The other day I was cleaning out my office. (My wife was astounded). I have articles and clippings going back 15 years or more. In doing so, I ran across an article from the Sacramento Bee dated 3/8/2002. I told you I have old stuff. It is an article entitled “Farm saved by strangers and a lawyer” and you can still find it on the internet.
In brief, here is the story. Mom and Dad met in a detention camp during WWII. After the war they were able to buy a little 20-acre farm and raise a family. Mom died and the daughter moved onto the land to help Dad. In 1995, Dad moved to a nursing home and Medi-Cal helped pay the bill, a very common event. Dad remained in the nursing home on Medi-Cal until 1997 when he died. His family inherited the farm (or so they thought). They settled in and made a living farming the land. Then the State sent them a letter. It was a bill for $120,000 plus interest. The daughter, who had worked so hard to take care of her parents, was stunned. Now remember, this is over 15 years ago. The family now owed the State $120,000 as a result of Dad receiving health care.
Now any of you who have been around farmers know that most are land rich and cash poor. This family was the same. They did not have the money. They were in danger of losing the family farm. Long story short, it was only because of a caring stranger who leant the family the money to pay off the State that the farm was saved.
Now, you are asking yourselves, why are you telling us a story from so long ago? It is painfully simple: THE SAME THING CAN HAPPEN NOW IN CALIFORNIA. Every year, families get the same letter demanding money from the probate estates of their deceased parents.
I have now been on the air for over 21 years and every week I have been trying to warn people about this reality. Many will lose their money in the same way. Your family will not get what you worked a lifetime for; the State will. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION NOW. None of this has to happen. You can take steps today to make sure your home and estate are protected. You can today make sure that your family receives your legacy, not the politicians in Sacramento. But there is a catch; you actually have to do something. Every single person who has lost money to the State had a chance to stop it. They did nothing and lost.
It is your choice. It is simple – leave it to the State or leave it to your family. If you choose the former, I cannot help. If you choose the latter, then call me today. Take the steps necessary leave a legacy to those you love.