Don’t miss tonight’s episode of 7.30 on ABC exposing the latest failings of the Queensland Public Trustee and how they continue to overcharge and mismanage deceased estates and the vulnerable clients in their care. In more shocking revelations, we see a deceased estate overcharged and delayed, and the case of a trust fund for an 18-month-old baby overcharged and mismanaged so that there will be very little left when the child turns 18.
Listen to award-winning ABC investigative journalist Anne Connolly discussing the upcoming report on ABC’s 7.30 program tonight.
In the news
Concerns continue to be raised about the Queensland Public Trustees’ duty to look after their clients after more stories have come to light exposing the Public Trustee’s conflict of interest due to their necessity to raise revenue as a self-funded government instrumentality.
Tonight, on ABC’s 7.30 program, two more stories of families who have suffered at the hands of the Queensland Public Trustee will be shared with viewers after further investigations by ABC journalist Anne Connelly.
These stories highlight how the conduct, mismanagement, and service offering of the Public Trustee has prolonged family grief, diminished estate assets, and left families frustrated and unable to move on with their lives.
What stories will be told in tonight’s program?
In this report, the ABC uncovers a story about the Public Trustee going to great lengths to “investigate” the validity of the Will of Ms Cora Whitfort. Despite Ms Whitfort’s family not raising any concerns regarding Ms Whitfort’s mental capacity when she executed her last Will, the Public Trustee took it upon themselves to spend more than $20,000 of the estate funds, over two years, to make enquiries about Ms Whitfort’s capacity when she made her Will in circumstances where those investigations were not necessary.
A second story is also told about a trust being managed by the Public Trustee on behalf of Luka, a minor whose father committed suicide when she was only 18 months old. The father left behind an estate that included superannuation benefits worth $72,000.
The Public Trustee appears to have charged the estate fees for no service and diminished the trust significantly, failing to manage the finances appropriately for the now 17-year-old beneficiary who was meant to inherit the trust on her 18th birthday.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers Estate Litigation Senior Associate Lucy McPherson will appear on the program and provide her insight into how the Queensland Public Trustees investigations could constitute overservicing and why she believes there is an inherent conflict of interest in the Public Trustee’s business model.
Pictured: Attwood Marshall Lawyers Estate Litigation Senior Associate Lucy McPherson (Photo credit: ABC News Michael Lloyd)
A call for real change
This report comes after a series of investigations and reports exposing the Public Trustee for their actions and how they have failed to uphold their fiduciary duties and protect those most vulnerable in our community.
Sadly, these stories are not new. There continue to be hundreds of explosive claims made by clients of the Public Trustee, expressing how they have had their lives negatively impacted by the mismanagement of their financial affairs, or the maladministration of a loved one’s deceased estate.
It is important to continue to raise awareness of these issues to ensure people understand that alternative options are available and to avoid the Public Trustee intermeddling in your life or that of a loved one.
Attwood Marshall Lawyers will continue to fight for people who have suffered under the control of the Public Trustee or had their estate or affairs mismanaged.
>> See the full story tonight on 7.30 on ABC TV or ABC iview. <<
Read our previous articles exposing the Public Trustee:
QLD Public Advocate Review exposes Public Trustee’s failings and conflicts of interest
4 Corners program exposes Public Trustee horror stories: vulnerable Australians trapped, neglected, stripped of assets, charged grossly excessive fees, and silenced with their own money!
Public Trustee’s neglect and deliberate isolation of vulnerable people exposed by 4 Corners investigation across Australia. How to avoid the Public Trustee interfering in your life!
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Will – Beware of the Public Trust Office!
