My family just got involved with situation full of drama and greed.
A friend moved with us and went to Orlando with us around September 23, 2010 for vacation. While he was there, he received a call from his grandfather's landlord. The landlord told him that his grandfather was moved to an assisted living home and that he (our friend) had 3 days to clear out his grandfather's home so his (grandfather') attorney can sell his condo.
Our friend was devastated because the attorney did not call him or any of the family members to let them know he was removing him to a home.
Our friend just went to see his grandfather a couple of days before he went on vacation. He did find that the grandfather needed his home cleaned for it was a mess from him having accidents in going to the bathroom.
We can give you more details on that later.
Anyways, when our friend tried to call the attorney, he just said he could not give out personal information regarding his grandfather and just hung up. So, our friend got the information from the Landlord on where his grandfather was.
Our friend sought legal advice first, because he suspected the attorney was taking advantage of his grandfather. Our Friend knows that his grandfather gave power of attorney legally 4 years ago to Mr. Gazzola when he fell and broke his hip. His grandson was too young at the time to be Power of attorney. His grandson, our friend Ivan just turned 21 on the 23rd of September.
Anyways, the attorney who advised him thought things sounded suspicious, especially since Ivan call the attorney a week before and the attorney told him nothing about moving his grandfather and then he did not inform him after the move either. It took the landlord.
So, the attorney told him to remove the grandfather from the home immediately if he wished to leave.
Ivan, and my husband went to Twins Place, in Washington DC to just talk to Mr. Ivy, Ivan’s' grandfather. Because Ivan and his family many times before wanted to put him in a senior home but he refused each time. So, his family just thought it was odd especially since he just seen him a few weeks before.
Mr. Ivy was so happy to see Ivan and thought everyone deserted him. He said that the Attorney told him he was going to the doctors and then tricked him by bringing him to the assisted living home. He said he had no choice to but to stay. They did not bring his clothes or belongings and the attorney still did not discuss with the family and friends what he was doing with and for Mr. Ivy up to that time. He would just keep saying he could not discuss Mr. Ivy's case with them.
On his own, Mr. Ivy said he wanted to leave the home and so Ivan called Attorney Gazzola on the phone and put him on speaker phone. Mr. Ivy is hard of hearing so he had to have a few things repeated that the attorney was saying. But out of his own mouth, Mr. Ivy said he was fired that he no longer needed his services. He got angry and said put Mr. Ivy back on the phone. He was not aware he was on speaker phone for all to hear. He said that Ivan brainwashed and coaxed Mr. Ivy to say he was fired and said that Mr. Ivy was incompetent to make that decision and then he hung up.
Mr. Ivy said he wanted to leave and the staff tried to stop him by grabbing him and pulling on him where he yelled. Mr. Ivy kept saying he wanted to leave; he no longer wanted to stay. He did not desire to be there. He was finally able to leave with my husband and Ivan.
Short Version to an even longer story of other events to the drama, today we find out that the attorney has been spending Mr. Ivan's money as I thought he would. He has frozen his account so even Mr. Ivy cannot get to it.
He has paid the Twins Place $3400 for the one week stay. My husband and Ivan before they talked to the father, was trying to be fair and figure out if this was a good home for Ivan grandfather just in case he did want to stay. They asked the price per month and they were told $588 a month. Now how do you get $3400 from one week? Even if you have to pay a deposit.
Mr. Ivy was on no medications, no special equipment or beds. I should know, he has been with us for two weeks as we are trying to help him get his life back together and his home. He has been on nothing.
My husband was also able to casually talk to the other member of the home and they all were there because of this same attorney. The home and the attorney have a working relationship.
Mr. Ivy's main complaint with his attorney is he had no communication with his attorney what so ever. Just saying he need to see a doctor and then told he had to stay at the assisted living home with no if and buts about it.
I am writing because this story smells and smells rotten of a crooked lawyer who is taking advantage of our precious elderly people who appear to be alone. They have no visitor and they give this lawyer power of attorney out of trust just in case they do become incompetent or just to do a will for if they die real soon.
They have hearing problems and other medical problems like our new friend Mr. Ivy. His problem is they bought him a radio shack Ghetto Hearing aid, so he cannot hear properly and he has accidents going to the bathroom at times. Because you have to yell at him to hear, does not make him incompetent. Actually, he is smart and clever. He used to be a professor in Washington DC.
My husband took him to the hospital recently because he saw a growth on him. They took a competency test on him and said he was very competent.
Anyway, I did not want to see anymore elderly people being taken advantage of by a greedy attorney.
Thank you for hearing my story. I hope and pray you will at least investigate. Some people do not care for the elderly and consider this not important, but really they are someone's mom or dad. Maybe the children are too busy to visit or maybe died or they had no children. But is that a reason for someone to strip them from their home to try to sell it from under them, while they are in a nursing or assisted living home. And then to pay the assisted living home for one week over $300O?
But most of all, even if all is said and legal, my question still remains, "Why did the attorney not call family and friends or have Mr. Ivy call to say he was being moved to an Assisted Living home? Why did he not give the information when they called to find out where he was? Why the mystery?
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