After my father passed away, the late John A Fleming, I discovered that my father was persuaded to amend his Family Trust in 2023, when he was ninety-years-old, that gave his $2M estate to a neighbor. Shocked, horrified and confused I immediately hired an attorney to help me petition probate court to challenge everything that had been done!
IMPORTANT: Go to my Facebook page to view more information about what happened to my father. Anita Fleming-O’Brien
At that time, I didn’t know what EVERYTHING involved. Even so… I did know that it was NOT my father’s wishes or intention to leave an estate he created over his entire lifetime to a neighbor he barely knew, a neighbor who, unbeknownst to me, befriended him when he began to experience cognitive decline.
On the contrary, I also knew it was my father’s desire to use his estate to help his great granddaughter because he was very concerned that her disabilities would prevent her from living an independent life.
Unfortunately, I was unprepared to begin a year long court battle that cost me $100,000! On the other hand, the neighbor had two attorneys to fight me and was very prepared.
Sadly, I did NOT find justice for my father and my granddaughter because I was forced to dismiss my initial probate case due to the lack of funds!
“Justice may be blind but gatekeepers are not! Gatekeepers have very deep pockets!”
Now…
A huge part of my father’s inheritance, meant for a child with disabilities, is gone and his great granddaughter, whom he loved and cared about dearly, does not understand what happened!
My granddaughter does not understand concepts like undue influence, fraud and financial elder abuse and she does not understand why a neighbor, a stranger, now owns her grandfather’s home! She is very sad and confused about what happened to her great grandfather!
I’m sad and confused as well!
After spending over a year trying to navigate California courts…
I was convinced that California elder laws are weak and didn’t protect my father, so I began sharing my concerns about what happened to my father with city, county and state officials. I even flew from North Carolina to Los Angeles to speak before the Torrance city council. (I also did an interview with Gina Silva from Fox 11 Los Angeles News during my trip to Torrance, which aired 7/20/26)
Unfortunately, instead of finding help for my father from my trip to Torrance, I received a cease and desist demand letter from the neighbor, also a Torrance City Council Member!
My father loved Torrance and I thought he was safe Aging in Place in a home he had lived in for over sixty years! I loved the city of Torrance as well but, I now know that vulnerable, elderly residents are not safe in California because it’s my understanding, based upon months and months of writing letters to city, county and state officials, California has a CHRONIC problem with financial elder abuse, and it is NOT being addressed!
Almost two years later…
I’m faced with another lawsuit and, once again, I need an attorney to represent me in California's Superior Court of Los Angeles to help me challenge the pain and injustice my father endured!
Dealing with this loss has been incredibly painful, and the legal fight has made grieving even harder. Instead of focusing only on mourning my father, my father's family is facing the emotional and financial strain of lawsuits to continue fighting against what happened to him.
So… I’m asking for help this time!
I’m asking for help now so my attorney can properly prepare for the upcoming hearing on November the 10th and continue seeking justice for my father.
If you are able to help, ANY donation or share would mean so much to me and my family. Your support will help us manage these legal expenses—your help will allow me to go the distance required to possibly, hopefully recover a portion of my father’s estate for my granddaughter.
Any funds raised from Give Send Go will be used to cover legal costs involved in this matter, including attorney fees, case-related expenses, discover and litigation because I will NOT settle this time!
Thank you and I hope you have a blessed day!
Picture Gallery:
1- John with his daughter and only child, Anita O’Brien.
2- John and Anita on her wedding day.
3- John holding his first grandchild, Ashley O’Brien.
4- John with his first great grandchild, Allyson O’Brien
5- John with his daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter.
6- John with his twin brother in the Air Force.
