http://www.mytrustlawyer.com/
I got this website in an email. Have you read it?
My name is Tom Olofsson. I am a lawyer. I help families plan for the future.
That third sentence sort of grabs you, doesn’t it? He’s helping you plan for your future NOT your death. Isn’t that nicely worded? He even has a nice face. His whole website was a real page turner for me.
You know what I really like about this gentleman aside from the fact that his website is simple? (He simplifies it. He doesn’t dumb it down and let’s face it, we all need the law simplified.) He opens up talking about his family, your family and treats you like family. He doesn’t just say it like the rest of the attorney’s nor does he use the word “client” over and over. He SEES YOU as a person.
He also lets you know that if you’re having a legal problem beyond his scope, he can recommend you to someone else. That tells you three things about him. He’s really looking out for what’s in your best interests, he won’t take your case then have his friends climb aboard after (so they can all make a ‘little bit of money’) and he’s admitting that he doesn’t know everything about the law. So, you’re not just dealing with another attorney with a big fat ego. Gosh, if this gentleman is for real, he's like a dream come true.
Read the section he wrote on how to choose a trustee. I seriously doubt he’d recommend Devon Bank based on those guidelines (which are good ones).
Lastly, on his blog. He talks about NASGA. Stopguardianabuse.org. (He’s got two sites, it’s kind of confusing. http://www.trustlawyers.org/) Mr. Olofsson is the first attorney that I have seen that recognizes public guardianship and the fact that it’s a serious problem in our country.
In any event, when you write about a bank scam on the Internet and name names, people come out of the woodwork. Especially anonymous posters. I can tell you ALL the Elder Law Attorneys to stay away from and sadly, it’s most of those who practice in Cook County. As a matter of fact, the law firm that I get the most complaints about is the one Devon Bank associates itself with. There is one woman that I haven’t heard a kind word about and these comments are not only from her own clients but also from their family members and loved ones. (I don’t even know this attorney NOR have I written her name but I’m getting comments. That says a lot about her.) If Devon Bank’s attorney isn’t pro-family (or pro-beneficiary) then neither are they. Think about it.
I can also tell you horror stories about public guardians, Guardian ad Litems, doctors, nurses, trustees, judges, caregivers, caregiving agencies, nursing homes, etc. I could list all the ones on the take but I’d get carpal tunnel.
I would seriously take Mr. Olofsson into consideration if you’re planning for your future. Just read his site and compare him to other attorney’s. This gentleman stands apart by making you, your family, your needs and wishes a priority. He truly looks like he's interested in taking care of YOU and not himself. Isn’t that a refreshing change of pace?
He also makes house calls so you don’t even have to worry about leaving the comfort of your own home. Can you imagine? Needless to say, I haven’t heard anyone complain about him and probably won’t. I’m getting a sense of personal integrity in regard to this one which is really hard to come by in this business.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Devon Bank Trust Department
They called me Tuesday. I didn’t hear my phone, I was vacuuming. Chrissy from that department called (I googled her phone number), I don’t want to put her full name because it’s inappropriate. Believe me, she wouldn’t call without direct orders from Rick Block and Sally Griffin.
I met Chrissy the time she came over holding Sally’s hand and she’s not a nice person. I am trying to establish a pattern of abuse. That anyone who opens a trust account gets isolated, surrounded, financially exploited, abused and all their loved ones get treated like they’re a bunch of criminals. So, I might as well add Chrissy and the fact she treated me like a felon. I didn’t mention her in Ludwig’s story because she’s an incidental. Everyone is secondary to the person above them.
In any event, they evicted me 17 months ago and I can’t imagine what they want now? Although, what they had to say isn’t important because they could have left a message or emailed.
You want to know the real strange part? I have a lot of things to do in regard to this bank scam. I decided (just a few hours before she called) to put everything off until after the holidays. Then I get a phone call from them. Gives you the willies, doesn’t it? The one day that I make a conscious effort to keep them out of my thoughts and plans is the one day they make a conscious effort to call… it’s frightening. I’m taking it as a sign.
