Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has announced a Special Election on May 21 to replace suspended City Commissioner Regina Hill.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Hill last week following the City Commissioners arrest on charges of elderly exploitation and fraud. Orlando’s city charter requires the Mayor, in the event of a vacancy on the City Council, to call a Special Election for someone to temporarily fill the seat.

Candidates may file for the position beginning at noon Monday. Candidates must complete the qualification process by 5 p.m. on April 16.

That leaves fewer than eight days for candidates to commit to running and to appear on the ballot.

The city will open early voting on May 13, with Election Day set for May 21. A runoff, if necessary, will be held on June 18.

Hill held the District 5 seat on City Council, and the city holds single-member district elections, so only voters in that district will be able to vote.

Hill, 58, has served on the Commission for 10 years but was charged with three counts of elderly exploitation of more than $50,000, one count of scheming to defraud of more than $50,000, one count of mortgage fraud of more than $100,000 and one count of fraudulent use of personal identification of more than $100,000.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers conducted a 13-month investigation into Hill, who is alleged to have taken advantage of a 96-year-old resident, drawing down $100,000 from her account for personal expenses. According to police, those expenses included a trip to Miami, vitamins, dental surgery, perfume and a facelift.

Hill has bonded out of jail. A judge set special conditions that Hill not have any contact with the victim of the alleged crime, and that she not access any money held in joint accounts shared with the victim.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for April 16.

Full Article & Source:
Buddy Dyer sets May 21 Special Election to replace Regina Hill

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Community members have mixed emotions over arrest of Commissioner Regina Hill

US official spends elderly woman's $100,000 savings on facelift, new home

Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill accused of financial exploitation of 96-year-old woman

 by Martin Holmes 

John Amos is not the victim of elder abuse, according to a police investigation that found no proof to substantiate the claims made by the actor’s daughter, Shannon Amos.

WALHALLA— Walhalla Police Chief Tim Rice defended his compensated work for Oconee County Probate Court from 2018-20 while a full-time Oconee County Sheriff’s Office deputy, and appointed by a judge, who was the supervisor of his wife at the time.

Rice was appointed by former probate judge and current Walhalla City Councilman Kenny Johns to help care for an elderly woman, and was later appointed by Johns to serve conservator of the woman’s estate after her death — a role Johns’ successor removed him from earlier this year. Rice’s work with probate court was while he was an Oconee County Sheriff’s deputy working mostly on child abuse cases, before taking a job as a captain with the Walhalla Police Department in June 2022.

Johns also appointed Rice to provide hospital or nursing home visits and evaluations for several people who were under the jurisdiction of the county probate court from 2018-2020, according to documents provided to The Journal in a separate Freedom of Information request last month. The documents show that he was paid $200-$250 for the one-time visits to patients, followed by a report to the court on the welfare of those patients that he sent back to the court. Rice said he was also a guardian/conservator for a woman, taking care of her needs while she was alive, and was responsible for overseeing the estate after her death. He said the request to take care of her needs as well as the hospital visits came from Johns.

A bond was also put up using the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office’s bonding to cover Rice without approval, according to Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. While the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated the case without recommending action against Rice, Crenshaw told The Journal last week he has asked SLED to look specifically into the use of the sheriff’s office’s bond.

“One article that was out there in the Fits News thing kind of portrays that it was while (I was) police chief, but it’s not that,” Rice said. “So, I think that’s pretty much that, essentially, from what I saw from it. It’s trying to make some allegation that I took somebody’s money improperly or something. That is not the case. I mean, there are documents that have shown that is not the case.”

Source:
Former Simpson County Justice Court Deputy Clerk charged with embezzlement

Jay Leno's request for a conservatorship of his wife Mavis Leno's estate was granted on Tuesday during a hearing in a Los Angeles courtroom.

According to documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court after today's hearing, the judge determined Jay Leno was "suitable and qualified" to be appointed the estate's conservator.

The judge also found "clear and convincing evidence that a Conservatorship of the Estate is necessary and appropriate," according to the court documents because Mavis Leno is "unable" to independently manage her financial affairs due to the fact that she lives with dementia.

The judge also determined the conservatorship is the "least restrictive alternative" needed for Mavis Leno's protection.

CNN has reached out to representatives of Mavis Leno for comment. A representative for Jay Leno declined to comment.

In January, the 73-year-old comedian and former "Tonight Show" host filed a petition requesting a conservatorship of his wife's estate so that he can execute an estate plan on her behalf.

The execution of her estate plan is something that Jay Leno believes she "would execute if she had the capacity to do so," according to his filing earlier this year. He has primarily managed their finances throughout their marriage and stated at the time that he'll continue to do so.

The couple have been married for more than 43 years.

Full Article & Source:
Jay Leno granted conservatorship of wife Mavis Leno’s estate

By Sara Vallone

The conservatorship hearing took place on April 9 at Los Angeles County Superior Court. People magazine was in attendance. 

According to People, during the hearing, Mavis’ lawyers confirmed that they were “in agreement” with Leno’s move to become Mavis’ conservator, adding that she is “receiving excellent care with her husband, Mr. Leno.”

The judge agreed with Mavis’ counsel, saying, “I think she’s in the least restrictive environment. I think she’s in very good care with Mr. Leno.” As People reports, the judge then directed his statements at Leno.

“Everything you’re doing is right,” the judge told him. “I totally understand this is a difficult period.” The judge then confirmed that Mavis “consents” to the conservatorship and that Jay is “fit” to serve as conservator as Mavis continues to battle Alzheimer’s. 

This decision comes after Leno filed documents with the court revealing Mavis “sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth.” The documents continued Mavis deals with “a lot of disorientation, [and] will ruminate about her parents who have both passed and her mother who died about 20 years ago.” 

Despite her health battles, Mavis is said to still be a “delightful person” with a “charming personality.” 

Mavis and Jay have been married for the last 44 years. They do not have any children.

Like the judge concluded, the documents called Jay Mavis’ “protector and she trusts him.” Her neurologist was quoted in the filing confirming just that, that Jay is “such a nice man and treats [Mavis] like gold.” 

In a 2014 interview with The Washington Post, Mavis revealed that the reason she and Jay don’t have children is because of her. “I remember telling my mother when I was 7 or 8 that I was never going to get married or have children,” she said at the time. “To me, this is the way women get caught.” 

Jay, who she called “the single kindest human being I ever met,” respected Mavis’ decision to not have children.

Full Article & Source:
After Jay Leno made heartbreaking decision for his wife of 44 years, so did a judge

By Sarah Broadway

Court records say 45-year-old Jack Clifford Lovell, Jr., agreed to pave the elderly man’s driveway and was paid $3,600 for the work he allegedly didn’t do in October of last year. Lovell is charged with home repair fraud and financial exploitation of an elderly person in the first degree.

Lovell is being held in the Lauderdale County Jail. His bond has not yet been set.

Full Article & Source:
Limestone County man arrested for home repair fraud, financial exploitation of 92-year-old

Source:
Father and Daughter Charged in Fraud Scheme that Allegedly Exploited a Vulnerable Adult

By David Propper

A greedy son sent his wealthy mother to an early grave with abuse that included forcing her to walk up stairs without her cane – leading to a brutal fall, his older siblings claim.

