In late 2001, my mother almost dies. Passerby call police and she's taken to the hospital. She had respiratory arrest. She was in intensive care on a breathing machine. It took a long time for her to get her strength back. I don't know for sure, but I suspect it was at this time XX started paying bills for her and started opening her mail. At this point, neither one of us is designated Power of Attorney and technically, he should not be writing checks from her account.
My mother eventually returns home, but her health took a big hit. As time goes by, she has another attack and goes through the same experience. Also during these years, I learn XX is in financial difficulty. Debt collectors call my mothers phone asking for XX. I don't know why they have her number. Notices are left on her cars windshield. One of my moms friends told me that while walking towards my moms house to visit, a representative from a collection agency approached her and asked questions.
Eventually, my mothers bank accounts are frozen. Apparently, she had XX listed on the accounts. My mother was not at all happy. Somehow, the situation was rectified and she transferred the funds to new accounts with no other names listed. I imagine his own account(s) have been frozen and maybe to this day he has no accounts of his own. My mothers vision starts to deteriorate due to macular degeneration.
During this period, I decided to have a hard talk with her. I asked to go through her box of important papers. So I found her will, with the prior house referenced, and I also found some old stock certificates. I did a lot of research and spent hours on the computer and made plenty of phone calls. The stock certificates were for the old MaBell phone company. There's a company called ComputerShare that serves as a repository for old stocks. Everything has been computerized. See the next post for what happens.
I told my mother she needed to go into a retirement home where people could keep an eye on her. I found a great place 30 minutes away from where I live. It's very much like a nice hotel. They had a nice dining room and the menu listed a very good selection of food. They would provide free transportation to and from doctor appointments. As a matter of fact, the hospital is not far and the area is full of medical facilities and all sorts of specialists. The retirement home also provided entertainment and so on. I don't want to bore you, but this place was great.
I worked out the financial aspect and I basically had everything set to go. All I needed was the go ahead. Naturally, my mother didn't want to hear about it. I explained it had to be done BEFORE she needed it, while she was still independent and in relatively good health. I explained she couldn't just snap her fingers and go. Crucial to this was I knew the housing bubble would burst. I wanted them to sell the house while they could get enough money. The principle would be safe as the interest would pay the monthly rent. Of course, I had not yet figured out XX wanted the house to himself. He knew what he was doing.
So that was that. I have a clear conscience. If this had worked out, they would have made good money on the house. The money would be safe and my mother would be well taken care of. The cancer which is killing her might have been discovered earlier and treated. And perhaps my mother would not have spent hours on the floor, bleeding and alone in her current place because no one was there every time she fell (three times so far I believe).
SUMMARY: Mothers health in decline. XX opens her mail and pays bills during her hospitalization, even though he is not Power of Attorney. XX is pursued by one or more debt collectors. Mothers bank accounts frozen as XX is listed on those accounts. Mother opens new accounts in her name only. Her vision is deteriorating.
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