Recently I observed close up an astonishing case of elder
abuse where a woman in her late seventies appears to have been defrauded both
out of significant sums of money, and what she thought was her home by the
combined efforts of her daughters astonishingly each working independently of
the other. Yes, I know it’s hard to
believe and furthermore you simply do not expect that kind of thing to happen
to people you know
It had all started with her wanting to move North to be near
the family, and the subsequent sale of a property in the South Island. It was slow to sell but her older daughter
and partner said they were happy to help out in the short term. Subsequently what she had fondly imagined was
a `down payment’ on a unit in the central city turned almost overnight into two
years’ `rent’ and she found herself being unceremoniously turned out almost
onto the street when she felt she could not meet the ongoing rental demands of helpful
daughter number one and her belligerent partner.
`If you thought the money you gave them was a deposit on the
property why didn’t you check that the place was in your name?’ I asked incredulously.
`Well first of all I trusted my daughter……. and I didn’t
quite like to keep pestering her when she’s busy for ownership papers….’
To make matters considerably worse it appears that while
this was taking place, daughter number two was given a `loan’ with which to
start an on line fashion business which now appears to be in some jeopardy.
Ever obliging mother did not like to say no, `for one thing
she knew I had the money just sitting there doing nothing very much….’
Why didn’t she talk to friends or neighbours about this
situation before it got completely out of hand? Because once she realized what had happened
and how she had been duped, her most significant emotion was one of deep
shame. She wanted to avoid at all costs
anyone finding out how badly her beloved children had behaved towards her!
`I found it hard to believe.
These were my little girls and I loved them. I trusted them.’
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