As you know, DH died in Feb, and there have been conntinuing problems with his children since then, nothing as bad as when he was alive, but I still need your input, please. The latest is a recent account statement mailed to me ,as one of the benefactors , from the Trust Company that acts as his Executor. The statement shows that in July this Trust Company paid out approx. $800.00 - $1000.00 to one of DH middle-age children for an "Outstanding Invoice." However, I never received goods or services for this charge, nor was there ever a conversation, written or oral contract with this person about any work to be done. The Trust company paid out this money to her without contacting me (ever though I still retain the legal authority to act for my husband legally and financially). I sent the Trust Company an e-mail about it. No response, but this is not unusual. So I sent a copy to the Western Region Head office in Calgary, Alberta and then got a nasty response from the Vancouver Office to say I wasn't to do that again. The Head Office is in Montreal, Quebec, and I want to send copies of the e-mails to them by registered mail. I feel I am being abused. So far, I've found the Montreal address, but there are no executive names listed on their web page. Joan and Wolf, who live in Canada, have you any suggestions or names as a contact for Royal Trust in Montreal? Or ideas of how I might get them? I guess I could send it addressed to the CEO, and it would get to someone. But, ideally, I would get the name of someone with authority who had concern. It seems that the Vancouver Office just want me to shut up and ago away, and if they stonewall me often enough, I'll get tired and go away. They are charging a huge fee to handle the estate, and I know that it is my right to ask questions, raise concerns about this payment and insist that, as appointed Trustees, they protect my rights as one of the benefactors. I have to provide documentation to them for everything I do: they don't seem to be applying the same yardstick to the grown kids. I know that the 3 stepkids went to the Trust Company right after DH died, and I soon afterwards got a long list of things the kids said were theirs, and they wanted them back. Not true. They are master manipulators; you know the scenario, they are poor and vulnerable, and I am the wicked stepmother. My friends say they think the Trust Company was conned. Any comments or suggestions welcomed
for legal concerns, emails are not that good. They can always say they never received it - that it is out in cyberspace somewhere. I don't know if when you send the email a receipt that they received will work either. I would send them a letter that requires a signature that way you have proof it was received. If you get the name of the person in Quebec I would also CC the Vancouver and Calgary office.
Mary, I am in Toronto. I will try looking them up. I agree that everything should be sent by a method that requires a signature and you can check on-line to see that signature. In Canada, I always use Expresspost. I can then print out when it was received, signed for and by whom.
mary i think i'd ask for a copy of what the 'outstanding balance' paid was actually for. to verify it was related to your DH estate and what the invoice entailed. as executor they have alot of authority now to handle the estate as they deem necessary unfortunately. then if its something you think wasnt warranted or necessary to settle the estate then i would contact the regional office if you get no response/ divvi
Thanks for your good suggestions and comments. Royal Trust seems to hold themselves above the law: they ignore letters from my lawyer to honour and pay a contract for garage repair that was made months before my husband died (and as Co-committee I had the right to make such a contract). The repair was not completed until after DH died because of wet weather. Royal Trust asked for documentation to show that DH had paid for repairs throughout our marriage. I provided 16 + pages, the other Co-committee provided an equal amount, and we're still waiting approval from them. Yesterday, I did discover on Google that the Royal Bank had bought out Royal Trust some time ago and that the Royal Bank has a web page with a "Complaint" link. And linked to that is a link to submit to the Ombudsman. So I made the complaint, and if I don't hear back, I'll contact the Ombudsman. Also contacted the manager of the local Royal Bank, and she has contacted a colleague who knows the system and will find out the contact for the best person at Head Office in Montreal. Still waiting on that one. Also have a lawyer friend whose father's an executive for Royal Trust in Belfast, Ireland. Although he's retired, he may be able to come up with a contact name and address in the Head Office. As for Registered Mail c.c.s to Calgary and Vancouver, that strikes me as a good idea, and yet I hesitate. I know that my e-mails were received by Vancouver because they finally acknowledged that they had received them. I don't want the extra work and expense to c.c. Calgary and Vancouver the same complaint, and I think that Head Office should handle it.