Jeffrey Cutler, 43, dipped into his philanthropist mother Cecelia’s pricey wine collection at her tony Westchester County mansion and pried a diamond from her ring before he cut his brother and sister out of medical decisions in a quest to keep her $10 million fortune for himself, the steaming siblings claim in an explosive new lawsuit.

But Jeffrey Cutler argues the fiery claims are “all bogus” and he painted his family-turned-plaintiffs — Robert, 45, and Cynthia Triggs, 45, — as the real heartless offspring who are only after mom’s money.

“They allege all sorts of things. None of it is true,” he told The Post while claiming that his siblings didn’t even attend their mom’s funeral.

Cecelia Cutler and her husband Kenneth. Cecelia Cutler and her husband Kenneth. Westchester County

A month before, the 82-year-old, who previously ran a charity foundation, landed in the hospital after Jeffrey allegedly “ordered” her to climb a set of stairs in her swanky Bronxville mansion without her cane, causing her to fall and injure her head, the lawsuit states.

“In addition to ignoring her health problems, on information and belief, Defendant Jeffrey physically and verbally abused Decedent, stole various items of her personal property, including jewelry, artwork, and bottles of wine from Decedent’s wine collection,” the lawsuit claims.

Jeffrey initially moved in with his mother and father Kenneth in 2012, according to the claims. Kenneth, a former general counsel and partner at a large investment management firm, died in 2015.

That’s when Jeffrey began receiving a $125,000 spending allowance, the lawsuit alleges. Jeffrey denied the allowance in an interview with The Post this week.

In 2017, Cutler forced his mother to change her will so he collected most of her money, which totaled more than $10 million at the time of her death, the lawsuit alleges. Originally, the three children were supposed to split the inheritance evenly, according to the allegations.

Triggs and Robert, who is a lawyer representing himself and his sister in the suit, were left $100,000 each, according to the suit. Cecelia raised five children with her husband but two predeceased her.

The plaintiffs are seeking as much as $15 million in damages, including their $6.7 million cut of the inheritance.

When Cecelia suffered brain trauma from the alleged stairs incident in March 2022, she was taken to the hospital, where Triggs and Robert discovered a ring she had on was missing the diamond and one of the prongs bent back, and the plaintiffs accused Jeffrey of taking it in their lawsuit.

Their mother’s condition improved after surgery, and she was sent to Sprain Brook Manor, a nursing facility in Scarsdale, though her cognitive abilities were “severely impaired” and she could not answer questions, according to the allegations.

Around the same time, doctors arranged an agreement that Triggs, Robert, and Jeffrey each had to sign off on any medical decision made for their mother, according to legal papers.

But family relations quickly spiraled when Robert petitioned a state court in Westchester on April 7, 2022, to take over as guardian for his ailing mom after he found out about what allegedly led to her fall and the missing diamond, the lawsuit states.

When Jeffrey discovered his brother’s move, he allegedly began to misrepresent himself as his mother’s sole guardian to the nursing home and filled out a form that would end life-sustaining treatment if the situation arose, the suit claims.

After the matriarch suffered a respiratory setback on April 17, 2022, she was moved back to NewYork-Presbyterian and placed on a ventilator, according to the children. When that aid began to falter, Cutler decided against intubating his mother without the other two siblings weighing in, the lawsuit alleges.

NewYork-Presbyterian and Sprain Brook Manor are also defendants in the lawsuit because they “recklessly” followed Jeffrey’s directions at the nursing home and hospital, the suit states.

Sprain Brook declined to comment while NewYork-Presbyterian didn’t return a message seeking comment.

Jeffrey objected to the totality of the lawsuit as he slammed his siblings for allegedly not going to their mother’s or father’s funeral. He also claimed they hadn’t spoken to their mother for 10 years starting in 2012.

Jeffrey said in a recent interview he wasn’t even in the room when his mother fell inside her home, and believes she likely collapsed from an ongoing brain condition. He also said she didn’t use a cane to walk.

He claimed the diamond fell from his mother’s ring at least a month earlier and never turned up — well before she landed in the hospital.

And he also insisted when the form to end life-saving treatment was filled out at the nursing home, a nurse asked his mother, and she mouthed she wanted to “go in peace,” though it’s unclear what her mental capacity was at the time.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” he declared, adding, “My brother hates me” and the lawsuit accusations are “complete nonsense.”

He accused his siblings of being angry over receiving a much smaller inheritance than him.

Jeffrey’s legal team did not return an email seeking comment.

Robert Cutler declined to comment when reached Monday and did not return a text message Tuesday following his brother’s allegations.

Cecelia Cutler was president of the Kenneth and Cecelia B. Cutler Foundation, which supported many charities.

“She was a very caring lady,” Jeffrey said.

Full Article & Source:
Greedy son forced wealthy NY philanthropist to walk without cane in ploy to send her to early grave, siblings claim in lawsuit

PAYSON, Utah (ABC4) — A Utah County couple was charged last week after allegedly exploiting a vulnerable, elderly man of his multi-million dollar estate — befriending him and cutting him off from his family to do so.

Troy Lynn Lerwill, 57, and Katherine Gean Talley, 49, were charged in Fourth District Court on Thursday, April 4, with intentional aggravated abuse and financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, both second-degree felonies.

In 2020, Lerwill reportedly became acquainted with a Payson resident, who was about 70 years old at the time. The resident had some mental health issues, according to the affidavit, including apparent hoarding tendencies, autism, and anxiety, and was “extremely private and independent,” as well as “very fixed in his routines and habits,” and was “frugal to the point of miserliness.”

The resident had financial assets exceeding $6 million, as well as valuable collections of coins and sports cards.

In March 2021, Lerwill had the resident’s landline phone disconnected, despite the resident’s regular assertion to family members that he did not want a cell phone because his home phone was “just fine,” the affidavit states. This was the resident’s only means of communication.

Additionally, Lerwill reportedly told financial advisors to contact him if they wanted to reach the resident, the affidavit states.

A few days later, the resident reportedly created a will — leaving his Beanie Baby collection to Lerwill’s girlfriend, Talley, and everything else (including his Payson home) to Lerwill. The affidavit states this was contrary to what the resident had always told his financial advisors.

In April 2021, a Power of Attorney in favor of Lerwill was executed, although improperly notarized. That same day, the affidavit states Lerwill and Talley “recorded themselves bathing [the resident], and sent the video to a few people, apparently to show that they were caring for [the resident].”

A few days later, Lerwill reportedly contacted the resident’s financial advisors, saying the resident was dying and refused medical treatment, and that Lerwill was his beneficiary.

“Lerwill wanted to know what forms he needed to get ‘his’ money,” the affidavit states.

Suspicious, the financial advisors insisted on a face-to-face meeting with the resident. When they arrived, they said Talley was sitting on the front porch. She told the advisors “what a blessing [the resident] had been in their lives,” and that being a caretaker was “the hardest thing in the world,” the affidavit states.

Additionally, she and Lerwill reportedly told the advisors that they were the resident’s best friends, and that they had been taking good care of him.

However, when the advisors entered the home, they said it smelled foul and discovered Lerwill had turned the water off. The advisors called for an ambulance despite Lerwill’s rejection.

