Author Archives: David Tate, Esq.

From Trusts & Estates – Safeguarding Trusts from Future Ex-Spouse – Also Good Marketing for Estate Planning Attorneys

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Trusts & Estates article Safeguard Trusts from Future Ex-Spouse of Beneficiary

This is a very interesting article from Trusts & Estates that I almost overlooked. It isn’t the Massachusetts case discussion that interests me, it is that I never hear estate planning attorneys discussing these topics and using these topics to tell people additional reasons why they might need a trust and how trusts can be used, and to differentiate one estate planning attorney’s services from another. Click on the following link for the article, CLICK HERE

Dave Tate, Esq., civil (business, real estate, injury), trust, estate, conservatorship and elder abuse litigation and contentious administrations, representing fiduciaries, beneficiaries and family members, San Francisco and throughout California. See also my other blog for audit committees, http://auditcommitteeupdate.com

See Discussion Paper – A Summary of California Trustee and Beneficiary Responsibilities and Rights

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Whether you are a trustee/fiduciary or a beneficiary, click on the following link for my summary paper discussing California trustee and beneficiary responsibilities and rights, A Summary of California Trustee and Beneficiary Responsibilities and Rights Dave Tate Esq 01052016

Dave Tate, Esq. San Francisco and throughout California – trust, estate, conservatorship and elder and dependent adult abuse litigation and contentious administrations; civil business, real estate and personal injury litigation; audit committees, D&O, risk, compliance and investigations. My other blog, http://auditcommitteeupdate.com

How To Handle A Stubborn Aging Parent – forwarding Carolyn Rosenblatt article

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Here’s a worthwhile and encouraging post by Carolyn Rosenblatt – it’s not uncommon for an aging parent to need help, but legitimately they also want their independence. It can be difficult to reach a happy compromise. Click here for Carolyn’s article on Forbes.

Carolyn Rosenblatt article How to Handle a Stubborn Aging Parent

Dave Tate, Esq., civil (business, real estate, D&O and personal injury) and trust, estate, conservatorship and elder and dependent adult abuse litigation, San Francisco and throughout California.

In Anchorage, AK For A Few Days – Picture Of The Mountains

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I’m in Anchorage for a few days with wife, helping a son and daughter in law pack for their move back to California. This is a picture of the nearby mountains. It was a bumpy flight into Anchorage – air turbulence and passenger gasps – the Alaska Airlines pilot and staff did a great job – the passengers spontaneously applauded when we touched ground. We’re having a bit of a heat wave – it gets up to the low 30’s during the day.

The Nursing Home Resident Care Plan – Indispensable Critical Importance

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Below I have pasted 22 California Code of Regulations section 72311, which is one of the California laws that discusses the requirement that a nursing home develop, have, implement and update a care plan for each resident. The resident’s care in part flows from that care plan, which establishes processes and procedures for that resident. The care plan must be updated as often as necessary to reflect a change in the resident’s condition. Failure to satisfy care plan requirements is negligence, and might also constitute negligence per se, neglect, abandonment, gross negligence, elder abuse and/or intentional wrongdoing. It reminds me of a case that I handled – although the care plan called for 3 CNAs to move the resident, after the fall in injury, the CNAs testified that there were never 3 CNAs present or used because the staffing scheduled by the nursing home was inadequate.

Dave Tate, Esq. (San Francisco and California)

