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Ohio Elder Law Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: My mother and I live in a home that she owns. She pays the bills, insurance, utilities ect. She had a stroke,

over a week ago. I need a POA to pay the bills and keep the house running while she is in rehab (and maybe then some.) She is aware of what's going on but I don't think she can physically sign anything. I told her that I need a POA and she's agreeable to it. I'm not sure what... View More

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Feb 9, 2022

From the facts here it sounds like you need a financial power of attorney. The procedure is spelled out in Chapter 1337 of the Ohio Revised Code. To ensure your POA is valid and likely to be honored I recommend meeting with an estate planning attorney to work with you.

Best of luck.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: Who determines if a person with Dementia is able to continue to make decisions such as POA choice?

I would like my husband's grandmother to come live with us her son (husband's uncle) does not want that. I would like to get medical POA, however, she has moderate dementia. There is no POA paper work in place. He would like to put her in a nursing home, we are willing to add on to our... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jan 20, 2022

She can make her own decisions until a probate court appoints someone to be her guardian. If she designates a POA, then the person named can take action on her behalf. But another family member, like her son, could challenge it in probate court and ask to be guardian. The judge would then... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Elder Law, Real Estate Law and Public Benefits for Ohio on
Q: House & mortgage in both names. Does dad need POA to put house in his name only since she is in nursing home with Alz?

Mom has Alzheimers and is in nursing home. How does dad go about changing deed to his name only?

Bruce Martin Broyles
Bruce Martin Broyles
answered on Dec 14, 2021

Your mother is not capable of executing any document. In order to transfer real property most likely a guardianship will have to be placed by the Probate Court. Your mother is in a nursing home, so unless the assets of your parents are already protected, they will be required to spend down their... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law, Family Law and Public Benefits for Ohio on
Q: Mom Medicaid for nursing home. Spouse living at home. They can’t take his house, right? What happens if he sells?

Elderly mom with Alzheimer’s disease needs 24 hour care. She is living in nursing home & needs Medicaid help to pay. Can her spouse sell their house in Ohio and use money left after mortgage payoff to buy another house or does he have to pay back Medicaid mom’s share of proceeds?

Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Dec 13, 2021

He must first put the house into his name only. Then, if he sells his house, he can use the money to buys another house.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: My mom is 79. She has giving up on the will to live, but will not give my 3 sisters or I power of Attorney

She sits in her own Feeses & Filth until one of us show up & check on her.

She still has her mind, but we want to know what we can do to get her help. Everyone says without Power of Attorney we cant do anything.

What can we do

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Nov 29, 2021

You can file for a guardianship in the probate court. Check the probate court web site for the guardianship process, and use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local probate attorney who handles guardianships to advise you. You can also call local senior services to assist until the the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: If I go 50/50 on a house with my parents and they pay the mortgage to me as rent, could Medicaid put a lien on it?

My parents are in their 70s and my father isn't in the best health.

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Oct 12, 2021

You're walking a fine line here. Ohio Medicaid presumes that transfers to family members are "improper" under the Medicaid rules. The burden is on you to prove otherwise.

Issue 1: Could Medicaid put a lien on the house? - It depends on how title to the home is held. If...
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1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: Can I call 911 from outside a nursing home to pick up my dad
Matthew Williams
Matthew Williams
answered on Oct 5, 2021

Anyone can call 911 for any reason. Whether they will remove your dad from the nursing home depends upon whether they discover a problem when they arrive.

2 Answers | Asked in Elder Law and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: My mother and I own a home jointly with a survivorship. My mother passed away, Can medicaid take my home?
Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Sep 14, 2021

Medicaid could put a lien on half of the house in order to recoup any funds they paid on behalf of your mother. This is assuming she was in a nursing home or received nursing home waiver services or received Medicaid benefits after age 55.

However, if you took care of your mother for 2...
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2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: When someone passes and there is no TOD or Will stating who a vehicle can go to.

Does the Ohio rule of Descent and Distribution, code 2105.06 mean that it will automatically go to the living spouse without having to go thru probate? The same does not apply to lineal descendants such as a child, correct?

Thank you Andrew Popp for your previous help.

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Sep 13, 2021

No problem. There is a separate statute for that. See Section 2106.18 of the Ohio Revised Code. (link below) You can usually accomplish this by going to the BMV as long as the value does not exceed $65,000 under current law.

https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2106.18

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: If a married Sr Citizen passes & they have a vehicle only titled in their name.Can it be retitled in someone else's name

Other then the living spouse? The living spouse is 82 and may need state assistance in the future. We don't want her to get refused assistance by not selling the van for money. Her son would like the van transferred to him. She's disabled and he's living with her to help now. So can... View More

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Sep 13, 2021

Unless there was a TOD on file for the vehicle, then it will require probate in order to transfer the title to the van. The vehicle will be transferred to whomever is named in the Will, or whom is required under Ohio's rule of descent and distribution if there is no Will. See Section 2105.06... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law and Probate for Ohio on
Q: My Father passed away last year after a long stay in a nursing home in Ohio. What do I do with his truck?

The only thing that would go through probate if I were to file would be his truck. No other assets. His wife is deceased. House was foreclosed on. Bank account empty. There is no will. If I were to file in Probate Court as a Small Estate, and notify Medicaid in the process, would they come after... View More

Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Aug 4, 2021

If the truck is worth less than $5,000 and you paid for the funeral and the funeral cost more than the value of the truck, then you can file for a Summary Release from Administration and Medicaid does not need to be informed or paid back.

