I'm so worried about asking my Mom for POA. Any advice?
My mom opened her mail last week and said "OH MY GOD SHE DID IT AGAIN". On her checking account was another check for over $400 to her lawyer, written by my sister.
She currently does has this sister as POA, but sis is not doing a good job, every time sis needs an answer to her questions, she runs to an attorney and pays the bill out of mom' s checking account.
Also she has failed to pay some bills on time, and always files an extension on mom's taxes which really bothers my mom.
OH-- yes, and also she charges my mom about $100 a month for "time" spent taking care of mom's "estate issues" but my sister is not a lawyer or anything like that (she pays her own lawyer out of mom's checking account).
I live 2 blocks from mom and bring her dinner every day, drive her anywhere she wants, take her to church, everything.
Sister lives about 10 hours away and while she tries to handle things, her way,
MOM DOES NOT LIKE what is going on.
I want to help my mom, and my mom asks me for my advice, and that's why I'm here.
I am financially secure and don't need mom's money, but I don't really want to hire an attorney and only be told "You have no right to be telling the POA what to do".
I also don't want to alienate my sister (even though she has really been behaving badly to mom I don't want to return the favor!), or keep my sister away from mom,
BUT SERIOUSLY, can't mom's money just be her own, and aren't there any limits to this POA thing?
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So perhaps sis is mixing these 2 documents up in her mind?
Mom wants me to take her to visit attorney to discuss all of this, and I am happy to do that.
Taxes---I reviewed the copies from TurbTaxes that sis did mail to my mom, and there was no tax due because mom only lives on her soc sec check and a very small pension. So the $400+ check is a mystery.
Why wouldn't the attorney send a duplicate copy of the bill and what it was for, directly to my mom?
Is your mom competent? Would an attorney allow her to change POA? Would your mom want to? Yes, if the change were made your sisters feelings may be hurt. Is there a trust? Is there a requirement for financial reporting either to your mother or other beneficiaries?
If I were in your sister's shoes I would check with an attorney before I made any major decisions especially if I had siblings that questioned me. My sister, POA, started to run things by moms attorney, did not like what she was told, then fired that attorney, retained another one that she proceeded to lie to about the situation. Attorney #2 took sister at her word, did not verify critical information before representing her. It has turned into a nightmare, unscrupulous attorney, greedy daughter POA.