22 CCR § 72311
§ 72311. Nursing Service – General.

(a) Nursing service shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Planning of patient care, which shall include at least the following:
(A) Identification of care needs based upon an initial written and continuing assessment of the patient’s needs with input, as necessary, from health professionals involved in the care of the patient. Initial assessments shall commence at the time of admission of the patient and be completed within seven days after admission.
(B) Development of an individual, written patient care plan which indicates the care to be given, the objectives to be accomplished and the professional discipline responsible for each element of care. Objectives shall be measurable and time-limited.
(C) Reviewing, evaluating and updating of the patient care plan as necessary by the nursing staff and other professional personnel involved in the care of the patient at least quarterly, and more often if there is a change in the patient’s condition.
(2) Implementing of each patient’s care plan according to the methods indicated. Each patient’s care shall be based on this plan.
(3) Notifying the attending licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure promptly of:
(A) The admission of a patient.
(B) Any sudden and/or marked adverse change in signs, symptoms or behavior exhibited by a patient.
(C) An unusual occurrence, as provided in Section 72541, involving a patient.
(D) A change in weight of five pounds or more within a 30-day period unless a different stipulation has been stated in writing by the patient’s licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure.
(E) Any untoward response or reaction by a patient to a medication or treatment.
(F) Any error in the administration of a medication or treatment to a patient which is life threatening and presents a risk to the patient.
(G) The facility’s inability to obtain or administer, on a prompt and timely basis, drugs, equipment, supplies or services as prescribed under conditions which present a risk to the health, safety or security of the patient.
(b) All attempts to notify licensed healthcare practitioners acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure shall be noted in the patient’s health record including the time and method of communication and the name of the person acknowledging contact, if any. If the attending licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure or his or her designee is not readily available, emergency medical care shall be provided as outlined in Section 72301(g).
(c) Licensed nursing personnel shall ensure that patients are served the diets as ordered by the attending licensed healthcare practitioner acting within the scope of his or her professional licensure.
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Is Your Aging Client Being Seduced Away By Another “Advisor”? – From Aging Investor

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From Aging Investor, for the discussion click on the following link, CLICK HERE.

An interesting discussion, on a topic that needs more coverage relative to investment advisors and persuasion or undue influence in general. Mental capacity, mental understanding, intent, persuasion and undue influence are common issues and themes in elder and dependent adult abuse, trust, estate and real property litigation. In my experience, it is very difficult to get a business to reverse a transaction or a sale after the fact on an argument that the elder did not and could not understand the transaction. All situations are different of course, but most likely you will have to file a lawsuit before the entity will really take you seriously. It can help if there are prior medical/psychological doctor or other professional evaluations or comments about lack of mental capacity or the inability to engage in transactions or to continue as trustee, or a prior established conservatorship in appropriate cases.

Dave Tate, Esq. (San Francisco Bay Area and California), http://californiaestatetrust.com

California Corporation Books And Records Statutes – Important For Shareholder, Officer and Director Rights And Responsibilities

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The press tends to cover litigation and court cases that present sensational facts or issues. Have you ever seen a news release that discussed California corporate bookkeeping and records rights and responsibilities? Probably not. But these rights and responsibilities are extremely important for shareholders, officers, directors and others

I have provided below four important California Corporations Code books and records sections (sections 1500, 1507, 1601 and 1602), plus section 1600 relating to information about shareholders’ names and contact information.

Of course, with respect to the books and records, you still need to determine if all of the information has been correctly recorded, kept and provided, if information has been represented correctly, and what the information and numbers mean about the situation, and that’s where legal, accounting and auditing experience and help are useful. Currently I am also in the process of updating my audit committee guide to include SSARS 21 (for review, compilation, and preparation engagements), and I will be posting the updated guide shortly. Sometimes in these situations there are also financial statements that have been audited, reviewed, or compiled.

The following is California Corporations Code section 1500.

Each corporation shall keep adequate and correct books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its shareholders, board and committees of the board and shall keep at its principal executive office, or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and class of shares held by each. Those minutes and other books and records shall be kept either in written form or in another form capable of being converted into clearly legible tangible form or in any combination of the foregoing. When minutes and other books and records are kept in a form capable of being converted into clearly legible paper form, the clearly legible paper form into which those minutes and other books and records are converted shall be admissible in evidence, and accepted for all other purposes, to the same extent as an original paper record of the same information would have been, provided that the paper form accurately portrays the record.

The following is California Corporations Code section 1507.

Any officers, directors, employees or agents of a corporation who do any of the following are liable jointly and severally for all the damages resulting therefrom to the corporation or any person injured thereby who relied thereon or to both.

(a) Make, issue, deliver or publish any prospectus, report, circular, certificate, financial statement, balance sheet, public notice or document respecting the corporation or its shares, assets, liabilities, capital, dividends, business, earnings or accounts which is false in any material respect, knowing it to be false, or participate in the making, issuance, delivery or publication thereof with knowledge that the same is false in a material respect.

