How to WIN Guardianship in Cook County Probate Court

I just won my first custody case today (helping a pro se litigant) and I shouldn't say that because the woman I court watched for and counseled is amazing and deserves to be successor guardian. She will credit me; I will credit a gentleman at the State's Attorneys Office who let me in on this not so secret secret...

How to Win Guardianship

Three steps that are far from easy:

1. Do NOT join any online guardianship group until after you win custody.  (Joining one or being associated with one will not help you win.)

2. Apologize. They're going to emotionally abuse you and the AIP (Alleged Incapacitated Person). You're going to go off on the lowliest employee to the highest and everyone in between because you're protective instincts kick in. You can't help yourself because your loved one is an elder/disabled person that is defenseless and vulnerable... the people who entered their lives are just looking at them as cash cows.... it's very natural to go off but if you continue, you won't win custody. You need to apologize for your bad behavior. You don’t have to apologize to the lowliest employee that they (interlopers) set up to antagonize you but it’s really in your best interests to apologize to the rest…. You’ll understand why after.

3. Do NOT disrespect the Judge!  I CANNOT emphasize this enough!  I don’t understand it when people walk into the courtroom with chips on both shoulders then give the judge a piece of their minds? Let me give you a hint... if you're going to get into a power struggle with a Cook County Probate Court Judge, you're going to lose and lose big. If you can't say, "Yes ma'am", "No ma'am" or "Yes sir", "No sir" and "Your Honor" then you've got no business being anyone's guardian. Love has no pride; it has no shame and if you can't leave your ego out in the hallway then don't walk into that courtroom expecting to win.  The judge decides whether or not you're fit (and that includes blood relatives) and if you're acting like a hooligan, you're unfit.

These are the steps it takes and they're not easy but if you need help, you can contact me and I'll counsel you through it.  This advice won’t work for everyone either but it's a really good start.  After you win, I strongly urge you to tell others or blog about it.  Give a review of an attorney, who helped you, how, etc.  Blogging does nothing for reform, it does warn and help others.  You should get in contact with Latifa Ring at NOTEGA since she got all her members heard by the CFPB.  I'm a member of her organization.

I wrote this post because respect is earned, no one can earn that for you and without it you lose.

I can't take my eyes off this winning petition and I'm going to win more.... this is just the beginning.....

Beverly Hayes - Devon Bank

She's Sally Griffin's replacement.  I sat directly behind her in court a few weeks ago in Honorable Lynne Kawamoto's courtroom.  She was talking to the guardian of the person, I believe.  I have to pull the file (and get back to you).  Judge Kawamoto's clerk kept telling everyone to be quiet, to take it outside and move along quickly but Ms. Hayes kept talking.  The woman she was talking to completely trusted her and I felt sick because I was the same way with Sally and Rick Block.  That turned out to be a big mistake.  They embezzled money from nineteen clients and still counting....

Anyway, Judge Kawamoto's clerk was telling the courtroom to be quiet, to take it outside and move along quickly but she kept talking (which was good because I heard every word and if she turns out to be untrustworthy like Sally Griffin, I've got that woman's back).  The bailiff had to come over and tell her to leave the courtroom if she wanted to continue her conversation.  It's so disrespectful to Judge Kawamoto and not surprising that it would be an employee of Devon Bank or affiliated with Amy McCarty.  (I'm wondering who picked the bank?  Devon Bank is the most expensive bank in the city to have manage your estate.  Did Amy McCarty pick it out?  That alone is financial exploitation of the elderly.) 

I'm saying "Beverly Hayes" disrespected the court because the woman she was with doesn't make a living in the courtroom although, she should know better.  It'll be interesting to see how this case turns out.  Devon Bank has a three month thing.  They start slandering the POA or guardian of the person three months after you open an account because they owe so many people and need their clients money to pay them off.  So, they slander them to put one of their friends on board as GOP to squander the estate.  I'll keep an eye on them to see if they're also going to use this poor soul to pay off their debts.