Now, I’m worried about Ludwig but I always worry about him. I just googled him and he’s quite popular :)
I met Chrissy the time she came over holding Sally’s hand and she’s not a nice person. I am trying to establish a pattern of abuse. That anyone who opens a trust account gets isolated, surrounded, financially exploited, abused and all their loved ones get treated like they’re a bunch of criminals. So, I might as well add Chrissy and the fact she treated me like a felon. I didn’t mention her in Ludwig’s story because she’s an incidental. Everyone is secondary to the person above them.
In any event, they evicted me 17 months ago and I can’t imagine what they want now? Although, what they had to say isn’t important because they could have left a message or emailed.
You want to know the real strange part? I have a lot of things to do in regard to this bank scam. I decided (just a few hours before she called) to put everything off until after the holidays. Then I get a phone call from them. Gives you the willies, doesn’t it? The one day that I make a conscious effort to keep them out of my thoughts and plans is the one day they make a conscious effort to call… it’s frightening. I’m taking it as a sign.
Now, I’m worried about Ludwig but I always worry about him. I just googled him and he’s quite popular :)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Common Practice, it seems......
These are excerpts taken from the GAO report:
"Also, the guardian neglected to collect $39,000 of rental income for over four years on behalf of one victim."
Ludwig and I couldn't find his rental income either. I know Root Realty did their job in collecting the money, it just never made it into Ludwig's trust account. Your guess is as good as mine as to where that money went (and that realty company was paid $250 a month to manage two empty apartments, then just one apartment for a while). Devon Bank was EXCELLENT when it came to passing out Ludwig's money, collecting it or making him any was another story. (You also can't check on the banks accuracy since Rick Block has "free reign over the old man's half a million dollars! No courts to go through!" That's what he was bragging about when Ludwig opened his trust account at Devon Bank and no trustee is going to get that excited unless they have something to gain by it "in my opinion.")
"The guardian hid the man's will from the court and family members..."
Another common practice at Devon Bank. I'll tell you after Ludwig passes away why they wouldn't cough this thing up aside from Mr. Block's "free reign" and the fact that not only aren't the courts watching them but obviously no one at the bank is watching those two trustees either. I'll let you know if Ludwig's family inherits anything.
"For example, she noted that the company had purchased mental health support services for the veteran at a rate that was 1500 percent higher than necessary."
Devon Bank does the exact same thing when hiring Home Instead Caregiving Agency. Their clients pay an OBSCENE amount of money for caregivers even if they don't want them or need them, they're forced. When a Senior Citizen requires 24 hour care, it's more economical for them to go straight into daily rates instead of hourly. The trustees at Devon Bank don't do this, they force their clients to continue at the hourly rate which is more than double. When Ludwig complained about all the caregivers coming, the trustees just set him up with more and billed him more money (then, Home Instead had all kinds of things going on at Ludwig's house while he wasn't even home, just to get paid. They made excuses to bill him but what do you expect when no one is minding the till and the bank has free reign?). Not to mention, you have a private paid guardian who is pushing lift chairs and wheelchairs on his clients. It's obvious they want their clients to physically deteriorate in order to move Home Instead in then bill them an outrageous fee for their "professional care." Caregivers wouldn't even be hired if they let their clients exercise, get up or walk on their own but they don't. Trust me, there's no $$$$ in it.
"the elderly woman did not have pierced ears and the earrings were later found in the guardian’s home. Searches of her home also revealed coins, "
I bet Rick Block is a coin collector. (To all my anonymous posters, you don't need to tell me whether or not this is true, my intuition tells me all I need to know. I saw the way he was looking at Ludwig's coin collection, the man was a goner.) But I think all their homes should be looked at by the families (who had trust accounts at Devon Bank) to check to see if anything looks familiar.
