Editor:
When I was a kid we soon learned, for good reason, “Never kick a guy when he’s down.” The public neighbourhood reaction over a proposed homeless shelter in Sechelt has left me wondering whether the almost daily nastiness in the U.S. is contagious.
Maybe so, given my recent experience trying to help a disabled dyslexic neighbour whose wife went into permanent care at local Coastal Health facilities three years ago. When he and his wife expressed a wish to find a lawyer to write wills and powers of attorney, the most appalling things happened.
I only believed him after I saw his legal documents and checked with his helpful lawyer.
1. He was prohibited by staff from visiting his wife or speaking to her doctor.
2. The Public Guarantor and Trustee (PGT), in a “hurry up decision,” declared his wife incompetent and unfit to make her own decisions.
3. The PGT seized their family home to sell and pay for her care, where she is essentially being held hostage. My neighbour will be paid a minor share of the sale proceeds, insufficient to buy another home.
4. He was never told he and his wife had a legal right to a lawyer, a reassessment, and a court review before a judge.
5. My neighbour will soon be homeless, although he has asked his church for help.
Take note, Sechelt. It could happen to anyone at any age without a legal will if one partner is suddenly declared mentally unfit. All family assets are up for grabs by the provincial government. And the bills are well padded with obscure administration fees that could leave you vulnerable to becoming homeless yourself.
Joe Harrison, Garden Bay
