Was the property sold? Has anybody looked at the contract?
Many states have a seniors sevices agency that handles elder abuse cases and they would probably have helpful information.
This might even rise to a criminal act rather than just a civil dispute.
Reporting them for elder abuse might be the fastest way to shake the check loose.
Here are some routes to try before the expense of suing:
Call AARP and ask for advice.
Contact your state’s consumer protection office.
Some states also have Departments of Aging.
Write a letter to the liquidator spelling out all promises and dates and your complaint, with a CC on the bottom of it to your state’s Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, anyone you think would have authority — and send copies to the CC’s.
A little hard to follow from your description.
Did someone take the proceeds of the sale of the real-estate?
Or are you saying someone was supposed to sell the furniture etc. and send some portion of funds related to the sale of those items?
Have you visited the liquidator in person? Who regulators liquidators in your community or state? Maybe file a small court claim for the full anticipated value of the liquidation. Let them explain it to a judge, else pay up in advance.
A quick search for Elder Financial Abuse Attorney finds lots of attorneys specializing in this area. Of course, you need to find a good one who himself isn't a crook.
My sisters and I were blessed because our dad was so financially capable and a fantastic planner. He seriously downsized in his late 60s when they sold their big colonial house and moved to a townhome. They had several garage sales and donated lots to charities. When a new senior living center was announced near them, Dad went to the first meeting and made a deposit on the spot. They downsized again and moved into the senior center.
Dad had always trusted and worked with Merrill Lynch for financial management, so that base was covered. He also was able to get his severely mentally handicapped daughter (my sister) admitted a a Devereaux Foundation group home so she would be taken care of. By the time he and mom passed, there was little to dispose of, our sister was taken well care of, and finances were under control and protected from fraud.
When I read a horror story like yours, I can't help but think how lucky us kids are for having a Dad who did such great end-of-life planning. It saved us a lot of potential grief. Thanks, Dad!
There's a lesson there for all of us. Do the necessary planning in your later years so your assets are protected and your kids aren't burdened.
I hope you are able to recover your friend's money. Best of luck to you.
Might even contact your local news station (some have a consumer fraud dept). Perhaps a call from them to do a story will kick that check loose.
Contact your state attorney general’s office. We pay their salaries for these sort of things. Have all your papers, contract, dates / times you’ve contacted the liquidators, etc. in order. Sounds like this could be viewed as fraud and elder abuse.
Many local TV stations have an advocacy segment on their local news programs: “Channel 3 On Your Side”, for example. When something is as far out of kosher as you describe, shining that TV spotlight can get speedy results.
I really wish you well. There are some shady characters in this business, all right. You are at their mercy on realized prices, for one thing. Can you figure out their on line presence, for example, such as an eBay account that you can keep an eye on? Moving everything in 30 45 days at an antique mall happens never, so the dealer would have to buy the inventory himself, at his own price.
If you sue in small claims, you still have the uphill battle of collecting on the judgement.
If the dealer had high recommendations, he or she is probably just too casual at business and will make good after all. If you know the movers’ ID, give them a call and see if they were paid.
Again, good luck.
This solution was the most convenient for the old man's scattered family. There were of course no proceeds and little explanation of why that was so, even as to valuable antiques and artwork. The family shrugged, and the widower privately seethed at his family for being so easily duped -- and uncaring that they were duped because it was only his possessions that had been effectively given away.
A it was, an elder care lawyer explained what went on. The "estate liquidator" sold the contents for a minimal sum to their affiliated second hand store that reaped all the value of the man's possessions, protected by contract terms that authorized the malpractice. Like similar operations, the estate liquidator was heavily promoted with smiles, unenforceable feelgood promises, and "have a blessed day" in the nursing home and local Christian community.
I could multiply this story several times over based on my 93 year old mother's close observation of and retelling of what goes on with her circle of friends and in her retirement facility. My mother is sharp enough to notice the many lapses and malpractices that swirl about elder care.