According to the affidavit, EMS responders noticed the resident was in a bed that was covered with “a few days worth” of urine and excrement, wearing only an adult diaper.

He was “a breathing skeleton and in the midst of a heart attack,” the affidavit states.

Lerwill and Talley told the advisors that the resident had given them a verbal DNR (do not resuscitate), and that “it was a spiritual experience watching him die the way he wanted to,” the affidavit states.

Officials said no written DNR was ever located, and family members believe the resident would have wanted palliative care, pain relief, and a more dignified end of his life.

The resident was taken to a hospital, where Lerwill claimed to be his caregiver. Additionally, Lerwill said the resident was “estranged” from his family members, although the resident’s family later said that was not true, the affidavit states.

The resident died of cancer on April 12, 2021. He was also malnourished and dehydrated, the affidavit states.

Lerwill and Talley reportedly tried to have the resident cremated immediately, but the affidavit states a hospital staff member recognized the resident and contacted his family.

“The nephew and nieces responded immediately to the hospital, but [the resident] died a half hour before they arrived,” the affidavit states.

Those family members went to the resident’s home and found that his coin collection, estimated to be worth more than $1 million, was missing. Additionally, his safe had been completely emptied, the affidavit states.

Full Article & Source:
‘A breathing skeleton’: Utah couple exploits elderly man of multi-million dollar estate, charges say

by Brandon Carr

Marivelis Serrano (WDIV)

Court documents said the Bloomfield Township Police Department was alerted to the financial exploitation of the 85-year-old woman on Jan. 16, 2024.

Officials said they launched an investigation and uncovered that Serrano, 48, from Pontiac, had stolen $160,000 from the victim and transferred the funds to her own accounts.

Police said the 48-year-old woman spent thousands of dollars on online gambling platforms.

Officials say they also discovered that Serrano had illegally used the 85-year-old woman’s debit card to buy thousands of dollars worth of goods, including $6,200 in Amazon purchases and $3,600 in Instacart purchases.

Serrano was employed by the victim and trusted as her caretaker. Her job included house cleaning, transportation, and assistance with other day-to-day tasks.

Officials say Serrano surrendered to the 48th District Court, and at her arraignment, she was given a $50,000 cash surety or 10% bond.

Full Article & Source:
Bloomfield Township caretaker charged with identity theft, financial exploitation of elderly woman

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A Simpson woman is facing nearly 100 charges after deputies began investigating claims of financial exploitation of an elderly Pitt County resident.

Pitt County deputies on Tuesday arrested 42-year-old Dekedriya Maye. She is charged with 31 counts of identity theft, 31 counts of obtaining property by false pretense, and 31 counts of financial exploitation of an elder by a person in a position of trust.

The total amount involved was $1,800 and took place over a three-month period late last year.

Maye remains in jail on a $300,000 secured bond.

Full Article & Source:
Woman facing 93 charges involving financial exploitation of elderly

MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Three sanitation workers are being called heroes after spotting a house fire and rushing to help those stuck inside.

The Priority Waste workers were on their regular route in Mt. Clemens, loading trash into their truck, when they saw a home on Inches Street emitting smoke. 

Driver Gary Whitcher called out to his co-workers, dialed 911, and began sounding the horn. The other two workers, Orberto Altman and Keeyon Beaty, raced to check if anyone was inside the residence.

The cameras on their work truck captured the chaos.

"Someone is in there, it looks like," Whitcher can be heard saying in the footage. "Someone's in the house."

An elderly woman and her chihuahua were stuck inside at the time of the fire. 

"He kicked down the door, he got the fire extinguisher, went in there for a second and then came out because the smoke was so bad," Whitcher said.

As Mount Clemens police and firefighters arrived, Altman and Beaty helped rescue the woman through a window. However, the dog died despite firefighters performing CPR.

While the woman suffered smoke inhalation, she refused medical attention, according to the fire department. 

"Out of all the times for us to get there, it's when she's in trouble, so I feel like it was meant to happen," Beaty said.

"I feel good that I could save a life – that we were there at the right time," Altman added.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

After Sally moved in, she began referring to herself as Joe’s girlfriend. Several of her acquaintances came to visit, and some stayed overnight without Joe’s permission. Sally and her group of friends began stealing from Joe’s home, and his bank became concerned when Sally frequently accompanied him while he made large cash withdrawals. It was discovered that Sally was also writing checks from Joe’s account, and one of her other “boyfriends” had somehow convinced Joe to sign over the title of his car to him. Joe also had several overdue bills and was at risk of having his electricity and gas shut off. All of Joe’s money was either directed to or siphoned off by Sally.

Protecting Joe from financial exploitation

Joe was referred to the Aging and Disability Services’ Elder Abuse Case Management Program by a local law enforcement agency. The program provides advocacy and social work support for individuals 60 years and older throughout King County who are struggling with abuse, neglect, or exploitation (including financial exploitation) by trusted others.

On Joe’s behalf, an elder abuse case manager worked with law enforcement and a victim advocate, obtaining a protection order against Sally and connecting Joe to volunteer transportation services until his car was returned. The case manager also worked with one of Joe’s long-time neighbors, whom he trusted, to help ensure that his utility bills got paid and his electricity and gas remained in service.

Sally and her cohort were arrested for their exploitation of Joe. The case manager worked with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to support Joe during the court process, accompanying him to court hearings and offering reassurance through a stressful time.

Although the outcome of this story is considered a success—both Sally and her cohort remain in prison and Joe is now safe from their exploitation—the case manager worries that Joe will be vulnerable to exploitation by others, given his trusting nature and poor insight and judgment. Joe’s neighbor keeps a watchful eye out for him and the case manager stays in touch by phone and through home visits.

The Aging and Disability Services Elder Abuse Case Management Program serves abused, neglected, and exploited older adults by connecting them to information and resources to address their needs, and works in coordination with law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, legal services, and other service professionals. This interdisciplinary approach helps to more effectively support and serve those in need.

Supporting Melody’s independence

“Melody” is a 63-year-old woman referred to the Aging and Disability Services Elder Abuse Case Management Program by the nonprofit agency Sound Generations. At the time, Melody had fled the home she shared with her husband, who had mentally abused her for decades. Like many women who are abused, she had attempted to leave him several times in previous years and then returned to live with him due to financial hardship. Melody searched regularly for an affordable place of her own but was unsuccessful. Her only source of income was Social Security—$750 per month.

Melody lived in shelters, in her car and, when possible, at her daughter’s home. Unfortunately, she could not consistently rely on her daughter’s help because her daughter had her own personal problems. With several disabling health issues, Melody found that women’s shelters were not designed to accommodate her disabilities. She also found it difficult to relate to some of the women in the shelters, due to substantial age differences and because, unlike Melody, many participants were in various stages of substance abuse recovery.

The elder abuse case manager offered support and encouraged her to continue working closely with her mental health therapist during these very difficult times. Melody’s primary goal was obtaining safe, affordable housing of her own that would accommodate her physical needs and help stabilize her life. Diligently, she worked with the elder abuse case manager to apply for permanent, subsidized housing as well as transitional housing programs and was placed on multiple wait lists. After nearly a year of unstable housing, which increased Melody’s psychological and physical stress, a unit was offered to her. The case manager assisted in locating emergency funds to pay for the required deposit and move-in costs and was able to secure other funding for household basics.

