Q: A friend is in a Knoxville hospital. His pet is locked in his apartment & his neighbor can't get to it. What to do?
1. My friend is elderly, unconscious, and gravely ill, and no one has power of attorney.
2. Management is uncooperative and threatens to remove the cat.
3. He authorized his neighbor to care for the cat in his absence, but the hospital/apt. will not release his key to her.
4. He has a signed, dated, notarized will that makes provisions for the cat in the event of his death, but it appears to be poorly drafted. An updated version is unsigned, undated, and otherwise incomplete.
5. The neighbor charged with the cat's care has overheard people in the apartment and employed workers talk about taking my friend's belongings.
6. Management did not lock the apartment until days after hospitalization, but abruptly and rudely did so, claiming another neighbor complained about the cat's odor coming through the vent.
7. My hospitalized friend paid a pet fee and is entitled to have a cat in the apartment. The cat is not producing any "new" odor more offensive than usual.
A: You need to apply to the court to be appointed guardian of your friend.
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