(b) Make or cause to be made in the books, minutes, records or accounts of a corporation any entry which is false in any material particular knowing such entry is false.

(c) Remove, erase, alter or cancel any entry in any books or records of the corporation, with intent to deceive.

The following is California Corporations Code section 1601.

(a) The accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the shareholders and the board and committees of the board of any domestic corporation, and of any foreign corporation keeping any such records in this state or having its principal executive office in this state, shall be open to inspection upon the written demand on the corporation of any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any reasonable time during usual business hours, for a purpose reasonably related to such holder’s interests as a shareholder or as the holder of such voting trust certificate. The right of inspection created by this subdivision shall extend to the records of each subsidiary of a corporation subject to this subdivision.

(b) Such inspection by a shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate may be made in person or by agent or attorney, and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts. The right of the shareholders to inspect the corporate records may not be limited by the articles or bylaws.

The following is California Corporations Code section 1602.

Every director shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to inspect and copy all books, records and documents of every kind and to inspect the physical properties of the corporation of which such person is a director and also of its subsidiary corporations, domestic or foreign. Such inspection by a director may be made in person or by agent or attorney and the right of inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts. This section applies to a director of any foreign corporation having its principal executive office in this state or customarily holding meetings of its board in this state.

And, the following is California Corporations Code section 1600.

(a) A shareholder or shareholders holding at least 5 percent in the aggregate of the outstanding voting shares of a corporation or who hold at least 1 percent of those voting shares and have filed a Schedule 14A with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (or in case the corporation is a bank the deposits of which are insured in accordance with the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, have filed a Form F-6 with the appropriate federal bank regulatory agency) shall have an absolute right to do either or both of the following: (1) inspect and copy the record of shareholders’ names and addresses and shareholdings during usual business hours upon five business days’ prior written demand upon the corporation, or (2) obtain from the transfer agent for the corporation, upon written demand and upon the tender of its usual charges for such a list (the amount of which charges shall be stated to the shareholder by the transfer agent upon request), a list of the shareholders’ names and addresses, who are entitled to vote for the election of directors, and their shareholdings, as of the most recent record date for which it has been compiled or as of a date specified by the shareholder subsequent to the date of demand. The list shall be made available on or before the later of five business days after the demand is received or the date specified therein as the date as of which the list is to be compiled. A corporation shall have the responsibility to cause its transfer agent to comply with this subdivision.

(b) Any delay by the corporation or the transfer agent in complying with a demand under subdivision (a) beyond the time limits specified therein shall give the shareholder or shareholders properly making the demand a right to obtain from the superior court, upon the filing of a verified complaint in the proper county and after a hearing, notice of which shall be given to such persons and in such manner as the court may direct, an order postponing any shareholders’ meeting previously noticed for a period equal to the period of such delay. Such right shall be in addition to any other legal or equitable remedies to which the shareholder may be entitled.

(c) The record of shareholders shall also be open to inspection and copying by any shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate at any time during usual business hours upon written demand on the corporation, for a purpose reasonably related to such holder’s interests as a shareholder or holder of a voting trust certificate.

(d) Any inspection and copying under this section may be made in person or by agent or attorney. The rights provided in this section may not be limited by the articles or bylaws. This section applies to any domestic corporation and to any foreign corporation having its principal executive office in this state or customarily holding meetings of its board in this state.

Dave Tate, Esq., and licensed CPA (inactive) in California, San Francisco and throughout California, http://directorofficernews.com and http://californiaestatetrust.com.

 

Probate Court Judges Need More Judiciary Education From The California Judicial Council

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I can say this – absolutely. California judges need more, and more detailed, education about probate, wills, trusts, decedent’s intent, mental capacity, undue influence, fraud, conservatorships and elder and dependent adult abuse.

I’m not saying that all judges need more education – some are quite experienced in these areas – but over the past several years I have been running into situations where judges who primarily handle civil or criminal matters are also assigned probate related cases. And this can happen in any court for trial purposes because even in courts that have dedicated probate departments, the trial of a probate case that will take longer than a day will probably be assigned to the master calendar for trial and judicial assignment. I’m not faulting a judge for not having experience in these areas – I am faulting the system and the judiciary education system.

