In the days preceding her husband's death, a woman was visited by two Rabbis that offered her a lifetime of support, in exchange for her multi-million dollar home and her cash, as reported by the Courthouse News Service. When no support came to pass, the woman filed a personal injury claim alleging financial abuse of an elder, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.
M.C., 82, claims that she was coerced while her husband lay dying, with offers of "comfort and support."
The claim is filed in Superior Court and names the Chabad of California and a father and son team of rabbis: B.S.C. the president of the California Chabad and L.P.C., the assistant secretary.
M.C. said, "In December of 2008, while her husband was gravely ill and in the hospital, plaintiff had been in contact with defendants regarding having a rabbi visit her and her husband for comfort and support, and for securing a final resting place for her husband upon his death. In late December 2008, Rabbi (L.P.C.) and his father, Rabbi (B.S.C.), went to visit plaintiff."
After M.C.'s husband died on January 13, 2009, the suit states, "Within one day after the death of plaintiff's husband, while plaintiff was grieving, defendants (L.P.C.) and (B.S.C.) offered to bury her husband at the Chabad burial plot in Running Springs, California, and to support plaintiff financially for the rest of her life. In doing so, the individual defendants coerced plaintiff into signing documents by misrepresenting to plaintiff the nature of the documents, which included the total transfer of ownership of plaintiff's multimillion dollar family home in Malibu to defendant Chabad, the initial appointment of Rabbi (M.Z.N.) and the subsequent replacement appointment of Rabbi (Y.B.) as plaintiff's attorneys-in-fact, and failure to carry out their promise to plaintiff that she would stay in the house and they would take care of all her needs and expenses."
M.C. was surprised to learn that "Defendants had not disclosed to plaintiff that she would no longer own the house, that she would still be responsible for taxes and upkeep for the house and utilities, and that they would use plaintiff's bank account to pay for all of her expenses without depositing any funds into the account or using their own funds to support plaintiff."
Furthermore, "In 2011, plaintiff discovered the misrepresentations defendants had made to her when she began to receive notices from her bank that her own checks had been returned for insufficient funds on deposit."
M.C. believed that she would continue to live in her home with the Chabad managing all of her financial needs, after she had given her power of attorney "in favor of defendants."
Also claimed in the suit is that M.C. was coerced "into purchasing a Torah - which she did not need - from defendants for $100,000 and into giving substantial sums of money to Chabad and the other defendants ...In return, defendants provided nothing of value to plaintiff except a burial place for her recently deceased husband. In addition, defendants moved individuals into and from the property without paying rent to plaintiff, all in a value unknown at present, but is subject to proof at time of trial. This violated plaintiff's expectation of quiet enjoyment of the property and her privacy."
Sheldon Lodmer is representing M.C.
The plaintiff is seeking the return of her home and punitive damages.
If you have been injured by the actions of another person, and would like to gain back what has been taken from you, contact a personal injury lawyer today!