"When her clients moved into a nursing facility, the permanent guardian would throw away everything in their houses......."
Another common practice at Devon Bank and Ludwig wasn't even moved to a nursing home before the trustees threw out his personal property. They just tossed his possessions out right in front of Ludwig and the entire world. Called the junkman. Can you imagine?
"The court recommended that it could either appoint the attorney to serve as the victim’s guardian, or allow the attorney to continue to serve as the victim’s trustee instead. However, in the end, it allowed both to occur...."
I don't know what difference this makes? This is "my opinion" of the trust department at Devon Bank. I watched Sally Griffin order Rick Block around. She did all the talking and when we were emptying Ludwig's lockbox, she told Rick what to do and he did it. (The reason I paid so much attention to this was because she was so disrespectful to Ludwig. If she had any respect for her boss or employer she wouldn't disrespect her client but he didn't command any.) Then I watched Josh Mitzen (hired by Devon Bank to be the guardian in order to steal estates out from underneath the heirs who inherit) order Sally around. So, "in my opinion" Josh Mitzen is Senior Vice President of the Trust Department down at Devon Bank. He definitely runs the show.... kind of like a pecking order. Josh is over Sally, she's over Rick. So, what difference does it make about guardian of the estate and guardian of the person?
After looking at Ludwig's trust account, watching the theives they hired come through his front door, the way the two trustees squander his money and his estate, I've come to the realization that they're (two trustees) are not out to make their employer money. BUT that's only what I can see (by looking at their expenses), they may very well be making their employer all kinds of money "on the side." I don't know?
I remember several months ago, a woman left 7 million to a college. The woman lived just like Ludwig, very simply, in a small home. My first thought? She didn't open a trust account at Devon Bank because they would have appointed a "care manager" then deemed her incompetent, sold her property and spent her 7 million before she died so no one inherited. Most of it probably going to the guardian, their attorney and caregivers. This woman got lucky. She had a reputable attorney. (Marlatt, I'll never forget his name.)
The good thing about this GAO report is the fact that these guardians/conservators are getting fined and imprisoned. There is justice in the world.
Report fraud at this link:
www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm
"Also, the guardian neglected to collect $39,000 of rental income for over four years on behalf of one victim."
Ludwig and I couldn't find his rental income either. I know Root Realty did their job in collecting the money, it just never made it into Ludwig's trust account. Your guess is as good as mine as to where that money went (and that realty company was paid $250 a month to manage two empty apartments, then just one apartment for a while). Devon Bank was EXCELLENT when it came to passing out Ludwig's money, collecting it or making him any was another story. (You also can't check on the banks accuracy since Rick Block has "free reign over the old man's half a million dollars! No courts to go through!" That's what he was bragging about when Ludwig opened his trust account at Devon Bank and no trustee is going to get that excited unless they have something to gain by it "in my opinion.")
"The guardian hid the man's will from the court and family members..."
Another common practice at Devon Bank. I'll tell you after Ludwig passes away why they wouldn't cough this thing up aside from Mr. Block's "free reign" and the fact that not only aren't the courts watching them but obviously no one at the bank is watching those two trustees either. I'll let you know if Ludwig's family inherits anything.
"For example, she noted that the company had purchased mental health support services for the veteran at a rate that was 1500 percent higher than necessary."
Devon Bank does the exact same thing when hiring Home Instead Caregiving Agency. Their clients pay an OBSCENE amount of money for caregivers even if they don't want them or need them, they're forced. When a Senior Citizen requires 24 hour care, it's more economical for them to go straight into daily rates instead of hourly. The trustees at Devon Bank don't do this, they force their clients to continue at the hourly rate which is more than double. When Ludwig complained about all the caregivers coming, the trustees just set him up with more and billed him more money (then, Home Instead had all kinds of things going on at Ludwig's house while he wasn't even home, just to get paid. They made excuses to bill him but what do you expect when no one is minding the till and the bank has free reign?). Not to mention, you have a private paid guardian who is pushing lift chairs and wheelchairs on his clients. It's obvious they want their clients to physically deteriorate in order to move Home Instead in then bill them an outrageous fee for their "professional care." Caregivers wouldn't even be hired if they let their clients exercise, get up or walk on their own but they don't. Trust me, there's no $$$$ in it.
