See 3/31 and 3/29 updates below.
One of downtown Lexington's high falutin, probate-dealin' law firms - Williams, Stitely, and Brink - is not happy about a victim of the probate racket standing in front of their building directing folks to this blog. Some of them came out (dressed fit to kill, I might add), and Mr. Williams kindly informed me (never in a million years had I realized) that I was "standing in front of a law firm." It seems his wife - and by extension Mr. Williams himself - were unhappy about my presence, and never mind my first amendment rights or the fact that I'm not touching their property. Mr. Williams thought it would be better if I protested in front of the South Carolina Statehouse (better for me, 'cause "you can't change anything here in Lexington"), or that I should at least move back to my former location across the street, where I would be "nearer to the probate court." He absurdly mentioned the word "ripoff" being on one side my sign (it's presented as part of this blog's address), admitted that they handled probate cases, but emphasized that they didn't "rip anyone off." I wuz glad to hear that.
Watchin' 'em squirm was reminiscent of that movie about the lawyer who was suddenly bewitched by honesty and had to tell the truth. "Liar Liar," starring Jim Carrey, is one of the best films ever.
I chose the new location for best exposure, but told 'em I thought their law firm provided a nice backdrop for my efforts. I suggested they call Senator Setzler and tell him to clean up the probate racket and reply to my email. But alas. They didn't think Tricky Nikki wuz gonna "do anything." In other words, all they can figure out to do regarding the probate racket is to rake in profits. They never evidenced any concern for the plight of folks who had lost loved ones being treated like dirt, or the fleecing of inheritances. This blog - which Mr. Williams claimed to have visited - was "interesting," which of course is a nice, non-committal way of putting it from folks who are satisfied with the status quo.
Here's the deal:
Victims of the probate racket are supposed to forever tuck their tails. They're to keep their heads bowed (lest they make eye contact with an overlord like Senator Setzler), keep their mouths shut, hand over a chunk of their inheritance when told to, and tolerate any kind of disrespect South Carolina's corrupt power structure sees fit to hurl at a racket victim's deceased loved ones. Downright dirty shame that a lowly racket victim would have the audacity to stand in front of a prestigious, probate-dealing law firm's building and publicly object to such treatment after being stonewalled by the legislative gang (racket victims should be able to take a hint), and while mainstream media big shots like WIS-10 do their best to keep the probate racket quiet.
Quick, someone: Think of a way to persuade that pesky racket victim not to protest in front of our law firm. Racket victims aren't supposed to come around unless they're ready to hand over a portion of their inheritance.
I wish Tricky Nikki's law firm was more conspicuous, more "out in the open" so to speak, faced a road with a higher traffic count, and vehicles didn't pass by the joint quite so fast. Don't get me wrong: Senator Setzler's firm - the guy is one callous, conniving little jerk if ever there was - is quite suitable for picketing. But for my primary intents and purposes, protesting the probate racket in front of Williams, Stitley, and Brink's firm is the hands down better choice, and they might wanna look at it this way: They're performing a charitable service by preventing other probate-dealing law firms from being bothered by an uncooperative racket victim.
Who knows? Maybe Williams, Stitely, and Brink can even come up with a tax deduction.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
3/31/2017 update - 3/30/2017 article exposes Senator Setzler as "Public officials report private sources of income for 1st time." There's a profound CONFLICT OF INTEREST when attorney-legislators support laws that help to provide private income.
3/29/2017 updates -
> Protested in front of Williams, Stitley, Brink for 5 hours. GREAT encouragement from motorists, a million thanks to the many who signaled support. BLOG VISITS HAVE SOARED.
> Senator Setzler introduced a bill (See S. 589) similar to the one introduced last year by Kenny Bingham. It's another watered-down effort at reform, probably destined to die in committee. The objective isn't to introduce bills, the objective is to simplify the probate process, and ELIMINATE time limits on wills. I was notified of Senator Setzler's bill by someone in his office, and replied accordingly. Where is mainstream media? Why isn't the public being informed of what's going on? This update was delayed because I took time to confirm the authenticity of the notification I received.
