(no subject)

[thejunipertree]

I just got off the phone with the nursing home's office manager.

I explained to her the situation of my mother's "estate" and how there actually isn't one. I also told her about how when my mother was receiving the SSD benefits, the bulk of that money was going towards her bills and keeping a roof over our heads. Keeping the apartment for when we thought she was coming home. And that the rest of what little money she had went to funeral expenses.

She asked if I signed the admission packet, which I have no idea what that is. I met with so many different people when my mother went into Innova and saw so much paperwork, I don't even know who and what they all were. No one really took the time to explain to me the ins and outs of this whole mess and I wasn't in the frame of mind to start asking questions, I had too much else to worry about.

What I do know is that I don't have copies of anything from her admission. And I keep fairly meticulous records. In my little file box of Mom's papers, I don't have anything whatsoever for the nursing home. Nothing.

I'm worried, though, that I signed something saying I'm responsible for this. There was so much shit going on at the time and I was being pulled in twenty different directions at once. The only thing I can definitively say is that I held Power of Attorney and I was first to be contacted regarding anything.

After I explained to the office manager (not that shmuck, Jeffrey) that I'm being piled on by all of my mother's creditors (and hear this now, there's a fucking billion of them crawling out of the woodwork), she recommended that I at least consult with an estate attorney. See if they'll give me a free consultation, because I can't pay for shit right now or for the foreseeable near future.

I literally have zero money for this crap. I barely make my own bills and rent now without that extra bit coming in from my mom, especially with the rent having gone up and me having to pay a full half of it. It's a lot of fucking money and I don't make that much an hour. I'm working fifty hour work weeks now and contemplating taking on extra hours from the call center, but I can't drive myself into the ground with this.

The office manager said she's going to bring this to the administrator (the aforementioned Jeffrey) and see what he decides, then call me tomorrow. I'm trying to be optimistic about this, but I have a feeling I'm going to get fucked.

Comments

[sinisher.livejournal.com]

Fight it all the way, and if they fail to pull their heads out of their asses, just don't pay. The worst they can do is report it to your credit record, and all credit reporting agencies let you dispute a record and place an explaination on file. It makes me so angry that you're having to deal with all this right now. I hate the US medical system.

[drewness.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this shit right now...

*BIG-ASS HUGS*

Small comfort, I know, but you are in my thoughts.

[rhiann31.livejournal.com]

Hey! Call me...I'll get you in touch with Uncle Binky...he's an estate lawyer....and don't agree to anything (payment plan or anything) until you speak with him or another lawyer...

[rowan-1958.livejournal.com]

I can't speak to the nursing home issue, as I don't know what papers were signed when Pat was admitted, HOWEVER, the remainder of her creditors are NOT, repeat NOT, your problem. She did not leave a will, there is no "estate"...all the furniture, etc. in the apartment were purchased by you and your brother, I repeat, everything in the apartment was purchased by you and your brother. The creditors can pound sand as far as NJ law is concerned and they know it. Tell them that your mother died intestate, there is no estate as she was on assistance (SSD), and that's the end of it. Believe me, I work with this crap all too frequently with our county Surrogate's office, and yea, it's a PITA while you're dealing with it all, but you are NOT, repeat again NOT responsible for your mother's creditors now that she has passed (but you should either check or have someone check with an attorney about the hospital, especially the admitting papers, they can be tricky bastards. The Camden County Bar Association should have attornies that will work either pro bono if you can prove your resources are limited).