she had her son come and get him and he stayed at his sisters while they filed the order of protection and filed to have them removed then we changed the locks and he could go back home after about a week. The cops removed them from the premises and wouldn't let them come get their stuff until after court. Then day they settled on they could remove themselves we had a officer present but he just helped them steal stuff as well as even removing my dads property and carrying to their truck.
 

autumnsunburst

Active Member
And that's all the family my dad has we used to have a nurse come to the house regular to help with his medical stuff but she stopped coming after there were guns because she couldn't be in that environment. The guy had stolen all of my dads guns and when he was forced to leave he was ordered to replace a list of them but there is still one he never got back.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I suggest that your father make a detailed list of items taken from his home and items damaged by the boyfriend. Include with this list a copy of receipts (where possible) and of damage-repair estimates, to demonstrate the value of losses suffered.

He should file a theft report with his homeowner's insurance, with a copy of the list.

Your dad also should present a copy of this detailed list with his police theft complaint and present a copy of this list to his attorney. He should keep the originals.

A separate police complaint should be filed for identity theft, again with a detailed list of damages. All banking accounts and credit card accounts should have their account numbers changed.

Your father should file fraud alerts with the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax,TransUnion).

Again, my recommendation is for your father to seek assistance from a lawyer in his area.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Go higher up the food chain till someone helps you. Be polite but firm that you want to file a criminal complaint.
I am surprised by the police reaction. Identity theft and theft of items and vandalism are all crimes, even when civil action is another, additional remedy. Perhaps the father did not describe his situation as clearly to the police as Autumnsunburst did here.
 

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