Cooper's Corner

This is a website of Bev Cooper's Programs on Elder Abuse and Guardianship Abuse.  They're must see TV.

Her link is here - North Shore Live

My all time favorite show is here.  Because Bev looks absolutely stunning.  I think green is her signature color.

Probate Abuse Manual

http://probateabusemanual.blogspot.com/

This is a new website set up to help you with Cook County Probate Court Abuse. 

If you're a victim of Devon Bank please contact me since I have the ball rolling in that direction already, I have other people you can report bank fraud to.

Also contact me if you're someone I court watch for.  I know what you can try if things don't turn out the way you expect.

Devon Bank Trust Department - Putting Them Out of Business

I’ve been diligently working on letting the entire world know this bank is financially exploiting their elderly and disabled clients through guardianships. I Xeroxed their court files, wrote a 33-page report describing (in detail) financial abuse to 19 of their clients (in seven years), mailed it to every State and Federal agency I could think of, spoke to all those agencies (absolutely lovely people), Senator Kirk ordered a Federal investigation (along with everyone else in DC), I walked my adopted victims up Capitol Hill, spoke to all our legislators about the problem, sent it to the probate court judges and Chief Judge (because Devon Bank was hiding their 2011 court records from me) then I put it on Congressional record a few months ago. Devon Bank, Janna Dutton and Josh Mitzen made history. I even set up a blog on the victims’ behalf.

Last week, one of the probate court judges refused to approve Devon Bank’s fees. She said they charged way too much to manage an estate. God love that judge for looking out for the best interests of her wards.  I will publish the fees for the other banks so you can find one much more reasonably priced.  I try to court watch for all my adopted victims, make sure I know what's going on..... and now I'm adopting others while I'm on the 18th. 

I’m hoping to put that bank out of business or at least the Trust Department. I made a commitment to Rick Block (Senior VP of Trusts) and Snipped that I would do something about the fact that Snipped which just got worse. Why would Janna Dutton set up a trust account at the most expensive bank in the city if she was looking out for her clients best interests? I know, she was only looking to trap her client in guardianship to set up her retirement fund. For those of you emailing and complaining about this woman, don’t worry, I’m onto her next. If you’re upset about Josh Mitzen, email me at TamiGoldmann@aol.com. Someone is collecting information about him and will file a complaint. I don’t have time but send me the case number and information.

The New Scam: Professional Conservators for the Elderly

How an Attorney in Chicago Fooled a Judge and Got Away with Elder Fraud

by Carole Wade, Contributing Columnist

No one wants to hear it. Innocent elderly women and men being scammed by welcoming seemingly sweet, lovely, and well-versed swindlers disguised as conservators. These new so-called conservators are entrepreneurs who see an aging population with checkbooks. Some of the alleged caregivers cultivate aging people for their own financial gain and interest.

While they may promise to take care of their charges, the victims soon discover that their lifetime finances have ended up in the hands of their conservator.

It can happen to you. It happened to a close member in my family. In 1990, a bearded man full of charisma, lies, and charm began courting (not literally) a wealthy older woman. According to the woman's friend, she told me, “I remember the man entering her life that night. He seemed to be carefully scouting out each person.” At this particular art reception, he promptly set his sights on a distinguished smartly-dressed man of eighty and his small fragile wealthy wife in her advancing years. In a voice that was soft but humorous, the professional attorney conservator said, “You are the most beautiful woman in the room. Are you a model?” The woman -- suffering from onset Alzheimer's replied, “How did you know?”

Although the lawyer’s record clearly reflected a numerous string of bushwhacked victims, not to mention that he knew very little about elder care of any kind, he immediately said, “I am here to help you. I will sit down with you and my new ‘adopted dad’ (her husband) tomorrow morning.”

Despite multiple warnings from their son, the gregarious newcomer and confidence man entered his mother's life. The chatty man fabricated his lineage according to what the elderly woman wanted to hear. He spotted her husband's desire to know royalty so he swiftly modified his background to include connections to the royal family of Spain. Within a few short months, the husband died and this champion scam-master attorney conservator became the sole legal representative for the widow's millions of dollars, while coldly and deliberately isolating the parent from her grown children.

