{"id":11850,"date":"2020-05-22T18:34:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T18:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/probatestars.com\/?p=11850"},"modified":"2020-05-22T18:34:31","modified_gmt":"2020-05-22T18:34:31","slug":"californias-elder-abuse-act-attorneys-fees-mandatory-upon-finding-of-financial-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/probatestars.com\/californias-elder-abuse-act-attorneys-fees-mandatory-upon-finding-of-financial-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"California\u2019s Elder Abuse Act: Attorney’s Fees Mandatory Upon Finding Of Financial Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"

The California Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, the \u201cElder Abuse Act,\u201d protects elders against financial and other abuse\u00a0 \u201cby providing enhanced remedies which encourage private, civil enforcement of laws against elder abuse and neglect.\u201d\u00a0 In\u00a0 Arace v. Medico Investments LLC<\/a>, California\u2019s Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed an award of attorney fees upon a finding of financial abuse, even though no economic or noneconomic damages were assessed.<\/p>\n

The Facts of Arace v. Medico<\/h2>\n

In 2010, Grace Miller, in her early 80s, moved into a residential care facility called Foremost.\u00a0 Foremost was owned by Leonard Crites.\u00a0 Elizabeth Colon was the administrator and an employee of Foremost.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Crites purchased Miller\u2019s home for $66,000 with the promise that Miller would be a \u201clifetime resident at Foremost\u2026without charge.\u201d\u00a0 Medico Investments, LLC (\u201cMedico\u201d) purchased Foremost in 2012. \u00a0\u00a0Colon continued to work as the administrator.\u00a0 Medico was not informed about Crites\u2019 agreement to provide Miller with lifetime residency at the facility.<\/p>\n

In early 2013, Medico discovered that Miller was living at the facility for free.\u00a0 Medico also learned that Colon had a durable power of attorney over Miller\u2019s property and her health-care decisions.\u00a0 Medico reduced Miller\u2019s rent by 50% but sought payment for the past due account.\u00a0 In 2014, Colon moved Miller out of Foremost and into a private home.<\/p>\n

Melanie Arace, Plaintiff, is Miller\u2019s great niece.\u00a0 Arace discovered that Colon controlled Miller\u2019s finances and had taken money from Miller and placed it in Colon’s personal account. \u00a0Arace demanded that Colon surrender the power of attorney over Miller and return $145,885.90 of Miller\u2019s money, which Colon had deposited into her personal bank account in late 2013.<\/p>\n

Arace then sued Medico in early 2015 for elder abuse and related claims.\u00a0 Arace alleged that Medico, or its employee (Colon), engaged in multiple acts of elder abuse against Miller.\u00a0 Miller passed away in December 2015.<\/p>\n

The Jury Finds In Favor Of Plaintiff<\/h4>\n

The case was tried before a jury.\u00a0 The jury:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Found in favor of plaintiff on her claim for financial abuse but assessed no economic or noneconomic damages;<\/li>\n
  2. Found in favor of plaintiff on her claim for neglect, assessed $39,296.32 in economic damages, $0 in noneconomic damages, and found that Medico acted with recklessness, oppression, or fraud; and<\/li>\n
  3. Found that Medico was negligent, but that its negligence was not a substantial factor in causing harm to plaintiff.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    <\/h6>\n

    Arace was awarded $39,296.32 in economic damages, $89,410 in attorney fees, and $20,995.36 in costs.<\/p>\n

    Medico appealed, arguing that plaintiff was not entitled to attorney\u2019s fees for financial abuse or damages under her claim for neglect pursuant to the Elder Abuse Act.<\/p>\n

    What Is California\u2019s Elder Abuse Act?<\/h2>\n

    California enacted the Elder Abuse Act, found at Welf. & Inst. Code, \u00a7 15600 et seq.<\/a> \u201cto protect elders by providing enhanced remedies which encourage private, civil enforcement of laws against elder abuse and neglect.<\/p>\n

    The remedies under the Elder Abuse Act include attorney\u2019s fees and costs.<\/p>\n

    How Is \u201cAbuse\u201d Defined Under California\u2019s Elder Abuse Act?<\/h2>\n