While, yes, it can be argued that it is then for the attorneys to educate that judge, if I’m a judge and one attorney is saying that the law and the required outcome are “X” and another attorney is saying that the law and the outcome are “Y,” as the judge I don’t know who to believe. And add to that the fact that probate, wills, trusts, intent, mental capacity, undue influence, fraud, conservatorships and elder and dependent adult cases and evidence are detailed and complicated, including the law in those areas, which is also regularly changing, and you have a recipe for erroneous decisions, and also opportunities for less than honest counsel to exceed the bounds of advocacy and improperly twist or spin the law and the evidence.

These are important cases. They are the probate court version of family law – important issues, very emotional, and people related and impacting.

Dave Tate, Esq. (San Francisco and California) http://californiaestatetrust.com and http://directorofficernews.com

 

 

More News On Elder Abuse, And What People Are Doing – But You Cannot Treat Or Remedy It Without Private Attorneys

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I am writing about elder and dependent adult abuse more, and more often. Elder and dependent adult abuse already was and has been an epidemic. The topic, however, is in the news more often, and governmental units are increasing their discussions about elder and dependent adult abuse, but those discussions cannot treat or remedy the abuse – there simply are not sufficient time and experienced people resources to treat and remedy the problem. I encourage the increased efforts, but people need to understand that those resources still are entirely insufficient. It takes a lot of time, and expertise to prosecute these cases in court. A couple of cases can almost entirely occupy an attorney’s time. Long ago the California Legislature enacted the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act to encourage private attorneys to take on these cases. Well . . . private attorneys cannot take on these cases if they aren’t contacted to do so, and in most instances governmental entities work in silos, and also will not refer to private attorneys. The ridiculousness of this situation is extremely frustrating.

I am attaching links to two new elder abuse articles. One of the articles HERE is by Forbes, discussing banks and what they are doing about elder abuse. Although identifying elder abuse and freezing an account might be helpful in certain cases, bank investigations and referral to adult protective services don’t provide the resources to prosecute and remedy the abuse. The other article HERE discusses a Dallas County effort to prosecute and remedy the abuse – I cannot determine from the article whether private attorneys are utilized – hopefully they are and that would be a step forward – but it is clear that without private attorneys the necessary resources absolutely do not exist and people should not talk as if they are truly prosecuting and remedying the abuse..

Dave Tate, Esq. (San Mateo County, the Bay Area, and California)

 

 

Elder Abusers Use The Legal System Also

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You might be surprised that elder abusers aren’t necessarily worried or scared of the legal system.

In my experience, most abusers as a personality trait believe that they can get away with the abuse because they believe that other people are stupid, or that they simply won’t be caught, or that other people won’t make the effort or don’t have the time and resources to stop them.

You might also be surprised to know that elder abusers use or try to use the legal system to help them commit the abuse. Here are a few of the ways that I have seen.

-The abuser calls the police and complains that other people, the good people, are abusing, or mistreating, stealing from, or unduly influencing the elder. The abuser tries to turn the tables on the good people so that the abuser can then have the elder victim alone.

-Similarly, the abuser calls adult protective services and complains that the good people are mistreating or stealing from the elder.

-Another example, the abuser obtains an attorney who will draft a will, or trust, or power of attorney for the elder naming the abuser, and the attorney does not understand or sufficiently care about his or her ethical and legal obligations to the elder who is the attorney’s client.

-Or the abuser files a contest of the elder’s will or trust documents.

-Except in situations of immediate theft, typically the abuser works at this for a continuous period of time taking small steps forward, influencing the elder against the good people and eventually getting the assets, documents or evidence that help the abuser.

And in another example, the abuser promises the elder victim something that the elder wants, something that will make the elder happy, such as . . . “if you sign the power of attorney I will be able to take you home,” even when it’s clear that medically or for daily care the elder should stay in the nursing home.

The list goes on. These are cases that are difficult and time consuming, and can be expensive to prosecute – it takes good people to take action.

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