The Los Angeles Times, “When a Family Matter Turns Into A Business” (November 13, 2005), paints a sad story about an elderly woman who now spends her time in the hands of a person she should not trust: A Conservator. Her new legal guardian.

The article quotes, “It was her (the conservator) responsibility to protect (the elderly woman) and conserve her nest egg. So far, (the conservator) has spent at least $200,000 of it. The money has gone to pay the conservator's fees and hire attendants to supervise the elderly woman around the clock, among other expenses.”

The Wall Street Journal's November 16, 2005, cover story relates this same experience to a beloved American: “Rosa Park's Death Stirs Up Bitter Feud Over Her Estate -- Family Fights Caregivers To Control the Legacy Of Civil-Rights Icon.”

Generally all this is unbeknownst to the children or to the elderly person's closest friends or even their physicians. First, they hear their parents mention a name. Second, his name is being built up into a “super hero.” Third, they discover he or she is in charge of their parents’ fortune and it is too late for them. And as The Los Angeles Times points out, professional conservator is a growing troubling new occupation.

After over a decade in court, the elderly man and woman in question in my life have passed away. Their son's lawsuit against the now disbarred attorney was lost. His parent's money is gone -- into the pocket of the marginal ex-lawyer who “got-away-with-it.”

I personally spoke with the District Attorney in Chicago on two different occasions in 1992 and 1993. He said to me, “This man is crafty and conniving. He is obviously unscrupulous and he cares noting about dividing, destroying, and alienating the family in question. This is how they flourish. File your case, but it can take twenty years.” The failed case took ten years and $ 360,000.00 in legal fees.

Was the Chicago legal system flawed? Yes. Did the Judge who handled the case understand professional conservators who are also attorneys? No. The Judge did not even read the case. He had his young inexperienced law clerk make the decision for him. Chicago's legal system failed to protect the elderly parents and the children in question -- permitting the hideous attorney to move thousands of miles west to start a new scam.

Today, the target age of people to swindle is over the age of sixty-five. When your parents are eighty and their wealth should pass on to their children, the new slimy conservators will pretend to “represent” both parties -- the parents and the children. But the only person winning is the scam-artist professional conservator attorney.

Professional conservators are skilled liars and experts at verbal camouflage. They know their success depends on it. Conservator/elder care is a new, growing and usually unregulated trade in the United States. The Los Angeles Times says it best, “...lawmakers and judges did not foresee that professionals would turn what had been a family matter into a business.”

About the Author: Ms. Wade is a writer who lives in Southern California. Her articles and comments appear frequently in The American Partisan, The Los Angeles Times (registration required free of charge), the Daily News, Internet newspapers, and monthly travel magazines. She also guests on the Al Rantel show. ***

© 2006 Carole Wade

Probate Court: The Largest Business in the World

(and the deepest, darkest, dirtiest, yet wealthiest secret of our government)

Consider this, the probate court is the largest business in the world, for through its portals pass the entire wealth of the world, sooner or later.

Now, pay close attention:

In this post, I will mathematically prove this allegation. Though this well-kept secret does not appear in the Fortune 500′s list, the probate court trumps them all, including Wal-Mart, Wall Street, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet. These businesses and individuals are all dwarves compared to the probate court.

Follow carefully, for this will help the reader understand and comprehend the magnitude of the “business of the court”, specifically the probate court.

Now, before I lay out a hypothetical (ball-park) figure of the gross annual income of the probate court, you must understand that the probate court is the most unaccounted for court; for there is typically no jury, no oversight and a judge vested with an authority that is typically void of credibility to adjudicate the matters before their court. If they are not in possession of mathematical credentials and certification that surpass those of its practitioners, then what credentials must they possess to be qualified for the probate bench? A superior knowledge of the law should be a given. Yet, with factoring in an almost unaccounted for court overseeing the largest business in the world, it invites corruption, and a subversion of the law becomes a rule as opposed to the exception.

