I'm paying the bills etc for an old person who can't via probate etc.... I have repeatedly told one of their god damn relatives to order more checks from the bank. I have recorded this numerous times to this person. The checkbook has run out of checks and I cannot pay the bills, no matter how much money is in the account, without checks. I cannot use autopay, because the court demands a record. 6 times I have told this person to order more damn checks because I cannot. They have not.
They have called up today bitching about how the utilities are going to be turned off and I set the phone down on my desk to do something else for a few minutes while they yelled at the wood, then came back to them and interrupted their stupidity.
"And how am I supposed to pay the bills without the checks I have repeatedly told you to order more of? I I told you to order more on the following dates in person 3/27, and 4/1. I told you to order more via leaving a voice-mail on the following dates: 2/14, 2/19, and 3/14. I told you via phone to do it on the following dates: 3/21, and 4/5. Now here it is 4/24 and you're yelling at me for something I told you I can't do and you must. Get ... me... more... checks.... Get ... it ... together...."
I am so damn sick of this. When I say to do something like that it isn't a suggestion. It isn't that these people are incapable of understanding this--worse--they just don't freaking want to understand it and actively refuse to. I can't pay these bills without checks for the checkbook given that this is how the court mandated it be paid. Don't tell me "you can do it online," because the judge said no.... I don't want to remove this relative from the situation because that would mean more responsibility for me in this mess.
The hell is wrong with people...? It was "do this" not "suggest demand in a snotty voice what you think should be done."
I wonder more and more as I continue to read Truean's posts if this kind of shit happens to all lawyers, or if she's some kind of stupidity-magnet. I'd also ask if you get some clients that are absolutely wonderful to work with and bend over backwards to help your case, but I imagine that that wouldn't make for as interesting writing =P
They are few and far between. Once people actually have to pay ANYTHING for something, they think they own you and you exist to serve their whims. Especially if you're getting [gasp] a couple hundred or dare I say a couple thousand for it. Never mind that this is on average far, far less than most other lawyers charge for it, they are paying me and thus have the right to be assholes. [sigh]. What's great is when people do it to their own detriment and then blame me for doing what I told them not to do.... Lately, it just seems no one is EVER happy with ANYTHING, especially the criminal clients. God forbid the case doesn't get a "not guilty," or is plead out. Never mind that, it seems they aren't happy even with a "not guilty" until and unless the city issues them a written apology and bakes them a cake. This will never happen, ever.... It's basically the bullshit, "Well I was CLEARLY [snotty tone] innocent so why did it take you so long and why should it cost so much?!" So even on a win, they still don't wanna pay and aren't happy....
I once read a collection of stories from a landlord with bad tenants; and they including writing the final months rent check on a wooden door (the actual door, not paper attached to the door) as well as old peices of clothing, and the bank accpted them, as they met the legal criteria for being checks.
But hey, you're the lawyer, you would know better about you state banking laws.
This is technically possible but practically exhausting. Yes, you could probably write such a check if you knew all the various things that a check had to have and you put them all in (including the account and rounding number with the modern banking system, etc).
a.) I shouldn't have to, and I'm certainly not going to get paid for doing so.
b.) That would take longer and time is money (see "a" above).
c.) It would literally take the guy a few minutes to order new checks....
d.) I'd have to have the hypothetical home made check draw from the old person's account to pay their bills. I am not authorized to do that. I am a "signatory" meaning I can sign and write checks on the account, but I cannot change any details of the account or order checking related services, such as replacement checks. The relative on the other hand, is the guardian of the person and the estate.... They can do so subject to the probate court's granted authority and its continuing review jurisdiction....
e.) I shouldn't have to beg for basic shit like this that is required to do my job and take care of said old person. This isn't hard and takes a few minutes max.
People don't like uncomfortable truths.
This. A thousand times, this. I want to carve this on everyone's forehead.
To make them literally uncomfortable?
Sometimes I'd like to.... Everyone I see has this carefree, don't give a shit, attitude. "Well,
just [insert mind bogglingly oversimplified statement here]. There is no "just," as a limiting factor. It is what it is and if I could do it easier, then I totally would. I don't like doing things the hard way anymore than anyone else....
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Topic: Things that made you sad today thread. (Read 9764795 times)