"the elderly woman did not have pierced ears and the earrings were later found in the guardian’s home. Searches of her home also revealed coins, "
I bet Rick Block is a coin collector. (To all my anonymous posters, you don't need to tell me whether or not this is true, my intuition tells me all I need to know. I saw the way he was looking at Ludwig's coin collection, the man was a goner.) But I think all their homes should be looked at by the families (who had trust accounts at Devon Bank) to check to see if anything looks familiar.
"When her clients moved into a nursing facility, the permanent guardian would throw away everything in their houses......."
Another common practice at Devon Bank and Ludwig wasn't even moved to a nursing home before the trustees threw out his personal property. They just tossed his possessions out right in front of Ludwig and the entire world. Called the junkman. Can you imagine?
"The court recommended that it could either appoint the attorney to serve as the victim’s guardian, or allow the attorney to continue to serve as the victim’s trustee instead. However, in the end, it allowed both to occur...."
I don't know what difference this makes? This is "my opinion" of the trust department at Devon Bank. I watched Sally Griffin order Rick Block around. She did all the talking and when we were emptying Ludwig's lockbox, she told Rick what to do and he did it. (The reason I paid so much attention to this was because she was so disrespectful to Ludwig. If she had any respect for her boss or employer she wouldn't disrespect her client but he didn't command any.) Then I watched Josh Mitzen (hired by Devon Bank to be the guardian in order to steal estates out from underneath the heirs who inherit) order Sally around. So, "in my opinion" Josh Mitzen is Senior Vice President of the Trust Department down at Devon Bank. He definitely runs the show.... kind of like a pecking order. Josh is over Sally, she's over Rick. So, what difference does it make about guardian of the estate and guardian of the person?
After looking at Ludwig's trust account, watching the theives they hired come through his front door, the way the two trustees squander his money and his estate, I've come to the realization that they're (two trustees) are not out to make their employer money. BUT that's only what I can see (by looking at their expenses), they may very well be making their employer all kinds of money "on the side." I don't know?
I remember several months ago, a woman left 7 million to a college. The woman lived just like Ludwig, very simply, in a small home. My first thought? She didn't open a trust account at Devon Bank because they would have appointed a "care manager" then deemed her incompetent, sold her property and spent her 7 million before she died so no one inherited. Most of it probably going to the guardian, their attorney and caregivers. This woman got lucky. She had a reputable attorney. (Marlatt, I'll never forget his name.)
The good thing about this GAO report is the fact that these guardians/conservators are getting fined and imprisoned. There is justice in the world.
Report fraud at this link:
www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm
Embezzling Money
Here's another tidbit of info that's bothering me in the GAO report:
We examined 20 cases in which guardians stole or otherwise improperly obtained more than $5.4 million in assets from 158 incapacitated victims. In some of these cases, the guardians also physically neglected and abused the people they had been appointed to care for. We obtained our information from court documents, disciplinary records, and our own interviews and research.
I personally believe that the GAO should just walk into every bank (especially the small ones) then ask to see all their guardianships because I'm sure they can find that kind of money popping out all over the place THEN get the little people (or the elderly on Medicaid and in those OBRA trusts) out and away from the private paid guardian (and back into the loving arms of family and friends). 5.4 million is small potatotes compared to what a bank trustee can embezzle, I'm sure. Especially when they're dealing with million dollar estates, you know what I mean?
My point is, if they started looking at the banks that hold these million dollar trusts then they wouldn't have to look at 158 victims, they'd be looking at a handful in order to find 5.4 million of 'improperly obtained' assets. THEN they can go after the private paid guardian, the bank and lift those little people out too. I just about saved them all (except the ugly family members, that's a more difficult problem, in my opinion).
