Chapter 22
A few days later, Sam met Gary Russo at the door to his law office. “I know this isn’t easy. If it makes you feel any better,” he said, taking his seat behind his desk, “with all the boomers getting up in age and their parents reaching their golden years, you’re in the same boat with a lot of other people.”
Sam sat spread-legged, arms resting on his thighs, fingers intertwined. “I’m no boomer. I’m still a few months shy of thirty.”
“Maybe not you, but your dad falls into the golden age category. Sounds like you’re really worried about him.”
Sam rubbed his jaw. “All I can say is thank God for Woodcrest.” It had taken the drastic step of committing him—pending review—to make Sam realize the constant tension he’d been under the past year, waiting for the next bartender to call asking him to come get his Dad, waiting to hear about the next “accident.”
“You’ve taken a commendable first step, which is to make sure your dad’s in a safe environment. He’s getting good care. Now,” he said, folding his hands atop his desk. “What can I do to help?”
Sam couldn’t say help me figure out how to wipe the name Owens off the deed of to my house ASAP without sounding as loony as his old man. Instead, he said, “My father almost set himself and his house on fire. He obviously can’t take care of his property anymore. When the civil commitment hearing comes, I’d like to get control of his assets.”
“How close are you and your dad? Have you tried simply talking to him about yielding control of his finances and getting him to sign over power of attorney?”
“You’ve never met George Owens, or you wouldn’t be asking. Let’s just say he makes hornets look cuddly.”
“It can be hard for people who’ve been in charge all their lives to give up their independence. If he won’t talk to you, is there someone else in the family who could intervene?”
Sam shook his head. “My mom, my brother and sister, even Penny, his common-law wife, were smart enough to cut bait.”
“I have to ask. Are any of them going to fight you on this?”
Sam huffed. “You kidding? They’re glad to be rid of him. I’m pretty much the only one he has left. I’m in line to get the house, anyway. I was trying to scare up important papers when I came across Dad’s will in a drawer of the china cupboard.”
Gary sat back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. “I’ll want to have a look at that, when you get a chance. And you say his physical is so far inconclusive?”
“According to his GP. He’s calling in a specialist to do a psychological evaluation.”
“Sounds like it’s all going to hinge on what the specialist says. If it’s determined that he’s a risk to himself or others, we can petition the court to appoint you to assume responsibility for his affairs.”
“Then I can do anything I want with the house, right?”
Gary nodded. “I assume you’re contemplating selling the house. Places like Woodcrest can drain assets quickly.”
“I don’t think it’s that valuable. It’s out in the middle of nowhere. There are no public utilities, and the land’s not conducive to grape growing.
“Money shouldn’t be a problem, anyway. Dad started buying and selling scrap metal before I was born. Bought copper and aluminum and stainless steel, held it when prices were low and sold when they went up. You might have heard of Willamette Scrap and Metal outside McMinnville?”
“Who hasn’t?”
“A big corporation bought him out a few years back. Tight as he is, I imagine he still has every cent. About the house. I was thinking more along the lines of razing it.”
“Oh. I see. Your taste runs more minimalist,” he said with a complicit smile. “You want to rebuild. Something with clerestory windows, curvilinear design elements.”
Sam forced up the corners of his mouth. Whatever curvilinear meant. “Meantime, say I wanted to take the property out of the name Owens, make it anonymous?”
Gary nodded sagely. “You have every reason to be concerned. Concealing assets is a common tactic of the wealthy. The more money you have, the bigger a target for lawsuits. We can put the house in an anonymous trust.”
It was no use trying to explain to Gary that he had never given a thought to family money. Sam had always considered himself a separate entity. Even as a child, he had taken care of himself.
Gary spread his hands. “Once you’ve been awarded control, what you do with the property is your business. As soon as the psych eval comes back we can file for legal guardianship, giving you the power to oversee your father’s health and well-being. We’ll also ask for you to be appointed conservator of his financial affairs. The judge will also want to hear evidence of his incompetence. From what you’ve told me, I think you have plenty of material to work with.”