Melody now lives in her own affordable apartment and, unlike her isolated lifestyle with her abusive husband, she socializes regularly with other tenants in the building. She has made friends. Melody finally feels like her life is her own and, since securing stable housing, she has felt able to focus more on her health care needs. Feeling safe in her own home, and removed from the abuse of her spouse, she says she is considering pursuing a divorce. As she contemplates this, the case manager can refer her to a local legal organization that works with victims of domestic violence, and collaborate with their staff to support Melody through the divorce process, should she choose to move forward.

Joe’s and Melody’s stories are two examples of the many ways in which the Aging and Disability Services Elder Abuse Case Management Program supports abused individuals as they navigate through support systems and work to stabilize their lives.

Contributor Kathi Church provides case management services to older adults who have experienced abuse by someone they trust. For more information about the Aging and Disability Services Elder Abuse Case Management Program and additional resources, click here.

What is Elder Abuse?

The National Center on Elder Abuse describes a variety of ways in which older adults are harmed within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust:

• Emotional abuse means verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment, or intimidation.
• Financial or material exploitation means the misuse or withholding of an older adult’s resources by another.
• Passive neglect is a caregiver’s failure to provide an older adult with life’s necessities, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.
• Willful deprivation means denying an older adult medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, and exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental, or emotional harm—except when the older, competent adult has expressed a desire to go without such care.
• Physical abuse means inflicting physical pain or injury on an older adult.
• Confinement means restraining or isolating an older adult, other than for medical reasons.
• Sexual abuse means engaging in sexual activity with an older adult, when the older adult is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced.

Elder abuse is more common than most people think, and frequently abuse goes unreported. Help is available! In Seattle-King County, call Community Living Connections at 1-844-348-5464 (toll-free) or the King County Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-866-221-4909.

Full Article & Source:
Elder Abuse: Two True Stories of Support

Wendy Williams is a former daytime talk show host, infamous for being unabashedly controversial. Her show ran for almost 14 years before abruptly ending in June 2022 due to concerns about her health, leaving fans of the show with many questions about Wendy’s wellbeing, whereabouts and the future of her career. In February, Lifetime released a four-part docuseries called Where is Wendy Williams? which attempts to answer some of these questions.

Wendy seems to believe that the purpose of the documentary is to follow the journey of her return to TV. The docuseries shows her repeatedly struggle with memory, choices and impulse control to a degree that significantly impacts her life. Despite this, she is deeply in denial that her health is declining. She is in no state to return to television. These underlying truths are obvious, but they are tiptoed around and poorly disguised. Many around her encourage this false hope and play into the idea that she will make a comeback to TV.

The docuseries shows a side of Wendy Williams that dramatically contrasts her talk show persona. She is suffering physically, having lost a considerable amount of weight and unable to feel in her feet due to lymphedema. She’s extremely blunt and arguably abusive to her staff, which seems to be a result of her poor mental health. She is often incoherent and unable to clearly articulate her thoughts. In the first three episodes, her health is a topic of conversation, but it seems to be up for debate whether or not Wendy is acting any differently than she has in the past, despite her clearly uncharacteristic behavior. There is no mention of a mental health diagnosis until the final episode, when her son reveals that she has been diagnosed with alcohol-induced dementia.

There were many scenes that made me question whether I should be watching the show. It often seemed to encourage us to laugh at her; for example, the show featured a compilation of her yelling at her staff and making absurd requests such as: “Don’t talk to me, I’m famous!” There was one scene that was particularly hard to watch, showing Wendy with her driver and her assistant, Shawn, on a mission to find a vape. Wendy incoherently provides directions to a smoke shop and gets so upset when they’re unable to find the correct brand that they have to stop filming and go home. 

Another scene that made me question the ethics of watching was one showing Wendy in the mirror, crying because she’s overjoyed about her “thigh gap.” Her thinner body is a result of her poor health and the theme of her relationship to her body was never brought up again. I think such a scene was unnecessary and unhelpful to have included, and demonstrates a disregard for Wendy’s dignity.

The filming style resembled that of a reality show, following her daily life in a luxurious NYC apartment. We saw her struggles through getting out of bed, drinking liquor in excess, attending meetings with her numerous employees and reality TV-style interviews with her many visitors. Watching it felt like prying into something I wasn’t supposed to see: invasive footage of Wendy Williams’s fall from grace. This show felt like an icky blend of reality TV and documentary that revealed moments which should have been kept private, doing so under the guise of something helpful and educational. 

Wendy, shortly before the show started filming, against her wishes, was placed under a financial guardianship by a private, non-relative guardian. I suspect that the family agreed to this invasive documentary hoping that it will strengthen their case to take control of Wendy’s guardianship. The ethics of conservatorship are interesting and important to discuss, but I don’t think this docuseries succeeded at facilitating this conversation and I don’t think it should have been made at all.

There are two layers to Wendy’s being exploited. The first of those layers is those around her exploiting her for money. Some of her employees have it in their own best interest to tell Wendy what she wants to hear rather than attempt to preserve her health. It is sad to see people enable her alcoholism and encourage her delusions of a return to the screen so they can maintain a presumably high salary. 

The second layer of this exploitation is the documentary itself, which exposes this first layer but, in doing so, is airing out the private matters of Wendy, a person who is not necessarily in a mental place to be able to consent to this show. The documentary crew follows Wendy through extremely vulnerable, intimate moments. I don’t think the Wendy Williams of a few years ago would be happy to see these shots of herself being open to public viewing. 

In the final moments of the last episode, her sister Wanda tells us: “I hope people walk away from this seeing the challenges [Wendy’s] been through and realizing we all go through our challenges, and we all make choices in life, and she’s still a person.” Throughout watching the show I was confused about why it was created. I thought the documentary did a terrible job of masking the exploitative nature by making the central purpose very unclear. Was it to provide more information about the effects of dementia? If so, why did they reveal the diagnosis only at the very end of the show? Was it to keep her on TV, as she wanted? Was it simply to tell Wendy’s story? What does this say about what we are willing to consume purely out of nosiness?

Full Article & Source:
Where is Wendy Williams? It’s None of Our Business.

By Shawn Lealos

Here is what the judge decided and an update on Frank Fritz as he recovers.

Judge Rules On Frank Fritz Consveratorship Case

After Frank Fritz suffered his stroke, he was placed under a conservatorship to ensure that his bills were paid and his necessities were met. This was placed under a conservator and a guardian. Frank’s guardian is Chris Davis, a close friend. The conservator is Midwest One Bank. However, both Davis and Midwest One Bank have gotten into trouble with the judge overseeing Frank’s case.

Five months later, it seems the reports for 2023 were finally filed and went before the judge. On April 4, 2024, the judge reviewed the reports and approved them (via The U.S. Sun). This means Chris and Midwest One Bank will keep their roles, but it is unclear what will happen if they fail to report on time again for the third year in a row later in 2024.

Frank Fritz Reports Reveal His Monthly Expenses

According to reports, Frank Fritz has a net worth of $6 million. It is up to his guardian and conservator to protect that money and ensure that Frank has what he needs to survive as he recovers. According to the Midwest One Bank reports, Frank is spending $28,292 a month on expenses.