Let me interject here that in Davidson County, TN, where the 7th Circuit Court’s bench is occupied by a man who, from inside information, graduated in the lower half of his class from Nashville School of Law, Judge Randy Kennedy is not a scholar, but a politician, and this further invites and suggests lack of interest in the citizenry and favor towards its practitioners and all state agencies that do business in the court, including our Attorney General, Robert E. Cooper, Jr. (we will present evidence in a future post that puts Cooper and Kennedy “in bed” together, thus no accountability from our highest state law enforcement public servant).

Judge Jim Everett, two probate judges back, committed suicide in the home of notorious organized corruption king-pin Jimmy Lewis’ home, when the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) initiated investigations into his actions that are insignificant compared to the corruption Judge Randy Kennedy facilitates and cooperates in routinely. Judge Kennedy is tied directly to Jimmy Lewis, as is Paul Housch, Adam Dread, all one-time attorneys for Jimmy Lewis. There are other probate practitioners attached to this world of organized corruption.

Judge Jim Everett Suicide–Nashville Scene, January 18, 1996

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/desperately-seeking-the-news/Content?oid=1180198

Now I present the mathematical equation that represents the probate court as being the largest business in the world:

In a discussion with respected journalist and probate blogger, Lou Ann Anderson, she represented the amount of money that passes through one probate court in Houston, TX, a county that has THREE probate courts, and this is from just ONE of those courts in one county. Lou Ann Anderson’s’ testimonial must start with her involuntarily thrust into the probate hell:

“At a point, I traded in the PTO and Junior League for political activism and a‘concealed carry’ license. Who knew that EstateofDenial.com and learning more about quiet, stodgy, seemingly boring probate venues would expose a corrupt system of which the American public is largely unaware despite it posing a growing, unbridled threat to both their individual liberties and property rights.”

She reports from Estate of Denial:

In October 2006, Harris County (Houston) Probate Judge Mike Wood – a controversial figure in his own right – testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Jurisprudence and offered interesting insight to the “probate business.” He told of a 1995 analysis indicating that assets and inventories filed for his approval (and not necessarily including all independently administered estate assets which also he supervises) were approximately $750 million per quarter. He said the $3 billion annual figure held true five years later. While this court was described as “probably one of the busiest probate courts in the nation,” that still is a staggering number and to extrapolate even a far-diminished dollar amount to the massive number of probate courts throughout this country helps illustrate the wealth controlled by this venue.

Now, consider that Judge Randy Kennedy brags often of his court having “more conservatorships than any probate court in the state”, while Shelby County has a population of 1 million, far more populated than Davidson County.

This approximate calculation of the wealth of the probate court was presented last year at Impeach Randy Kennedy, but in the light of recent activity, it’s important to bring this issue back up.

Let’s assume every county has one probate court, though the county referred to in Estate of Denial has three probate courts. One probate court, our of three, does 3 billion/year in this county, so we’ll underestimate in our hypotheses.

According to Wikipedia, here’s the definition of a “county”, though they may have a different title in different states such as Louisiana and Alaska:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_(United_States)

In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state (or federal territory), usually assigned some governmental authority. The term “county” is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs.[1] Parishes and boroughs are called “county-equivalents” by the U.S. Federal Government, as are certain independent cities which are not parts of counties. There are currently 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the United States; 3,141 according to Wolfram
Alpha knowledgebase, 2011.

Now, if one of three courts has a gross annual income of 3 Billion, that would suggest 9 Billion in one county annually, and these figures come from 1995. Now, let’s multiply that times 3,143 counties or “county-equivalents“. This would gross 28,287,000,000,000.00. Let me simplify by letting you know this figure is well in excess of $28 TRILLION dollars. This figure dwarfs the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) $14.582 Trillion

http://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=ny_gdp_mktp_cd&idim=country:USA&dl=en&hl=en&q=gross+domestic+product

Not to mention the USA National Debt which exceeds $14 Trillion:

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

According to this “ball-park” calculation based on numbers presented from one probate court in 1995, the gross annual income of the probate court equals the US National Debt and the Gross Domestic Product combined, approximately $28 Trillion. I believe we can assume this is a modest calculation, understating the fact.