    \u201cAbuse\u201d is defined in California\u2019s Elder Abuse Act, in section 15610.07(a)<\/a> as:<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u201c[p]hysical abuse, neglect, abandonment, isolation, abduction, or other treatment with resulting physical harm or pain or mental suffering,\u201d \u201cdeprivation by a care custodian of goods or services that are necessary to avoid physical harm or mental suffering,\u201d or \u201c[f]inancial abuse, as defined in Section 15610.30.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    In this case, financial abuse and neglect were at issue.<\/p>\n

    Financial Abuse Under The Elder Abuse Act<\/h4>\n

    Financial abuse occurs when:<\/p>\n

    a person or entity \u201c[t]akes, secretes, appropriates, obtains, or retains real or personal property of an elder or dependent adult for a wrongful use or with intent to defraud\u201d or \u201cassists in taking, secreting, appropriating, obtaining, or retaining real or personal property of an elder or dependent adult for a wrongful use or with intent to defraud.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The Elder Abuse Act provides that when a plaintiff proves by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is liable for elder abuse, in addition to compensatory damages and other remedies, the court shall award<\/em> \u201cto the plaintiff reasonable attorney\u2019s fees and costs.\u00a0 \u00a7 15657.5(a)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Neglect Under The Elder Abuse Act<\/h4>\n

    The definition of neglect is found in section 15610.57(a)(1)<\/a>, and speaks not of the undertaking of services, but of the failure to provide care:<\/p>\n

    Neglect is defined in\u00a0section 15610.57, subdivision (a)(1), which in turn includes the negligent failure of an elder custodian \u201cto assist in<\/em>\u00a0personal hygiene, or in\u00a0the provision of<\/em>\u00a0food, clothing, or\u00a0shelter<\/em>,\u201d \u201cto provide medical care for<\/em>\u00a0physical and\u00a0mental health needs<\/em>,\u201d \u201cto protect from health and safety hazards,\u201d or \u201cto prevent malnutrition or dehydration.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    In order to receive enhanced remedies, such as attorney fees and costs, a plaintiff must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has been guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of this abuse.<\/p>\n

    Award Of Attorney Fees Mandatory Upon Finding of Financial Abuse Under California\u2019s Elder Care Act<\/h2>\n

    In this case, the California appeals court upheld the award of attorney fees and costs for financial abuse, even though the jury, despite finding in favor of the plaintiff on her claim for financial abuse, assessed no economic or noneconomic damages.<\/p>\n

    Medico argued that the award of attorney\u2019s fees was improper when the plaintiff recovered no damages.<\/p>\n

    In rejecting Medico\u2019s argument, the appeals court noted that the fee provision in the Elder Abuse Act for financial abuse is not discretionary in nature.\u00a0 Instead, it requires the award of fees where it is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is liable for financial abuse.\u00a0 The Court stated:<\/p>\n

    Here, the jury found that Medico was liable for the misappropriation of Miller’s property, that its conduct was \u201ca substantial factor in causing harm\u201d to Miller, and that plaintiff proved \u201cby clear\u00a0and convincing evidence that Medico\u201d acted with \u201crecklessness, malice, oppression or fraud.\u201d\u00a0 Under the plain language of the statute, an award of attorney fees is a mandatory form of relief regardless of whether the plaintiff is awarded any other form of relief.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    The California Appeals Court took a strict and broad view of plaintiff\u2019s entitlement to attorney\u2019s fees and costs pursuant to the Elder Abuse Act.\u00a0 This decision is encouraging for California lawyers<\/a> and their clients considering whether to pursue a financial elder abuse claim who are concerned about payment of attorney fees.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The California Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, the \u201cElder Abuse Act,\u201d protects elders against financial and other abuse\u00a0 \u201cby providing enhanced remedies which encourage private, civil enforcement of laws against elder abuse and neglect.\u201d\u00a0 In\u00a0 Arace v. Medico Investments LLC, California\u2019s Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed an award of attorney fees […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[5167],"yoast_head":"\nCalifornia\u2019s Elder Abuse Act: Attorney's Fees Mandatory Upon Finding Of Financial Abuse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The California Elder Abuse Act protects elders and requires an award of attorney's fees upon a finding of financial abuse against an elder.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/probatestars.com\/californias-elder-abuse-act-attorneys-fees-mandatory-upon-finding-of-financial-abuse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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