He still makes money from his store in Savannah, Illinois. He also owns a lot of things, including 40 motorcycles and four cars — all of which he is planning to sell. One insider claims that Frank has $1 million worth of “stuff” that he can sell when he needs money.

Full Article & Source:
Judge Rules On ‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz Conservatorship

See Also:
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Frank Fritz, of 'American Pickers,' under guardianship after stroke

WAYNE – A guardianship and conservatorship case filed by a prominent Huntington businessman regarding an elderly woman who currently lives in Cincinnati with her son has been continued.

Ben Coffman Jr. filed the motion to dismiss April 2 in Wayne Circuit Court in response to the petition filed last month by Marshall Reynolds and Kaleb Cihon. The petition says Reynolds and Cihon seek the appointment of a guardian and/or conservator for Melanie Coffman, the alleged protected person in the case.

On April 9, Wayne Circuit Judge Jason Fry agreed to continue the case after Ben Coffman Jr., appearing via telephone, said he had yet to obtain legal representation and that his mother is unable to travel to attend a hearing. That was after Fry emptied the courtroom prior to the start of the hearing, removing both a writer for The West Virginia Record and Cihon's wife as well as other individuals waiting for a child adoption hearing.

In his original petition, Cihon lists him as the proposed guardian and Reynolds as the proposed conservator. It lists Cihon as Melanie Coffman’s “unadopted son” and Reynolds as a “family friend.”

But in his motion to dismiss, Coffman says he is the only surviving child of Melanie and Ben Coffman Sr. and has been their acting guardian and power of attorney since early 2022 when the health of both of his parents began failing and official power of attorney since August 17, 2023.

Coffman’s father attended Vinson High School in Huntington with Reynolds. His father later played basketball at the University of Kentucky for legendary coach Adolph Rupp.

Coffman’s father passed away in February, and Coffman says he and his wife Kate have been providing full-time care to his mother at his home in Cincinnati. In fact, Coffman’s motion says his mother just returned home March 30 after being treated at a Cincinnati-area hospital for nine days.

“At that time they made me an owner or beneficiary of their accounts and assets and I also started managing their medical, home and life needs,” Coffman wrote in his pro se motion. “In addition, my mother resides in my home in Cincinnati, Ohio. All of her life needs including insurance, doctors, finances, family and friends, et al. are in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“This is where she was born and raised and has lived much of her life. All of her family is located here as well. Me, my wife Kate Coffman, my five sons (her grandsons) and one great grandson.”

In the original petition, Cihon lists himself as a de facto guardian, conservator, medical power of attorney, representative or appointed surrogate responsible for Melanie Coffman’s care or custody and says no one else has been designated as a surrogate decision maker, but it does say Cihon believes Ben Coffman Jr. is a duly appointed power of attorney for his mother.

In his motion, Coffman says a guardian hearing requires the alleged protection person – his mother in this case – be there in person or have an evaluation done. He says that can’t happen because his mother is “unfit to travel at this time.”

But Cihon’s petition disputes that claim by checking a box that says she has no incapacity that keeps her from attending. It also claims Melanie Coffman has not nominated a different guardian or conservator.

Coffman’s motion, of course, disputes both of those claims.

“The court cannot conduct a hearing on the merits of this petition without the presence of the protected person unless one of the following is submitted to the court at the beginning of the hearing,” the original court filing says, listing the acceptable submission as a physician’s affidavit, qualified expert testimony or evidence that the person refuses to appear.

Cihon’s petition also says Melanie Coffman “suffers from severe dementia and is unable to fully care for herself or finances.”

And in a separate motion for leave to file the petition without evaluation report, Cihon says he “does not possess a power of attorney or medical power of attorney to authorize the physician to execute the required evaluation report” and says he seeks an order from the court authorizing Melanie Coffman’s physician(s) to “conduct and complete the necessary evaluation report.”

Reynolds and Cihon are being represented by Matthew Ward of Dinsmore & Shohl in Huntington. Ward also refused to speak after the 15-minute hearing Tuesday, saying he was told not to speak to The Record.

Wayne Circuit Court case number 24-G-7

Full Article & Source:
Judge continues guardianship case involving elderly woman filed by Huntington businessman

See Also:
Huntington businessman files for guardianship of elderly woman, but her son wants it dismissed

Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears, Wendy Williams and Nichelle Nichols. (Chris Smith/TheWrap)

by  Andi Ortiz

In 2022, Wells Fargo successfully petitioned a judge to put talk show host Wendy Williams under what was said to be a temporary financial guardianship. The judge froze her accounts and set a hearing to determine if a guardianship was needed, all while the talk show host disputed the decision and accused a Wells Fargo financial advisor of lying to get access to her accounts.

The guardianship became the subject of a documentary on Lifetime this year, and has drawn criticism from her family, who say they have struggled to get access to her for even a phone call as she languishes in a private facility to treat her cognitive issues. They, along with fans, are worried, especially in the wake of her aphasia diagnosis.

It’s not an unfamiliar story. Celebrity conservatorships have entered the mainstream over the last several years, largely in relation to a few famous women. The issue hit a boiling point with Britney Spears, whose 13-year involuntary conservatorship ended in 2021 following a movement fans dubbed #FreeBritney, culminating in multiple documentaries and emotional testimony from the pop star about her life under conservatorship.

Now, fans everywhere are locked on Williams, 59, hoping things don’t go south yet again.

ExpertsTheWrap consulted — including lawyers and professional therapists experienced in the area — said that while roughly the same number of women and men are put under conservatorships, female celebrities are often subject to adverse conditions. Men like Charlie Sheen have public meltdowns and are able to maintain control over their lives, while women like Spears are deemed unable to take care of themselves — or their wealth.

Conservatorships of celebrity women have become “almost a perverse financial incentive” for members of their families in some cases, Benazeer “Benny” Roshan, a partner at law firm Greenberg Glusker and chair of the Trust and Probate Litigation Practice Group, told TheWrap.

“They adversely and disproportionately impact women,” she said. “Look at the women that are under conservatorship that have regained their cognition and are still conserved. And then you see male examples.

“Did you ever wonder, why wasn’t Charlie Sheen conserved when he was dealing with bowls of coke, and hookers and whatnot? Why wasn’t Kanye West conserved?” Roshan continued. “It’s because, I think on some level, they’re men, and somebody’s like ‘We need to conserve you’ and he’s like, ‘No! I’m fine!’ … The inquiry stops there.”

Wendy Williams attends the world premiere of the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show.” (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

At the 2011 Television Critics Association press tour, just prior to Sheen’s many drug-addled interviews, CBS’ then-entertainment chief Nina Tassler noted about the actor: “On a professional level, he does his job and he does it well and the show’s a hit, and that’s all I have to say.”

Within a month of losing “Two and a Half Men,” Sheen launched a sold-out comedy tour. That September he was the star of a Comedy Central roast​. And by 2012 he ​had a new sitcom, “Anger Management,” and new movie roles.

Spears, meanwhile, went from publicly shaving her head in February 2007 to an involuntary conservatorship in February 2008. She later testified that she was forced to continue working during that time, saying, “It was very threatening and scary,” and that she only went ahead with another tour “out of fear.”