3/27/2017 updates -
> Sent Senator Setzler a link to this post via SC Legislature Online and Twitter.
> Tweeted a link to Governor McMaster as Twitter.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Time limit on wills creates false public record, insults the living and the dead
Talk about treating the bereaved like dirt.
One of the worst parts of putting time limits on wills is requiring victims of the senseless scam to participate in establishing a public record that is nothing short of a boldfaced lie about their deceased loved one. The public record makes it appear that the loved one left no will. It's embarrassing, insulting, and shows that self-serving attorney-legislators couldn't care less about the bereaved.
I'd like to know how Senator Setzler thinks it makes someone feel to have their affairs placed on hold - a kind of legalized extortion - unless they hand over thousands of dollars in attorney fees and participate in establishing a false public record that disrespects their deceased loved one. Perhaps the"senator" is too busy making bank deposits to lend a helping hand to victims of South Carolina's probate racket.
The very idea of a gang of greedy, attorney-legislators sneaking around behind people's backs and nullifying wills while a complicit mainstream media keeps things quiet. Anyone who would be a party to such connivery is a shameless coward, devoid of conscience. Same goes for all the other idiotic complexities quietly added to the probate code.
It was a hoot when the attorney I spoke with in Senator Setzler's law firm came up with an open-ended fee - $1,500 plus $275 per hour - to address my mother's "deemed intestacy." I shudder to think what the final number of hours would be as a perfectly viable will is cast aside and a probate attorney starts wading through the slew of complexities to perform a Determination of Heirs. Somehow, I don't think an attorney with an open-ended fee agreement would be in much of a hurry to get any of the ridiculous requirements completed. Those complexities added to the probate code in 1986 have no doubt served Senator Setzler quite well, while his constituents have been betrayed.
No wonder probate-attorney Setzler would rather not talk about the probate racket. After the brief, self-serving blabber he came up with as a reply to the email I sent him last year, Senator Setzler has now clammed up entirely about the probate racket. This year, he won't even so much as acknowledge receipt of my email suggesting he introduce a bill similar to the one introduced last year by House "Ethics" Chairman Kenny Bingham. Who does Senator Setzler think he's supposed to represent, and who does he think pays his salary? Of course, I realize that the salary - $10,400 per year plus per diem - is pocket-change for career politicians like probate-attorney Setzler. But even so...
Public Accountant Setzler needs to account for his questionable behavior over the past 30 years, including how much money his law firm - founded in 1977, the same year he first won his senate seat - has made from inheritance-related cases. Really, folks: What kind of "representative" refuses to reply to an e-mail from a constituent?
I'll send Senator Setzler a link to this post - taxpayers are due an explanation regarding his lack of interest in simplifying probate.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
3/24/2017 - Picketed 2 hrs this afternoon in front of that probate-dealing law firm (they ain't happy with my choice of location, but that's another story) across from Lexington Probate Court. GREAT response, thanks to all. Signals of support and blog visits are WAY up.
3/17/2017 update - Picketed over 2 hours today cater-cornered from Lexington Probate Court (best exposure, and the probate-dealing law firm I'm in front of provides a perfect backdrop). The encouragement from motorists and pedestrians was PHENOMENAL. BLOG VISITS ARE WAY UP, A MILLION THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED. Law firms that have advertised probate-related services at any time over the past 30 yrs should be ashamed of themselves.
3/16/2017 update - picketed at Lexington Probate Court (cater-cornered across the street) for 30 mins. GREAT RESPONSE - THANKS FOR VISITING THIS BLOG. Also sent a link to this post to Gov. McMaster via Twitter.
3/15/2017 update - My pleasure to send Tricky Nikki Setzler a link to this post via South Carolina Legislature Online and via Twitter.
One of the worst parts of putting time limits on wills is requiring victims of the senseless scam to participate in establishing a public record that is nothing short of a boldfaced lie about their deceased loved one. The public record makes it appear that the loved one left no will. It's embarrassing, insulting, and shows that self-serving attorney-legislators couldn't care less about the bereaved.