I know, it seems all too logical in my simple brain and I shouldn't be critizing the GAO, it's a nice start. They're recognizing that this is a multi-million dollar scam and that the guardian and their attorney's seem to be living high on the hog while their clients suffer.
We examined 20 cases in which guardians stole or otherwise improperly obtained more than $5.4 million in assets from 158 incapacitated victims. In some of these cases, the guardians also physically neglected and abused the people they had been appointed to care for. We obtained our information from court documents, disciplinary records, and our own interviews and research.
I personally believe that the GAO should just walk into every bank (especially the small ones) then ask to see all their guardianships because I'm sure they can find that kind of money popping out all over the place THEN get the little people (or the elderly on Medicaid and in those OBRA trusts) out and away from the private paid guardian (and back into the loving arms of family and friends). 5.4 million is small potatotes compared to what a bank trustee can embezzle, I'm sure. Especially when they're dealing with million dollar estates, you know what I mean?
My point is, if they started looking at the banks that hold these million dollar trusts then they wouldn't have to look at 158 victims, they'd be looking at a handful in order to find 5.4 million of 'improperly obtained' assets. THEN they can go after the private paid guardian, the bank and lift those little people out too. I just about saved them all (except the ugly family members, that's a more difficult problem, in my opinion).
I know, it seems all too logical in my simple brain and I shouldn't be critizing the GAO, it's a nice start. They're recognizing that this is a multi-million dollar scam and that the guardian and their attorney's seem to be living high on the hog while their clients suffer.
GAO report on Guardianships
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d101046.pdf
They did a study back in September and to read it, you'll need a box of tissues. It's truly horrifying what guardians do to the elderly and disabled. I found this on page one:
Using two fictitious identities—one with bad credit and one with the Social Security number of a deceased person—GAO obtained guardianship certification or met certification requirements in the four states where we applied: Illinois, Nevada, New York, and North Carolina. Though certification is intended to provide assurance that guardians are qualified to fulfill their role, none of the courts or certification organizations utilized by these states checked the credit history or validated the Social Security number of the fictitious applicants. An individual who is financially overextended is at a higher risk of engaging in illegal acts to generate funds. In addition, people with criminal convictions could easily conceal their pasts by stealing a deceased person’s identity. The tests raise questions about the effectiveness of these four state certification programs.
They're basically saying that to get certified in IL then it's as easy as opening a box of cracker jack and pulling out the prize. Why does that not surprise me?
AND why didn't the GAO look at Devon Bank's court docket of guardianships that I published online? That would certainly raise a brow. (Well, in their defense, I didn't publish it until October so, I'm going to let them slide. Now I know they're googling guardianships though.)
They did a study back in September and to read it, you'll need a box of tissues. It's truly horrifying what guardians do to the elderly and disabled. I found this on page one:
Using two fictitious identities—one with bad credit and one with the Social Security number of a deceased person—GAO obtained guardianship certification or met certification requirements in the four states where we applied: Illinois, Nevada, New York, and North Carolina. Though certification is intended to provide assurance that guardians are qualified to fulfill their role, none of the courts or certification organizations utilized by these states checked the credit history or validated the Social Security number of the fictitious applicants. An individual who is financially overextended is at a higher risk of engaging in illegal acts to generate funds. In addition, people with criminal convictions could easily conceal their pasts by stealing a deceased person’s identity. The tests raise questions about the effectiveness of these four state certification programs.
They're basically saying that to get certified in IL then it's as easy as opening a box of cracker jack and pulling out the prize. Why does that not surprise me?
AND why didn't the GAO look at Devon Bank's court docket of guardianships that I published online? That would certainly raise a brow. (Well, in their defense, I didn't publish it until October so, I'm going to let them slide. Now I know they're googling guardianships though.)
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