Charlie Sheen in “Two and a Half Men” (CBS)

“I’m sure somewhere out there, there’s somebody trying to get their son or brother with a disability sterilized,” he said at the time. “But I’ve had a number of these cases arise, and they are, in my experience and so far, all women.”

Differing perceptions of mental health

A conservatorship is put in place when it’s determined that someone cannot make necessary, safe decisions about their well being — physical, financial, or otherwise. Once that is proven to a judge, that person’s rights and decision-making are transferred to someone else, usually a family member or friend.

Those decisions are often subjective, as “every person operating within the larger guardianship system possesses some level of implicit bias,” according to the Justice in Aging organization.

Spears was 26 when she first was conserved. Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes was 27. Lindsay Lohan’s father attempted, but failed, to get his daughter into a conservatorship at 26. Each of these came at a time when the young women were having public mental health crises.

In stark contrast, conservatorships of celebrity men have been largely due to cognitive decline from old age: Mickey Rooney (90), Casey Kasem (81), Randy Meisner (69) and, most recently, Brian Wilson (81). 

[Conservatorships] adversely and disproportionately impact women. Look at the women that are under conservatorship that have regained their cognition and are still conserved.

Benazeer “Benny” Roshan, lawyer

That’s nothing new to mental health professionals. Patrice Le Goy, a psychologist and adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, told TheWrap that mental health struggles often get “more connected to the ‘fragility’ of women, and with men it is sometimes chalked up to them simply going through a difficult period.”

Both singer Joni Mitchell and actress Nichelle Nichols were placed under a conservatorship due to neurological problems in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Mitchell suffered an aneurysm that hospitalized her, and Nichols was diagnosed with dementia. (That said, Nichols’ situation also drew protestors prior to her death, many of whom worked in the Free Britney movement).

For her part, Wendy Williams was diagnosed with the same aphasia condition as Bruce Willis — which impacts language and communication abilities, as well as behavior and cognitive functions — but Willis remains independent. (Roshan suspects that’s because the “Sixth Sense” actor had done proper estate planning, making a conservatorship unnecessary.)

It’s unclear exactly what kind of conservatorship Williams is under, but she has a court-appointed guardian in Sabrina Morrissey. Even her family does not have many details. According to Williams’ niece who spoke to People magazine, under the rules of the conservatorship, Williams is allowed to call her family, but they cannot call her.

In his 30 years of practicing conservatorship law, David A. Esquibias, who served as Bynes’ lawyer when she ended her conservatorship in 2022, said he’s never noticed a “demonstrable” gender bias. He noted that a conservatorship only comes when “there is a perception” that someone specifically needs outside help, but an exact agreement cannot be reached privately.

“I would assume that you would never go through a conservatorship if you’re able to take care of matters,” he said.

Of course, perception of women’s mental health tends to differ from the perception of men’s. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that some mental disorders are “diagnosed at comparable rates for men and women or at higher rates for men,” but that “men are less likely to have received mental health treatment than women in the past year.”

“In general, it seems that the mental health of women is more up for public debate than that of men,” Le Goy said. “When women have mental health issues, it also seems to live in the public domain for longer than it does for men.”

The money

According to Esquibias, “family dynamic is everything” and will dictate how smoothly the process of conserving someone will go. But mental health experts note conservatorships change and twist family dynamics in particularly detrimental ways for young conservatees. When that conservatee is a celebrity worth millions of dollars, it gets tricky fast.

“When the breadwinner is the child, there is already a dynamic shift that they may have power over their parents,” Le Goy said. “In a way, a conservatorship can almost adjust this power, but not always in a healthy way.”

In her 2020 memoir, Mariah Carey revealed that she was nearly put into a conservatorship as a young adult by her own family, writing that “to my family, I’d been an ‘ATM machine with a wig on.’”

In the case of Britney Spears, it was revealed in 2022 that her father and lawyers took more than $36 million from her estate throughout the course of her conservatorship. 

“It really can be an unnatural and unhealthy family dynamic if not approached with the ultimate care, and with the individual’s mental health as the key priority,” Le Goy added.

Britney Spears (Getty Images)

Having money — or not having it — can certainly impact how a conservatorship goes, particularly for people of color, experts said.

“Wealth and skin color are positively correlated to how one fares when going through the conveyor belt of conservatorship and guardianships,” Roshan said.

Developmental impact

Experts say there’s an additional detriment to putting someone under a conservatorship at a young age, as most female celebrities are: stalling the “natural development” processes.

“Part of our development and growth is the need to take on challenges and fail or succeed, but learn from the experience either way,” Le Goy explained. “When we don’t have the opportunity to make our own mistakes, a crucial part of the development process is missed and this can leave us ‘stuck’ at a younger emotional age than we should be.”

Conservatorships must be terminated by mutual agreement, and with a lot of proof. As Esquibias detailed, the person under conservatorship must demonstrate he or she is able to manage their finances, make their own medical decisions and resist fraud or “the undue influence of others.”

And the burden of proof can have its own effects on a person’s mental health, especially when they’ve been made to doubt their decision-making abilities.

Amanda Bynes attends an appearance at Manhattan Criminal Court in 2013, the year her mother was granted a conservatorship over her. (Getty Images)

These days, Bynes mostly stays out of the public eye, save for a TikTok account, and is headed back to school. In July 2023, she checked herself into a new inpatient mental facility, just a month after she called police on her own behalf, reporting she felt she was a danger to herself.

For Spears, the end of her conservatorship didn’t mean the end of her struggles. She had a very public divorce, an equally public falling out with her younger sister when Jamie Lynn Spears released a book called “Things I Should’ve Said,” and, even still, has had her well being speculated about. She was sent a welfare check at the end of last year after a social media post showed her dancing with kitchen knives (something she did not appreciate).

Still, Spears’ situation and the Free Britney movement helped change things in the system. It led to legislative measures that tightened rules and regulations surrounding conservatorships. Law practitioners have come to refer to them colloquially as “The Britney Spears Rules.” 

TheWrap reached out Spears’ lawyer for comment on this story.

Roshan concedes there is “a double-edged sword” element that comes into play with conservatorships, particularly in celebrity circumstances. Her advice for those who might be facing one: “Get educated, as knowledge is power.”

Full Article & Source:
Three Years After Britney, Wendy Williams Shows Celebrity Conservatorships May Still Be Toxic to Women

When 51-year-old Amanda Jameson lost consciousness and nearly slipped into a diabetic coma, her cat Willow sprung into action; biting Amanda's partner who had fallen asleep watching TV, then leading him upstairs to her. "I can't thank her enough," Jameson said. "She is the world to me."

Source:
Cat saves diabetic owner's life

In 2023, Catallo exposed how the Michigan Guardianship Association worked to kill recent legislative reforms. Her work also revealed how Michigan’s busiest probate court was still largely closed to the public, and she highlighted other legal remedies for Michigan families including Supported Decision Making and the efforts to enhance Michigan’s Power of Attorney laws.

“This is a wonderful honor to have this work recognized. Every day we work to hold the government and powerful players in our courts accountable so that local families can have their rights upheld,” said Catallo. “Thank you to the judges for selecting these stories, and thank you to videographer Johnny Sartin Jr. and video editor Randy Lundquist for all of their hard work on these investigations.”