Based upon this calculation, the probate court is not only the largest business in the United States, but this would probably hold true for any country in the world that uses the probate court to liquidate and divide the wealth of their nation.

Again, all the wealth of the world passes through probate, in a court virtually unaccounted for, benched by judges who are not certified accountants (typically), all bills are paid by the court, all attorneys are paid by the court, and the matters of the state in estate matters are adjudicated in the probate court.

Reader, are you grasping what this is telegraphing loud and clear? Do you think the “powers that be” are going to let go of these purse strings without slinging mud, ruining lives and protecting themselves by “hook or crook”? You are a fool, or just indifferent, if you think otherwise.

The probate court is the deep, dark, dirty secret of, not only our legal system, but our entire government, for in this unaccounted for court, passes the wealth of the world, houses the largest business in the world, and it can surely, and more often than not, invite corruption.

How can this “business of the court” be wrangled into accountability?

In my experience, here are the options: In Tennessee, apparently here is no hope for reform on a local or state level, for the agencies charged with investigating crimes are not inclined to take on the largest business in the world. Legislators are not going to bite the hand that feeds them. The Court of the Judiciary is not going to charge a judge for judicial misconduct when they’ve committed the same misconduct. Former Tennessee Governor Bredesen (refer to previous post) appointed Judge Randy Kennedy to run Davidson County’s largest business, so that suggests he might be in on the business of the court. Attorney General Robert E. Cooper does business in Judge Randy Kennedy’s Court (and they’ve got some side business we will reveal upcoming).

Is there federal intervention that would save us from on high?

I’m in Washington DC as I write, seeking federal intervention from the lack of integrity on a local and state level in Tennessee, but it’s hard for me to imagine that the feds are going to “bite the hand that feeds them”, though there has been traction here and I will return with a greater confidence that justice will be served.

With the constant bickering between the right and the left, which is nothing but an instrument to distract “we, the people”, from all internal atrocities, and from the fact the probate court is looting our estates before we are in the grave, my case being a prime example, “Court-Ordered Hell” , the only reasonable conclusion might be that we must overtake our government, for the voice of “we, the people” is not represented at any level, state or federal, and this MUST be of “grave” concern (pun intended). The probate purse strings will not be let go of without a fight. And the probate practitioners are the bottom feeders of the legal system, right behind ambulance chasers. These are the culprits stealing our money. WAKE UP!!! You do not want to wake up one day in this “court-ordered hell”, brought on by a protected, illegal, yet sanctioned ambush.

Our Constitution provides the right to raise a militia, used to rise up against tyranny, perfectly represented in the probate courts of America. It is truly taxation without representation, for once you are in probate, you ARE NOT represented, for all attorneys are on the probate gravy train, having their outrageous and exaggerated fees paid by the probate court, not by the client. Are you following this line of reasoning?

It may require a coup, a rising up of the patriotic spirit this nation was born from,

“Don’t tread on me”

“Give me liberty or give me death”.

In closing, the entire legal and political system has kept us in the dark as to the largest business in the world, the probate court, and in order for us to take back the power and take control of this probate industry that our leaders have not, and apparently will not, protect us from, it obviously will and must require extreme measures, by any means necessary.

I, for one, am ready to lead the charge. Who will follow? Are you an American of the patriotic spirit, or have you sold your soul to the era of thievery and greed spawned by our own “trusted” servants? Not me, not now, not ever.

You can sit on the sidelines and be a spectator, but that will not do, not now, not at this point in time in American history.

Now is the hour of truth.

I challenge you to rise up and exercise your Constitutional Rights, and lets strip our government of the tyranny that has taken over. Probate courts are Taxation Without Representation, the very movement that birthed our nation. Who will follow?

by Danny Tate

http://impeachrandykennedy.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/probate-court-the-largest-business-in-the-world/

Senators Introduce Bill Cracking Down on Elder Abuse

Two Democratic senators have introduced legislation that would strengthen protections for seniors against abuse and fraud through court-appointed guardians and conservators.

