By Kean Bauman. CREATED May 20, 2015
Strong words today from a court comissioner who's been accused of rubber-stamping wrongdoing. Now, it seems the tide is turning in favor of local families. Contact 13 was in the courtroom this morning as one family's loved ones were liberated from Clark County's controversial guardianship system.
"That is an enormous problem! That is no technical problem,That is a big, enormous, major problem!" That's Guardianship Commissioner Jon Norheim just before he took private, for-profit guardian April Parks off the case of Rudy and Rennie North.
"She will not have any authority from this court to act on behalf of your mom and dad," Norheim said.
Guardianship was given instead to daughter, Julie Belshe, who's been fighting to get her parents out of the system for nearly two years.
"What happened today was completely amazing," said Julie. "More than thrilled with this decision to let me actually take over and be part of my parents life again."
Nearly two years ago Rudy and Rennie were enjoying a quiet, loving, life together but all that changed with a knock on the door.
"I felt like I was being arrested. Was kidnapped out of my house," Rennie said.
"They have locked me up, thrown away the key and it's terrible," Rudy said.
Since the fall of 2013, the court has allowed Parks to control every aspect of Rudy and Rennie's lives--where they would live, how their money was spent, what items they could keep--and sometimes, who they could see.
"They took my parents," said Julie. "I didn't know who. I didn't know what."
When Contact 13 looked at the guardianship case, we found mistakes, over-charging and double-billing by Parks. Our findings played a key role in Wednesday morning's hearing.
"She's costing me $300 an hour to sit here and degrade me and my family," Rudy said. "I will not stand for it and I will not pay for it."
Parks' attorney did the talking for her, claiming the process to remove Parks is being rushed, "...based on innuendo, based on hearsay, based on salacious representations made on the media about Ms. Parks," said Aileen Cohen. "This matter is turning into a witch hunt."
But Commissioner Jon Norheim was having none of it. "The idea that she's been compliant? Not even close."
Norheim said Parks failed to protect the Norths and, especially, their estate.
"She's supposed to block the money. She's supposed to come to court for release," said Norheim.
"That didn't happen. It got spent. Things got sold. None of that was supposed to happen!"
Parks' attorney declined to comment after the hearing and Parks herself didn't return our calls.
Rudy says the journey down a rough road is one he can navigate now.
"I believe it's the start, and as if somebody came and said to me, 'Rudy, you just made the road smaller.' It's no longer as long as it was."
Commissioner Norheim called this a real problem case and said it's been referred to the Court Compliance Officer for investigation.
If you have a problem with the system, let us know by sending an email to 13INVESTIGATES@KTNV.COM
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Couple liberated from guardianship system