According to the Michigan Press Association Foundation, the McCree awards are presented to "Journalism projects that examined, explained and exposed problems and important issues in law enforcement and the legal system."

In announcing the award, the foundation said:

The McCree awards are named for Judge Wade H. McCree, former lawyer and one of the most distinguished jurists in Michigan history He was a staunch advocate for equal rights and open, accountable government. McCree served as a circuit, federal and U.S. Appeals court judge, and, from 1977-81, as solicitor general of the United States.

The awards will be presented to the winners at the 2024 Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame dinner on April 14th at the Kellogg Center.

The awards were determined by a panel of three judges representing law and media who independently reviewed entries from across Michigan. This is the 50th year for the awards.

In addition to Catallo, awards will also be presented to Reporter Kara Berg of the Detroit News for a series of stories on “Michigan Kids Keep Dying on Child Protective Services’ Watch,” Reporter Lauren Gibbons of Bridge Michigan for her columns “Juvenile Justice carries high costs: Crippling Debt for Parents,” and Reporter Andrea Sahouri of the Detroit Free Press for her column "Exposing Racism, Harassment, assault at Detroit’s Renaissance Center.”

Full Article & Source:
Heather Catallo to receive Wade H. McCree award for guardianship investigations

Tina Vaughn(SCSO)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A caregiver was arrested for throwing boiling water on her client, according to Memphis Police Department.

Tina Vaughn, 42, is charged with aggravated assault of a vulnerable adult and simple assault.

On Jan. 24, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. officers responded to a complaint call at the Regional One Burn Center on 877 Jefferson Avenue.

A victim was at the hospital getting treated for 2nd and 3rd-degree burns to the right side of his face, shoulder, and right side of his back. 

Officers were told that on Jan. 21 at 10:30 p.m. the victim was in a residence on Gookin Place and his caregiver, Vaughn, was also inside the home.

The victim was in the kitchen boiling water to cook some noodles. Vaughn was upset at him and told the victim to go to the living room.

The victim then went to sit on the couch when Vaughn came in from the kitchen and threw the boiling water on him, according to the affidavit.

He then yelled and ran out of the apartment.

Vaughn did not call the police or emergency services, instead, she called her supervisor.

The victim returned to the apartment later that night, and the next morning, when Vaughn arrived at work, she called an ambulance which took the victim to the Regional One Burn Center.

The victim identified Vaughn in a six-person lineup as the person who threw the hot water on him. 

Full Article & Source:
Caregiver charged after throwing boiling water on client, police say

Dahamara Cuervo Alonso, 48, was arrested Tuesday on charges of grand theft over $100,000, exploitation of elderly and organized scheme to defraud over $50,000

By NBC6

A home health care worker was arrested after prosecutors said she exploited an elderly client, transferring ownership of the Miami-Dade condo where the 86-year-old woman lives with her disabled son.

Dahamara Cuervo Alonso, 48, was arrested Tuesday on charges of grand theft over $100,000, exploitation of elderly and organized scheme to defraud over $50,000.

Miami-Dade Corrections

According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Cuervo Alonso was brought in as a home health care aide to assist the two victims, including the mother who suffers from advanced cognitive issues and her 51-year-old disabled son who suffers with a number of medical and physical issues which substantially limit his mobility.

Cuervo Alonso would routinely request the clients to sign documents to verify the hours she worked, which is a common practice in the home health care industry.

The documents were always in English but the only language the mother and son could read or speak was Spanish.

The son said Cuervo Alonso told him and his mother to sign the documents so that she could "get paid" for her services, but neither one read the documents, prosecutors said.

In August of 2023, the son said he saw a YouTube video of a story about a fraudulent quit claim deed completed on a property without the knowledge of the property owner.

After seeing the video, he looked up the condo's property information online and discovered that it was now in Cuervo Alonso’s name, prosecutors said.

He notified authorities who found the fraudulent quit claim deed that was prepared by Cuervo Alonso and was written in English.

Investigators said Cuervo Alonso had been assigned to the victims for less than a year and had no relationship with them besides the health care services she provided.

"Cuervo Alonso took advantage of her position as victim’s trusted caregiver to unlawfully trick the victims into signing a document which they did not understand," the state attorney's office said in a news release.

Cuervo Alonso, of Miami Gardens, was arrested by the state attorney's office Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Unit.

"This fraudulent property transfer of an 86-year-old woman’s condo was not just the theft of her home, but also the theft of the home of her 51-year-old disabled son who resided with her," Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "It is a sad comment when owning your home, free and clear, does not provide for your future financial security but instead makes you a target for an alleged thief. Cases like this are the reason my Elder and Vulnerable Adult Unit was created. As I have said before, in this community, we will not tolerate the victimization of our elder and vulnerable residents. Far too many of our residents are vulnerable to such exploitation."

Jail records showed Cuervo Alonso was being held on a $45,000 bond. Attorney information wasn't available.

Full Article & Source:
Home health care worker stole elderly Miami-Dade client's condo: Prosecutors

Elijah Blue Allman, Cher’s son, objected to his mother’s efforts to place him under a conservatorship, arguing that he doesn’t need one and that Cher is “unfit to serve” as his conservator.

Allman filed the objection last week, rebuffing his mother’s arguments that she should gain control of his finances because of his struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues. Allman also objected on the grounds that, if he needed a conservatorship, Cher does not have priority since Allman was still married. 

In arguing against the conservatorship, Allman said he’d been working to get his finances in order and was “capable of managing” his own financial resources, as well as “resisting fraud and undue influences.” (Allman receives quarterly payments from a trust set up by his late father, Gregg Allman.) He went on to acknowledge his struggles with addiction in the past but resisted the claims that he is mentally ill, saying there’s no evidence to uphold those claims made in Cher’s petition.  

“I know that my mother’s actions are meant to help me, but I do not need this help,” Allman argued. “My mother seems to believe that controlling these quarterly trust distributions will prevent me from engaging in self-destructive behaviors. She is misguided. In the event that I am inclined to engage in self-destructive behaviors, I do not need my trust distributions to do so: The world is full of addicts and mentally ill persons who do not have a trust distribution from which to draw. The only person who can save me from my demons is me — and I’m doing just that.” 

Allman also argued pointedly that he believed Cher was “unfit” to even serve as his conservator. In describing their “strained relationship,” Allman recalled an incident last October where Cher allegedly arranged for him to be brought to Mexico for what he was told was “holistic alternative therapy.”

But upon arriving, Allman said, “I was told I was not there for holistic/alternative treatment and, in fact, was not permitted to leave.” His wife, Allman said, had to hire a lawyer, who “negotiated my release from the facility in Mexico. (Cher was previously accused of hiring four men to abduct Allman in 2022 in an effort to stop him from reconciling with his then-estranged wife. Cher has denied the claim.) 

Allman further argued that Cher “does not manage her own finances” and expressed “grave concerns about this court permitting her to manage” his. He said his mother’s personal assistant handled her “private and public affairs” and worried that any responsibility over his finances would be delegated to the personal assistant or others “with whom I have negative associations.”

Lastly, Allman cited his mother’s age and own struggles with mental health in the past: “My mother is seventy-seven years old and will be seventy-eight when this matter is heard. I have seen her suffer with depression in the past, and I do not believe that she is capable of making appropriate decisions for my estate.” 

