More than 2,500 Palm Beach County children, elderly and disabled residents who depend on a court-appointed guardian to manage their finances may now have additional protection against fraud or misuse of their money.
The county's Clerk of Courts Monday launched the Guardianship Fraud Hotline, where anyone who suspects a guardian is stealing money, misusing assets or overcharging a ward can report it to county officials.
In addition to the hotline, the Clerk of Courts has beefed up its guardianship audits since February, when clerk Sharon Bock hired an auditor to solely look at potential fraud and misuse by guardians. Six additional auditors have also been trained to closely examine guardianship complaints .
"As the economy became more and more of a problem, it became clear that the people who are really very vulnerable were potentially going to fall victim to exploitation," Bock said. The hotline and additional auditors cost the court about $100,000, she said.
While U.S. Census figures point to a future increase of the senior citizen population in Palm Beach County, Bock said it was the ideal time to put in place a system that would guarantee some of the county's most needy residents would be protected.
The hotline, Bock added, will serve "a deterrent effect to the guardians who are under the court watch, so they know that in the event that something goes wrong or in the event that anyone suspects something is going wrong, they will be audited and their information will be examined."
Among the complaints typically handled by auditors include money missing from a person's account and overcharging for legal or clerical fees, said Anthony Palmieri, senior auditor for the clerk's division of the Inspector General's office.
"We are looking with a fine-toothed comb what the guardian is actually doing with the ward's assets," Bock said. "Up until this started there was nothing to turn to."
Source:
Guardians Face Audits, Hotline Complaints Under New Palm Beach County Clerk Service
Contact the Guardianship Fraud Hotline
22 comments:
Congratulations Palm Beach County! Giant step in the right direction. My guess is the hot line will be hot hot hot.
Hooray!!!!!!!!!
It looks hopeful!
These guardianship hotlines need to be in all states!
It's a good start.
You're right,Stand up, these hotlines should be encouraged.
Standing ovation from me!
Think maybe Florida is figuring out that old folks are learning about guardianship abuse?
Thank you NASGA
This is postive news. Florida is actually paving the way. Way to go!
This is great news thanks for the good news NASGA. Palm Beach County Florida is to be commended as progressive and pro active to recognize the need.
Citizens in that jurisdiction are extremely fortunate to have a place to complain.
Standing ovation!
i wish the feds would make this mandatory of course it would be better if each county within each state initiated this procedure but that would take a very long time how to speed this idea up nationwide is the hurdle good work great idea that will have the desired results to weed out the bad guys
Looking at what guardians do with the assets? I'm glad. Finally. What they need to concentrate on is the billings, etc.
Follow the money guaranteed you will find 'errors'. When lawyers overbill, have errors I call that fraudulent billing and that is out of control.
This is a definite step in the right direction assuming someone is going to "investigate" when a tip comes in but if it is just another state job at the tax payers expense then shame on you! My mother was a resident & domicile of PA and fell prey to professional guardian Jetta Getty of Port Orange FL while on vacation with my sister. Mother's 500,000.00 estate has been plundered by Jetta Getty leaving her to live at the tax payers expense, alone, isolated and medicated all for profit. I personally objected with documentation of facts showing the court the errors but the "rubber stamp approval" was used! My life's savings was spent trying to get mother home to no avail all the while Getty used my mother's estate to keep her cash cow. In my opinion the Volusia County Court in Florida turned a deaf ear to our pleas for our mothers return to her family & domicile of PA. Shame on them... vengeance is mine says the Lord!
There are many "helpful" entities out there. Let's hope this one really does help.
Wow, I almost missed this posting. I'm impressed that one state has stepped up and made a real effort.
Thank you Palm Beach Co.
Really good news1 Let's hope other counties and states follow suit. The only trouble is that the guardian and her attorneys will not give any report to anyone in the case, and I am the trustee! It is very hard to know what they are abusing financially. At least this is a start.
There is one in St. Pete., Fl. It really does not work. They send it to the court monitor Sue Landress, who attends Guardians meeting and is friends with all the guardians. She thinks it is her job to protect the welfare of the guardians. That is almost a quote from her.
There is one in St. Pete., FL. It does not work!
I hope for the United States Justice Department to investigate what is happening in Washington State allowing Gaurdians to finacial exploit the funds of elderly for thier own finacial profits. my mother has been charged and liqiudated of her million $ + assest and left with being abused by those left in charge aproved by the court. All in 3 years time and left blackened eye and broke arm by what she told me was an assault in the facility left in charge to care for her. Fox news here showed a series of news broadcasted showing a few examples. One elderly woman had her ultilities to her house she lived in alone being prepared to be shut off. Her name was Eleanor in olypia , Wash. area. These people aproved by courts ripping off elderly right in front of society.
The one in St. Pete. does not work it is just a waste of tax payer dollars. It is sad to think you are making a call that will make a difference and it is just part of the whole messed up system that is hurting Florida families. Hopefully this new one will be a different set up and they can redo the one in St. Pete. Florida. The Justice system is so messed up they need to redo the whole mess our legislator's have made.
The one in Pinellas County Florida, Sue Landress is a nut, she parks her car where people don't see it, hides in the dark in wards house and scares people to death, if I had a weapon in my hand she would have been seriously hurt, I don't know who trained her to do such strange things, she needs to be monitored. She is a danger to wards and the people she comes in contact with.
It is now 2013 and last I heard Sue Landress of Pinellas County Florida is still on taxpayer payroll! Has anyone ever had this deaf woman do something right for a ward of the state? It seems she got her job though friendships of the court! What is with out Justice system! Get rid of her, and get someone qualified that can do their job!
Palm Beach County clerk's office is not going after the professional Guardains that are part of the political elite and well connected. This is a program that is there to take the focus off the real bad guys, like the Catholic Charities Diocese of the Palm Beaches. They operate with impunity on a grand scale. Palm Beach County has a recent history of corrupted officials that have been sent off to prison for their greedy actions,but not by any internal investigations insituted by officials of Palm Beach County. It took the FBI to get some of them. And, it was reported to be the tip of the iceberg. Plenty more are running their games!
Those families who have had high net worth elderly love ones targeted by these legally sanctioned predators, and stood by helplessly watching hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen--in my love one's case, two generation of saving taken-- know the real truth. The clerk's office hotline is a puppet for the powerful professional guardainship business in Palm Beach County. A fox guarding the hen house!
SUE LANDRESS OF PINELLAS COUNTY IS FINALLY GOING TO RETIRE! TAX PAYERS SHOULD BE READY TO PARTY! HOPEFULLY THE NEXT COURT MONITOR COMES TRAINED AND CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE FOR THE WARDS OF PINELLAS COUNTRY. LANDRESS WAS A WASTE OF EVERYONES TIME! I KNOW THE WORLD WILL BE A BETTER PLACE, HOPEFULLY SHE HAS TO STAY HOME AND CANNOT GO ANYWHERE!
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