Church has stolen my father's belongings. Any advice?
My father sold all of his possessions to me over 8 years ago, about the time he began living in my house, in order to ensure that heirlooms stayed within the family. He signed a bill of sale, it was notarized and witnessed. He also made me his durable POA, medical POA, and executor.
People in his current church discovered he has items of worth and they talked him into removing them from our home and turning these things over to them to sell. We were told by church members moving his possessions that they convinced him to designate someone else as his POA and executor, and to change his Will. I have received no formal notice that I am no longer durable POA, medical POA, or executor.
My father is 82, has Alzheimer's and other serious medical issues. The church moved him from our home December 6, 2013, where he was constantly supervised and cared for, and into a church member's basement. They lost his medications, took his cellphone, and failed to get him to his doctor's appointments. We have not been allowed any contact with my father since they moved him.
In addition to taking family heirlooms, church members also took jewelry given to me by my mother before she died, and a number of other items. We asked the pastor of this church to return these items, but he has failed to do so.
I called Family Services to report this as a case of Elder Abuse. They advised me to call Westminster Police Dept. Westminster Police did nothing to stop the removal of my father and possessions from our home.
I have no idea what our legal rights are, but it seems to me that after caring for my father all these years, being brought up to believe that I was to ensure that family heirlooms were passed on to the next generation, and having a reasonable expectation of continued family unity, all mean something. To me, it is outrageous that a group of people can just decide to go into someone's home, alienate our patriarch, and take family treasures that have been with us for generations.
This sounds like a cult issue to me and it could happen to others so I hope that you are determined to see this through. The whole story is horrifying.
Police training is unlikely to include knowing how to spot Alzheimer's disease, especially with someone who seems "okay" in a short interview, so while the police did their best, a physician should be provide the diagnosis of whether or not your father is cognitively able to change his POA and make these decisions.
I agree with pstegman about calling the State's Attorney's office. The fact that the group is "caring" for your father by not taking him to his medical appointments and not giving him his prescriptions should be evidence enough to have him legally examined by a qualified physician.
You had POA and now that's been changed but if a doctor can document when your father’s dementia was diagnosed, the second so called POA is likely to be deemed illegal.
Sadly, I'm not sure how much you'd get back of your family heirlooms, but I hope some can be recovered. Not being near the Colorado area, I'm not familiar with the idea of the particular news show, but if there is enough evidence of crime here any news outlet would be your friend. Elder abuse grabs nearly anyone’s interest and this certainly sounds like financial and even physical abuse.
You are right in not having your father in your home if he was abusive to the kids, but you should have some say about where he is cared for. Please keep us posted on what happens in this case.
Take care,
Carol
Bastards. But, å propos, STOP referring to these things as (as per your thread title) your father's belongings. They weren't - they were yours.
I have cared for him in my home for the last 8 years. I have also just found out that while here, he abused both of my daughters and my brother's sons. None of them wanted to speak up until he was out of the house. Thus, feelings are shall we say "mixed" at this point. Certainly I will see to it that he is adequately cared for, but not in my house. As to the rest, family heirlooms are the only things I can pass along to the grandchildren. I cannot make up for the emotional damage he has done.
While some of you may feel these things are unimportant, that isn't the issue. The issue was as stated in my original post - the church has taken possession of family goods and I asked for advice in recovering those items. I did not ask anyone to make a moral judgment about the merits of our situation. Neither did I ask to be criticized for my decisions. So if all you care to do is pick and criticize, be aware that I will report your post.
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