A lawyer for Cher did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment. 

Cher filed her petition back in December 2023, asking a Los Angeles court to make her the sole conservator of her son’s estate as he is “substantially unable to manage his financial resources.” But Cher’s initial efforts fell short: First, Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied her emergency bid, saying Allman deserved more time to review his mom’s claims. Then a few weeks later, a temporary conservatorship was denied after Uzcategui said there was not enough evidence to show Allman lacked the capacity to manage his own affairs. 

Cher scored a minor victory in early March when Uzcategui denied to dismiss the conservatorship bid, giving the musician three months to gather medical records and pursue a private settlement. Allman’s official objection comes ahead of the next hearing in the case, scheduled for June 11.

Full Article & Source:
Cher’s Son Argues She’s ‘Unfit to Serve’ as His Conservator

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Look, I Don't Need Conservatorship ... Plenty Reasons Why!!!

Cher Files for Conservatorship of Son Elijah Blue Allman

Elijah Blue Allman Contests Cher's Request for Conservatorship

Guardian uses multi-million dollar estate to sue ward's child

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Our ongoing series “The Price of Protection” has exposed problems with Florida’s court-appointed guardianship system for more than a decade.

Professional guardianship is supposed to protect vulnerable seniors from isolation, neglect, exploitation and abuse.

A judge can appoint a stranger to make life and financial decisions for those people who have been declared incapacitated. 

Here in Florida, a person is alleged to be incapacitated after an evaluation by a panel of three healthcare professionals, including one physician.

“Things are getting worse and worse”

88-year-old Marie Lang was declared incapacitated in 2018 and appointed a professional guardian.

At that time, she lost most of her rights.

WFTS

Marie has called the I-Team multiple times, complaining about being under guardianship.

“Adam, this is Marie Lang in St. Peterburg,” she said in one voicemail message. “I need some help fast, please. I don’t know what to do, and things are getting worse and worse. I just don’t know what to do anymore!”

The call was made to an unlisted cell phone.

We met Marie outside her senior care facility in early April.

“I'm not going to live much longer, and I don’t want to live like this,” Marie said. “I think I should be free to do what I want, go where I want with who I want.”

Lang retained her right to vote and to make decisions about her social environment and other social aspects of her life when she was declared incapacitated.

She lost other rights, including the rights to consent to medical treatment, to determine residence, to marry, to apply for government benefits, to travel, to have a driver’s license, to seek and retain employment, to contract, to sue and defend lawsuits, to seek and retain employment, to manage property and income and to make any gift or disposition of property.

“It's terrible that I can’t go out with my son. I have to ask permission. That's not right. He's my family. He's the only one I have here,” Lang said.

Family trust at center of dispute

Kurt Lang cared for his mother after her husband died in 2006.

WFTS

He’s one of five children but the only one in Florida.

His sister Kim Silver, who lives in Michigan, said Kurt has been devoted to his mom.

She said he played a major role in helping her with her day-to-day life before she was appointed a professional guardian.

“Basically, to help her pay bills, to take her to appointments, to go walk the dog,” Silver said.

“I would have to hire three or four people to do that, and he did everything,” Marie said.

Kurt began managing Marie's trust in 2012 after she had a stroke.

Kurt Lang

Marie designated him as her pre-need guardian and power of attorney in 2016.

The next year Kurt petitioned for guardianship, alleging in the petition that his out-of-state brothers attempted to “unduly influence her” by repeatedly asking Marie for money.

“They just wanted everything right away. And I said I'm sorry, but it doesn’t work that way,” Marie said.

Kurt’s brothers filed a counter-petition, accusing Kurt of tricking his mother into deeding her condo to Kurt.

In that petition, the brothers requested a professional guardian, which a judge approved.

Pinellas County court document

“They didn’t want him around me because they thought he was influencing me, but he doesn’t. He’s just doing what his father told him to do,” Marie said.

The 2006 Marie Lang Living Trust said, “Our real estate in Florida shall pass to our son Kurt W. Lang outright.”

“I was on the deed for my mom’s condo, alright. And they were jealous of that,” Kurt said.

Marie’s money funds lawsuit against her son

Marie’s guardian sued Kurt months later over the deed transfer and allegations that Kurt diverted $1.5 million from her accounts.

“It's all false. It was a jealousy that Kurt was there. That Kurt was taking care of my mother,” Silver said.

Kurt Lang

Kurt said the money was used to pay his mother’s bills, and his attorney responded that Marie had knowledge of and consented to those transactions.

Marie’s guardian filed the lawsuit on behalf of Marie, and her money was used to fund the suit against her son.

“I even had to pay her lawyers to do it,” Marie said.

Kurt said mounting legal bills forced him to settle.

“In order for them to stop the lawsuit, I had to sign off on the deed for the condo, and she sold it,” Kurt said.

The condo sold for $565,000 and Kurt received $150,000 in the settlement.

IRA transferred to new beneficiaries after incompetency evaluation

Kurt later learned his mother’s individual retirement account, worth about $1 million, was mysteriously moved to another state, and the beneficiary had been changed.

“I'm very curious to know why I was taken off as a beneficiary on an account,” Kurt said.

He said the account was moved to another bank, and the beneficiaries were changed after doctors had evaluated Marie and determined her to be incapacitated but before a judge appointed a professional guardian.

Marie denies signing anything to change her IRA in early 2018.

“It's up in Connecticut. I said what’s it doing up there? That's where my son lives,” Marie said.

She said that son was not originally a beneficiary upon her death.

“None of them were. Only Kurt,” she said.

Kurt sued his brothers in 2022, claiming in the complaint, “They conspired to deceive, coerce, exert undue influence or otherwise fraudulently convince Marie Lang to remove Kurt as sole beneficiary and substitute the Defendants.”

A judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the claims can’t be brought until Marie’s death.

Florida 2nd DCA video

Marie said she never testified about signing the document to transfer the account.

Kurt’s attorney appealed, asking for Marie to be deposed in the case.

“Don’t we all want to know what went on Feb. 18, 2018? When all of the sudden the beneficiaries were changed from my client singularly to the three defendants?” attorney Robert Heyman said in a hearing.

After months of consideration, the judges denied the appeal.

Marie and daughter complain about guardian’s spending

Marie and Silver filed complaints with state and local agencies, including the Florida Office of Public and Professional Guardians and the Pinellas County Inspector General.

Among their complaints is that Marie’s money is wasted on hiring private nurses who they say aren’t needed at her full-care senior living facility.

“They told me they had to write down anybody that came, who they were, how long they stayed and what we talked about,” Marie said.

Judge warns family

Pinellas County Probate Judge Pamela Campbell, who is currently assigned to Marie's case, appointed a court monitor.

A recent investigation by the court monitor found no wrongdoing by the guardian.

In an order, Judge Campbell wrote, “The Court has repeatedly warned the family not to discuss their drama and negative suspicions with their mother.”

Pinellas County Court document

She warned in the order, “These visits and telephone calls may need to truly be monitored, or restricted.”

Marie said she’s told her guardian how she feels about the situation.

She said her guardian told her, “That's just the way it is.”

We’re not naming Marie’s guardian because multiple investigations have not uncovered evidence of wrongdoing.

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Family fight over money lands Florida woman under state court control