Deceased First Name: Elizabeth
Deceased Last Name: Sullivan
Deceased Date of Death: 02/0?/89
Surrogate's Court County: New London
Surrrogate's Court State: CT
Judges First Name: Pamela
Judges Last Name: Rowe
Tell Your Story: I have been trying to remove the trustee of my trust for almost a year now. I went to the court for removal of the trustee when I realized he was misusing the trust to manipulate my private life(I was coerced into doing menial labor around his residence with the threat of no more funds if I objected).The judge suggessed that I petition for release of the trust to myself .In my petition I made the court aware of a threat that the trustee made "to spend lavishly on accountants and Lawyers if I went through with my petition for release. I was assured , by Judge Rowe ,that she would not allow that to happen, Yet ,she has done just that.She has allowed him to hire expensive lawyers and a personal friend, that is an accountant, for ONE accounting ($4000 for that accounting and $14,000 for numerous frivalous litigations so far).My entire family is outraged and have each petitioned the court to have him removed, for everything from bad faith to abuse of fiduciary responsibilities to financial incompetence, to no avail.
The judge ,to my knowledge,has no background in Law , as she is an elected Ledyard , CT. town official,and seems( to us ) to be consulting with the trustee's attorney for advice on what to do(e.g. We asked to be allowed to tape record the hearings so we could have them transcribed for all, as there is no court stenographer .When the trustee's lawyer refused to allow any record to be made of the proceedings,I was directly threatened by the Judge with HIRING one ,at MY personal expense if I objected again).At the last hearing ,after court was adjourned,I reminded the Judge that I would need funds to live on that month. The trustee claimed he had spent the $24,000 in the account and needed to liquidate more stock.I turned to the Judge and in shock said "he spent 24,000 dollars in less than 4 months!!why won't you remove him?" She told me I was out of order. I apologized and said I though we were adjourned ,to which she replied "I don't care, I don't want you speaking to me now or even in my presence".My lawyer ,whom was absent from the hearing,claimed later that what was being done to me is bordering on being criminal, wished me luck, and asked me to submit the remainder of his bill stating he was only hired for the removal hearings(still unresolved).
My siblings and I are unable to understand why the court is allowing this trustee to continue and, why,she approved an accounting that was submitted with bank statements from an unrelated bank account(my Sister -in - Law's)as well as an accounting that doesn't add up - literally! I feel like I am in the Probate Court's version of "The Twilight Zone".
Where can I get help before he squanders the rest of the trust? So far, both lawyers I hired bailed out when they found out I didn't want Trusteeship to go out of the family(both expressed an interest in being trustee months after I hired them and lost interest in the case when I declined).
Are there ANY lawyers I can hire that will be in MY corner or am I being naive?
Should I just cut my losses and hope that my health will endure the abuse? Please ,I know this is messy and probably sounds like the ravings of a lunatic ,but I feel completely helpless. I am afraid that if the Judge sees this ,she may not order him to give me money for food and medical supplies this month or ever again! If this sounds crazy or paranoid ,then I will submit to a Psychiatric Exam , drug testing ,lie detector or whatever it takes to prove my competence. I just need to be shown my options to salvage the trust that was set up,when I became disabled, for me survive on.I am 46 years old and fear for my present and future survival.
Your e-mail address: msullivan24@snet.net