Our Atty, sent the necessary paper work, to the new Trustee at Firstar Bank. My sister and I met with Trustee, John Meyers, on March 18, 2002. I gave Trustee Meyers all the records, with my Dad's checkbook for the Trust. I explained how my parents each had companion Trusts, and each had half of the farmland. I explained how the Trust Attorney, Ron Eich had funded Dad's Trust excemption with Dads half of farmland and the remainder of the excemption with cash assets. Since my brother was farming this land, he was to get 1/3 of the crop income, 1/3 to my Mother and 1/3 to Dad's Trust. My brother would be using the farm machinery that my Dad had owned and now my Mother owned. I explained how this Atty Swanson was directing my Mother, to benefit my brother. We explained how our Dad was the one who had made ALL the Business decisions over the 60 yrs. that our parents were married. Therefore, Mother never understood business or money! Dad chose myself to be Trustee of his Trust since I knew more about business. My brother never showed interest in helping Dad, with the bookwork. The Trust Atty, Eich, had encouraged Dad to put Mother on as co-trustee, although Dad explained that she knew nothing about business. Mother had been on Dialysis for 7 yrs. at the time that Dad passed away.
I chose to resign as Trustee, in hopes that the new Trustee would be able to follow Dad's wishes and explain 'things' to Mother, since Atty Swanson was trying to keep Mother away from us daughters. Keep in mind, Mother did NOT need to be taken to an Attorney after Dad passed away. Atty Ron Eich had taken care of all the necessary paper work, in May 2001. It was the brother who began looking for an Attorney, and was not successful to get one, to do what he wanted them to do, UNTIL he took Mother to Atty Swanson, Aug. 16, 2001. We did NOT know about Atty Swanson revoking Mother's Trust UNTIL she passed away, and he done this, within 5 days of knowing her.
As our meeting came to a conclusion, we asked that Trustee Meyers let us know when he was to meet with Mother. This is when Trustee Meyers said that he would be meeting with Mother and our brother, at the Swanson Law Firm, next week and that it would be best if we were NOT there. THAT is when our hearts dropped and could only imagine that this GAME was going to continue..... and it did.
Let this be a 'warning' to anyone who will be working with Bank Trustees and/or Attorneys!
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