Rana has been on her Don(na) Quixote crusade to protect seniors from the abuses and scandal regarding the Guardianship (Nevada Revised Statutes - Chapter 159) laws. For the past few months, she has taken me kicking and screaming into this issue.
On each and every occasion, when I told her that “it could not happen” she provided the paperwork.
As a former attorney, I learned how to read the law, petitions and court orders. More importantly,I was taught how to read between the lines.
From our research and investigation, it is clear that these “Private Guardianships” are nothing short of a racket. It gives “ambulance chasers” a good name.
Let me be very precise in our findings:
Having a private guardian appointed for a senior is like selecting a child molester to run a day care center. It is financial elder exploitation; sanctioned and approved by the Court and Nevada.
One example: According to court records filed by a private guardian, is not ready to release her name yet - but we’re real close) it listed an elderly couple’s (mentioned in Rana’s column) bank account as having approximately $23,000.
The initial court order authorized this private guardian to seize $10,000 for the husband and then an additional ten thousand for the wife (a total of $20,000) for the couple’s on-going expenses AND (of course) the expenses related to the court proceeding.
Just like that - the couple’s bank account was depleted by nearly 90%.
Just like that, the guardian was allowed “reasonable compensation and expenses.”
Just like that, the guardian was allowed to hire an attorney to represent the guardian and to have the lawyer receive “necessary compensation as well as expenses.
While the guardianship laws require an annual accounting, such filing was not done.
What did the court do over this failure? Nothing.
Where did all the money go?
Full Article and Source:
The Vegas Voice: Guardianship: A Legal Shame and Disgrace