2 Answers | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: Can copies of durable powers of attorney be notarized? An attachment made to it? Originals lost.

My parents lost their original notarized copies of powers of attorney, naming myself as able to take care of finances, etc. They are both in assisted living, both with dementia, but able to still sign and converse. I have copies of the originals, is there a way to notarize these somehow? Add a... View More

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Jul 29, 2021

That's an interesting question. You are essentially trying to have a new POA created with the same terms as the old POA. As phrased, the answer is probably no, but there may be ways around it. Keep in mind that you shouldn't need the original POA when acting for your parents for most... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: My mother is disabled on SSI can my brother move in and take care of her .
Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on May 24, 2021

Yes. I'm not sure of your exact question. Are you concerned about her losing benefits? Residence issues? In some cases, him moving in can have numerous benefits regarding preserving her estate. I recommend sitting down with an experienced estate planning attorney to review the situation in... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: Do I file a claim for a whole life ins. policy that was owned by my stepmother who was receiving Medicaid assistance?

My stepmother was in a nursing home which was partially paid for by Medicaid. She recently passed away. She had a small whole life insurance policy (under $10,000) that the social worker knew about when they helped her apply for Medicaid assistance. The policy value was over $8000 at the time.... View More

Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Apr 22, 2021

Life insurance proceeds are exempt from Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery, if payable to an individual beneficiary.

2 Answers | Asked in Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: IF WE SIGN OVER OUR HOME TO THE CHILDREN AND ONE IS SUED FOR SOMETHING CAN THE HOUSE BE TAKEN AWAY?

HOW WOULD YOU PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? THERE ARE SIX CHILDREN WANT TO SIGN THEM ALL ON SO IT WOULD BE EQUAL. THEY ARE THE BENEFICIARIES IF WE DIE BUT WANT THEM TO HAVE THE HOME IN THEIR NAME UNTIL WE DO. DO THEY ALL HAVE TO SIGN IN PERSON? OR SEND IT IN. SEVERAL LIVE A GOOD DISTANCE. WHAT ARE... View More

Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Apr 18, 2021

It would probably make sense to put the house into a trust in order to avoid some of these issues.

Depending on your goals, it might be a revocable trust or it might be an irrevocable trust.

You should definitely consult with an attorney for this before doing anything.

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1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law and Health Care Law for Ohio on
Q: My wife and I are currently helping her ex mother in law with caring for her house hold duties. Can we get traspassed

She is in a assisted living home. We have never caused any trouble or had the police called for doing anything wrong. We are there maybe 3 days a weeks for 2 hours that’s it. How can the property manager do this. She’s scared of the landlord and the landlord is a female. The landlord comes... View More

Andrew Popp
Andrew Popp
answered on Mar 24, 2021

The short answer is probably yes. You may be able to contest the grounds for the trespass with the parent company who owns the nursing home, however. Ultimately, it may be better to move your ex-mother-in-law to another facility. For a more detailed answer I recommend sitting down with an... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law and Probate for Ohio on
Q: My dad died in OH. He was in a home paid for by Medicare. His home was sold in a tax sale. Is the Medicare lien expired

He died in 2008. His home was sold in a tax sale and Medicare was paid very little. We recently were informed by a distant relative that he is part owner of a property left by another relative in another state and they want to sell. Will we need to pay the Medicare lien with the sale of that... View More

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Dec 17, 2020

Medicare does not pursue estate recovery for benefits paid. It is considered an “entitlement” benefit that is earned by taxes paid during working years and premiums paid after enrollment.

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law, Elder Law and Probate for Ohio on
Q: I am the co- owner of my mother's banking & checking account. Do I have to pay back my mother's estate ?

My sister placed my Mom into a nursing home in May of 2019 for dementia. And then she hired a guardian for my mom in June 2019. I have lived in my Mom's home from May 2019 until now. I have been the co-owner of my Mom's banking and checking account since April 5, 2015. And, I used the... View More

Aaron Epling
Aaron Epling
answered on Dec 2, 2020

Interesting question. You certainly cannot be responsible for repaying any money that you spent on behalf of your mother for her expenses like medical expenses, nursing home bills, taxes, insurance, etc. One tricky question is whether you are liable to the estate for payments that you made to... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law, Real Estate Law and Elder Law for Ohio on
Q: My Dad is 89 years old and for the last 3 or 4 years he has been giving my brothers and mine Inheritances away to his

My Dad is 89 years old and for the last 3 or 4 years he has been giving my brothers and mine Inheritances away to his girlfriends kids, how can we stop this? My Dad telling me that we will not get anything or only get what he owe on. What can be done? My Dad lives in Ohio.

Aaron Epling
Aaron Epling
answered on Nov 10, 2020

If he is incompetent, then you can apply to be his guardian and take control over his finances. You could also notify his bank that you believe he's incompetent or under undue influence. If he's competent and not under undue influence, then your options are very limited.

1 Answer | Asked in Elder Law and Health Care Law for Ohio on
Q: How to become spouses power of attorney

Spouse in Nursing home due to stroke

Moshe Toron
Moshe Toron
answered on Oct 23, 2020

If she is able to sign her name and is aware of what she is doing, then she can sign a power of attorney form that grants you power of attorney.

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