I'd like to know how Senator Setzler thinks it makes someone feel to have their affairs placed on hold - a kind of legalized extortion - unless they hand over thousands of dollars in attorney fees and participate in establishing a false public record that disrespects their deceased loved one. Perhaps the"senator" is too busy making bank deposits to lend a helping hand to victims of South Carolina's probate racket.
The very idea of a gang of greedy, attorney-legislators sneaking around behind people's backs and nullifying wills while a complicit mainstream media keeps things quiet. Anyone who would be a party to such connivery is a shameless coward, devoid of conscience. Same goes for all the other idiotic complexities quietly added to the probate code.
It was a hoot when the attorney I spoke with in Senator Setzler's law firm came up with an open-ended fee - $1,500 plus $275 per hour - to address my mother's "deemed intestacy." I shudder to think what the final number of hours would be as a perfectly viable will is cast aside and a probate attorney starts wading through the slew of complexities to perform a Determination of Heirs. Somehow, I don't think an attorney with an open-ended fee agreement would be in much of a hurry to get any of the ridiculous requirements completed. Those complexities added to the probate code in 1986 have no doubt served Senator Setzler quite well, while his constituents have been betrayed.
No wonder probate-attorney Setzler would rather not talk about the probate racket. After the brief, self-serving blabber he came up with as a reply to the email I sent him last year, Senator Setzler has now clammed up entirely about the probate racket. This year, he won't even so much as acknowledge receipt of my email suggesting he introduce a bill similar to the one introduced last year by House "Ethics" Chairman Kenny Bingham. Who does Senator Setzler think he's supposed to represent, and who does he think pays his salary? Of course, I realize that the salary - $10,400 per year plus per diem - is pocket-change for career politicians like probate-attorney Setzler. But even so...
Public Accountant Setzler needs to account for his questionable behavior over the past 30 years, including how much money his law firm - founded in 1977, the same year he first won his senate seat - has made from inheritance-related cases. Really, folks: What kind of "representative" refuses to reply to an e-mail from a constituent?
I'll send Senator Setzler a link to this post - taxpayers are due an explanation regarding his lack of interest in simplifying probate.
What YOU can do:
> Spread the word about the probate/trust racket. Most folks don't find out about the attorney-generated horrors of probate until they are struggling through the bereavement process, and shock value is a key part of the effort to browbeat people into hiring a probate attorney.
> If you need help with non-probate matters, avoid using attorneys who advertise that they specialize in probate. Many attorneys refuse to get involved in the probate racket, and one of them told me with a wink, "It's a 'highly specialized' area of law."
> Refuse to be bullied by the attorney-generated horrors of probate into paying attorneys to set up trusts. Probate is financed with tax dollars, and should be an inexpensive, viable alternative to setting up trusts. Executors (now called Personal Representatives) shouldn't need a law degree to probate an inheritance.
> Cut costs by downloading your own estate documents - especially wills - from the Internet. Paying probate attorneys outlandish fees to "draw up a will" is risky business, because attorney-legislators have a vested interest in nullifying wills.
> Last - and what certainly shouldn't be least (but probably is) - send "your representatives" an email expressing your sentiments about the probate/trust racket.
3/24/2017 - Picketed 2 hrs this afternoon in front of that probate-dealing law firm (they ain't happy with my choice of location, but that's another story) across from Lexington Probate Court. GREAT response, thanks to all. Signals of support and blog visits are WAY up.
3/17/2017 update - Picketed over 2 hours today cater-cornered from Lexington Probate Court (best exposure, and the probate-dealing law firm I'm in front of provides a perfect backdrop). The encouragement from motorists and pedestrians was PHENOMENAL. BLOG VISITS ARE WAY UP, A MILLION THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED. Law firms that have advertised probate-related services at any time over the past 30 yrs should be ashamed of themselves.
3/16/2017 update - picketed at Lexington Probate Court (cater-cornered across the street) for 30 mins. GREAT RESPONSE - THANKS FOR VISITING THIS BLOG. Also sent a link to this post to Gov. McMaster via Twitter.
3/15/2017 update - My pleasure to send Tricky Nikki Setzler a link to this post via South Carolina Legislature Online and via Twitter.
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