Need advice with people taking advantage of my Schizophrenic mother !!

BeerWolf

Simply put, my mother is a religious nut. She's alright when things are sound, but every one or two years there's always one bad episode of her going completely off the end, and does end up with her being in a mental ward for a month...


Last week her friend's husband commit suicided, and I imagine this has triggered her funny behaviour. Sure signs of her going would be behaviour such as being child like, aloft, this weird creepy laugh, irrational, unkept appearance, making this weird face while watching TV, and the main one of her NOT SLEEPING, smoking excessively in her bedroom, etc.

While my family can handle this, what I don't know what to do is the people that take ADVANTAGE of her!!

While she's been out my sister took a glance at her bank statements, and we were shocked that she's been pulling out €5000 every few days! All of them being sent to the same account - and this amount has so far totaled €40k within the month of Septermber !!! She has done this before, pulling out a large amount, thankfully then, in cash.

Is there anyway for me to track who she's been sending money to and/or a way of stopping it ? She's not financially secured well and is currently living off money from selling off her old house.

Pardon me for being blunt, but whoever this asshole is doesn't give a damn if she would end up on the streets [financially speaking] !!


This is just beyond fecking criminal... :mad:


I'm sure my sister will be confronting her about this later tonight, but knowing my mother she'd just play the oblivious card and/or get aggressive saying it's not our business, etc.

I really need advice or options that I can take...

LegacyUser

Awful stuff, very sorry to hear this OP. Some people have no shame. Can you talk with her psychiatrist? I don't know the logistics, but there are ways of making someone a ward of the state to protect her assets and legally pursue the beneficiary of these money transfers.

Pinesky

look at the transaction details on the bank statement . Enter the IBAN numbers into google search. most charities/ religious will be on the net.
If you cant see who the money is going to ,go to your local garda station, give them the details and your mother's medical history.

BeerWolf

Pinesky wrote: »

look at the transaction details on the bank statement . Enter the IBAN numbers into google search. most charities/ religious will be on the net.
If you cant see who the money is going to ,go to your local garda station, give them the details and your mother's medical history.

Did the googling, nothing came up - guess I'll be trying that out with the Garda. No harm getting some advice off them as well, if anything.

Animord

Do you have a solicitor? I think you need proper legal advice. What are you going to do when you find out who the money has gone to? If she is not in a position to be responsible for her own money then you will need some kind of court order to have someone else take over her affairs.

BeerWolf

Animord wrote: »

Do you have a solicitor? I think you need proper legal advice. What are you going to do when you find out who the money has gone to? If she is not in a position to be responsible for her own money then you will need some kind of court order to have someone else take over her affairs.

Personally, I've yet to have a solicitor. I do know of the one my parents, mainly my Dad (Who's divorced and moved out of the country now), have been using for the past decade though - but I reckon that's not advisable?

My sister got in contact with the Garda, and they apparently can't really help because of this whole "free will" business, that she was willingly giving this money... This kinda aggravated me because she's not sound of mind, and is easily manipulated! More so with this whole religious crap and this brotherhood she's with, who most likely IS the recipient of the money. They're a lot of scammers if you ask me!

May be a long shot, and this 'brotherhood' is genuine and not a scam [what religion isn't really...] - maybe they 'could' return some of the donated money if they realised that my mother is not sound of mind? Though I seriously doubt this, because they've been willfully accepting €5000 every few days...

As with regards to someone taking over her financing, that would seem like the best option - if not ideal, with regards to relationships... she has done this before, but not to the extent of giving away THIS MUCH MONEY! Like I previously said, she sold her house - and I dread to think the money she's got left on her statement is what's left from that sale... i.e. - She's given away €200,000+ within a few months...

Animord

You need legal advice and she needs to be properly medically accessed. If she is of sound mind then what she does with her money is her own affair. If not she needs to be stopped. It is a really difficult situation. Can you go to her doctor? He/she may be able to help you. There is no point going to the Gardaí - there is no crime.

If this brotherhood is reputable you may be able to get some back if they are above board and it can be shown that she is of unsound mind. But you really need proper legal/medical advice.

I would start by making an appointment with the doctor urgentlytoday and explaining the situation and take it from there.

Best of luck with it.

BeerWolf

Animord wrote: »

If she is of sound mind then what she does with her money is her own affair. If not she needs to be stopped.

Give you a good example of her not being right in the head atm;

Last night she was smoking in the kitchen while there was toast burning away for God knows how long, smoking up the entire kitchen without her even noticing it...


I'll be getting in contact with the GP.. if anything, to get her to sleep. This behavior just worsens with the lack of it, and she becomes incredibly more adamant in not going to sleep. Last thing I want is another one of her "The Exorcist" scenarios....!

suicide_circus

if she is no longer of sound mind you need to get a solicitor and ask about you and your sister getting power of attorney

Emme

suicide_circus wrote: »

if she is no longer of sound mind you need to get a solicitor and ask about you and your sister getting power of attorney

I was going to suggest the same thing and to do it as soon as possible. Primarily for your mother's sake. I'm pretty sure the people she has frittered €200,000 on have no intention of caring for her when she gets older.

Manco

OP, your mother's behaviour sounds like my mother when she didn't take her medication, she would behave erratically similar to what you describe, and we would have to secure psychiatric care for her. Take it from someone who knows first hand OP, you need to get a GP out to the house IMMEDIATELY, your mother's behaviour is only going to get worse in the frame of mind she's in. Thankfully my mother is taking medication consistently now and is a lot better, as a family we have learned how to deal with her illness and found medication that works etc.