Tuesday, July 15, 2008

WHY NOT Reason 3

New York Inquiry is Said to Tape Court Aides Stealing Valuables From the Dead
The investigation was conducted by State Attorney General Robert Abrams, and the New York City Department of Investigation.

“New York State and city investigators have videotaped court representative in the act of taking valuables from apartments of people they thought were dead, according to people familiar with the unusual “sting.” The investigation was part of a city-wide inquiry into the offices of Public Administrators, who handle the estates of people who die without wills or without a clear executor. . . Surrogate Roth did not return several calls to her office yesterday. -NY Times, January 30, 1988

“The problems of patronage aren’t nearly as severe in Manhattan’s Surrogate Court as it is in its Brooklyn counterpart, or, for that matter, in Queens. But even in Manhattan, more can be done to avoid the impression that well-connected lawyers have an unfair edge in the competition for fees for acting as executors, guardians and estate administrators. . . Times endorse Kristin Booth Glen.” –NY Times, Sept 4, 2005

1 comment:

interested said...

The New York Times previously reported that Manhattan's surrogate court was THE WORST. See February 9, 1988 "Administrator for Surrogates Will Resign" and July 24, 1992 "Report Is Critical of Estate System in New York City".
The New York Post named Renee Roth one of its "10 Worst Judges" after the Bar Association reported that she awarded huge fees (and favorable decisions) to the attorneys who contributed to her election campaigns.
As to the "sting," the Manhattan P.A.'s office was NOT included, and no one from the Attorney General's or Comptroller's office would say why. See New York Times, February 9,1988 "Administrator for Surrogates Will Resign."