Trial lawyers specializing in personal injury and civil litigation
Mother's death arrangements result in family litigation
Robert Shaeffer sued his sister, Mary Burghardt, for silent fraud and conversion. In short, he argued that Mary had abused her rights as a signatory on bank accounts by spending money for her own purposes during her mother's life and then attempting to keep the balance when Mom died. He argued that nearly $250,000.00 in the accounts was intended to be shared between the five siblings and ultimately the jury agreed, awarding the four plaintiffs about $230,000.00. On appeal, the higher court concluded there was ample evidence to support the jury's decision over-riding Mary's presumptive ownership of the bank accounts as a "surviving" joint owner.