The Guardian Accountability and Senior Protection Act would protect seniors and persons with disabilities from neglet and financial exploitation by improving oversight and accountability for guardians and conservators at state and federal levels.

“While the vast majority of court-appointed guardians are undoubtedly professional, well-meaning and law-abiding, there is mounting evidence that some guardians use their position of power for their own gain, at the expense of the very people they were supposed to be looking out for,” said Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who introduced the bill along with Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

The legislation would provide support to states to implement programs to increase oversight of long-term caregivers, and calls for state courts to assess the handling of proceedings relating to guardianship and conservatives before making recommendations for best practices.

It would also help state courts implement an electronic filing system and a pilot program to conduct national and state criminal background checks in order to better monitor, report and audit conservatorships sand guardianships.

In 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report identifying hundreds of allegations of physical abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation by guardians in 45 states and D.C. that had occurred in the previous 20 years. In 20 of those cases that GAO reviewed, guardians had stolen or improperly obtained $5.4 million from 158 incapacitated victims, many of whom were older adults.

In a recent hearing on guardian abuse chaired by Klobuchar in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, the senator called for more accountability and oversight of court-appointed guardians to ensure seniors’ safety and proper care.

Written by Alyssa Gerace

http://reversemortgagedaily.com/2011/10/20/senators-introduce-bill-cracking-down-on-elder-abuse/

S1744

Title l - Provides funding to state courts to assess and improve adult guardianships.

Title ll - Background checks for conservators (and I'm not sure what this is going to do to stop a bank trustee from overzealous spending?)

Title lll - Electronic Filing System (which just might stop a bank trustee from overzealous spending.)

Dorothy C. Tyse

Snipped. She was only 83 - a youngster. 

God rest her soul.  She is now safe in his loving arms.

Dorothy “Dotti” C. Tyse, nee Respond, beloved wife of the late Thaddeus, loving daughter of the late Anthony and Angela Respond, dearest sister of the late Henry (Adeline) and the late Norman (the late Marilyn) Respond, dear sister in law of Eleanore Tyse, cherished aunt and great aunt to many nieces and nephews. Prominent Niles local historian and author of “The History of Niles ; 1974” and a proud member of the St John Brebeuf Catholic Woman’s Club and the Golden Age Club, Visitation Sunday 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm, at the Skaja Terrace Funeral Home 7812 N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles, Funeral Monday 10:15 am. To St. John Brebeuf Church Mass 11:00 a.m. Interment Maryhill Cemetery, In lieu of flowers donations for Masses or to your favorite charity appreciated, for Inf. 847-966-7302

North Shore "Live" Cooper's Corner

http://northshorelive.blogspot.com/

Host Bev Cooper has dedicated some of her programs to victims of Cook County Probate Court.  She is releasing those shows on the Internet so everyone has the opportunity to watch them.  Live broadcasts are on cable channel 19 Wednesday nights at 7:30 PM.

Janna Dutton - Is She Crooked?

A lot of you are telling me that you wouldn’t even consider hiring her firm because you’re afraid that she’s going to introduce Josh Mitzen (private paid guardian at $100 an hour for his professional services) into your life then you’d lose custody of your loved one. Because of these comments, I want to clear this up in regard to what happened to me.

First of all, when Ludwig hired Janna, she was a good advocate for him. I didn’t know this at the time (because I was only doing what Ludwig asked) but she was a good advocate for me as well since I was his Power of Attorney over healthcare. I never thought of her as supportive to me but in retrospect, she was.

"Snipped" (September 2008), she became a very poor advocate for her client because Josh is self-serving and wasn’t concerned about Ludwig at all. But she became a good advocate for Josh who neglected Ludwig.

