Tag Archives: CREDITORS

How can I stop my mother from taking out pay day loans?

Q: My mother lives on $1100 per month social security and has 5-6 loans ranging from $300 to $1000, some collateral and others payday. I paid off her loans two years ago and she has just redone the loans again. She had given me control of her checking account, but she opened a checking account and started taking out the loans again. (Neville Twp., PA)

A: As long as she is competent, she can do as she pleases. If she owns real estate or a motor vehicle, they can be subject to a lien or seizure if she is sued successfully and a judgment is obtained. If she owns no such property, and she takes a judgment, nothing can really happen to her except bad credit and phone harassment from creditors. Of course, you want to make sure she is not borrowing from thugs who may break her legs if she doesn’t ante up. If these loans are a result of some sort of mental infirmity or incompetence, and she becomes a danger to herself, you may want to speak with a lawyer about becoming her guardian.

Does he have to pay remaining bills?

Q: Family member with dementia was victimized by a caregiver who ran up lots of bills in his. Most have been paid off but there are a few left. He now lives with his daughter in Greensburg and is ill and in a nursing home. He has no assets except a retirement account and needs that to live on. Can he be sued for these bills?

A: Probably not. Speak to an attorney. Notification of his financial status or the fact that he is on Medicaid (if he is in fact on Medicaid) to the creditors may be enough to ward them off. However, do not don’t count on it. Whatever you do, do not give them or anybody you care about a cell phone number as they will harass to no end. You may want to have a certified letter sent to the creditors informing them of his status. Your friend may also want to appoint his daughter or another family member appointed as his guardian to speak and act on his behalf.

Does he have to pay remaining bills?

Q: Family member with dementia was victimized by a caregiver who ran up lots of bills in his. Most have been paid off but there are a few left. He now lives with his daughter in Greensburg and is ill and in a nursing home. He has no assets except a retirement account and needs that to live on. Can he be sued for these bills?

A: Probably not. Speak to an attorney. Notification of his financial status or the fact that he is on Medicaid (if he is in fact on Medicaid) to the creditors may be enough to ward them off. However, do not don’t count on it. Whatever you do, do not give them or anybody you care about a cell phone number as they will harass to no end. You may want to have a certified letter sent to the creditors informing them of his status. Your friend may also want to appoint his daughter or another family member appointed as his guardian to speak and act on his behalf.