The attached story is a sad example of a mother being defrauded of almost $500,000 by her son.
Kathleen Turner was being cared for by her son Maxwell and his wife Debbie after Mrs Turner suffered a fall and stroke. To facilitate their stay, Maxwell and Debbie requested Mrs Turner to sign a large number of blank cheques to pay for renovations to house them, food to feed them and assist them to ‘help’ Mrs Turner. Sadly, despite Mrs Turner trusting her son, he used these cheques for his own benefit. Mrs Turner was not aware of what the funds were being used for and assumed they were for her benefit until she visited the bank and saw that a significant portion of her savings was gone. After bringing an action against her son and daughter in law, the Court ordered the large sum of money taken was to be repaid to Mrs Turner.
This story is sadly far too common with the rate of elder abuse and financial mismanagement by their supposed loved ones on the rise. This is a salutary reminder that whenever lending sums of money, even to those you love and trust the most, it is always advisable to consult a solicitor to ensure that your interests are protected.