My problem with Janna is that she set Ludwig up with a Living Trust which is another word for “Predatory Trust.” Snipped and the day after Ludwig transferred his money to Devon Bank, Sally Griffin (bank trustee) told me she can’t figure out whether or not she wants to keep me on since she hired Josh for my position (and I didn't know she meant as his Power of Attorney over healthcare at the time). She also couldn't figure out how to give Ludwig his own money.

Snipped.

I wrote Janna exactly that. (I have the letter. I also know she read it because Sally mentioned it when she told us that Devon Bank has ATM cards and she’s giving Ludwig one. Believe me, Janna had something to do with her little epiphany.) So,Snipped BUT she told them to knock it off.

Why didn’t she help them steal Ludwig’s estate from the get go if she’s so crooked? Was it too soon? Would it look like funny business was going on if she assigned her friends too quickly?

Do you want to know what I think Janna's problem is? She can’t remember her clients. If she’s not crooked, then she has a very poor memory so they (trustees at Devon Bank) laid low for a few months, thought up a lie to tell her (in order to get Josh assigned) and Janna fell for it hook, line and sinker. Ludwig’s entire estate and life went to hell in a hand basket overnight.  (I found out this is common practice at Devon Bank.  They have a three month thing with their clients, probably write it on their calendars.  Ludwig opened his trust in June, three months later, they assigned Josh Mitzen.  Same thing after they threw me out.  Three months later, Snipped.  I've also noticed this in some of their other clients.  After setting up a trust account, snipped).

Which is my second problem with Janna. She doesn’t investigate anything on her own. She doesn’t check facts or rely on her own common sense. I also told her (before I moved) that Devon Bank would throw out Ludwig’s entire estate and the extraordinary measures I took to help her keep track of it. (Lucky for her, she has me to inventory it.) But I’m telling her (the entire time) that she’s surrounding Ludwig with professional gold diggers and yet she did nothing about it other than make sure he was he was really secure in their clutches.  She was NOT his advocate.  Far from it.

In other words, the will Ludwig wrote means that he bequeathed his entire life savings and all his personal possessions to the two trustees at Devon Bank.  Janna Dutton set it up for him that way and did nothing to protect her client.  She made her friends wealthy.

That said, if you hired Janna to set up a power of attorney (or guardian), she’s not going to invite Josh Mitzen into your life. Why would she? He’s an attorney that took the public guardian quiz. That’s how he makes a living and inviting him into your life would be a conflict of interests. He's an interloper.  In my opinion, he can't establish his own loving relationships so he steals yours. 

But this is what has me so confused about Janna Dutton’s credibility. She set up a Predatory Trust (January 2008), she knew the vultures were circling (June of 2008), forced Ludwig into public guardianship (September 2008), knew they were squandering his estate (and I can't tell you how many times I mentioned this to her but it was constant) THEN in February 2009, she looked me dead in the eye and told me that she doesn't know what's going on.  She only knows what Sally Griffin and Josh Mitzen tell  her (and basically tells me that she does as she's told).  But this is not true because I told her myself (I can prove it).  Does she have a poor memory or is she also self-serving? My conclusion? Does it make a difference? Just ask yourself if you want her to set up your future and have her looking after you.  THAT is what you should concern yourself with in regard to hiring this attorney, not whether or not she's going to introduce Josh Mitzen.  (This is what I thought several months ago when I wrote it.  Janna DOES invite Josh into the lives of her clients when she knows it's a conflict of interests because he makes her money.  She can churn the bill because he causes chaos and animosity among family members and everyone else.  So, if you hire this law firm, put several zeroes behind the amount she quotes you.)

Make sure that NO ATTORNEY sets you up with a living (or predatory) trust. That’s Rick Block’s dream come true and I’m sure he’s not the only trustee that gets off on one.

ProbateSharks.com

You should really spend some time reading this website.  To me, it looks like they're trying to translate what goes on in Probate Court into simpler terms so we can all understand how they screw the elderly and disabled on the 18th floor of the courthouse.  They have a lot of links on the right hand side of their site. 

And there's another good website, Estate of Denial that I'm going to have to turn you all onto when I find more time.