Bipartisan bill would reform state's troubled guardianship system

Two Albuquerque lawmakers have introduced a 165-page bill that would revamp the way state courts handle adult guardianship cases, mandating open court records, more oversight and auditing.

Republican state Sen. Jim White said he was approached by constituents who raised concerns about guardianship laws even before recent high-profile criminal investigations disclosed widespread problems with two nonprofit guardianship companies. The owners and managers of the firms in both cases have been charged with stealing millions of dollars from clients, and the need for more protection of vulnerable people in guardianships has drawn national attention.

In one case, the Albuquerque firm Ayudando Guardians and its owner, financial manager and family members were charged in U.S. District Court with multiple counts in connection with the theft of some $4 million from trust accounts of more than 100 clients. The defendants were accused of using the money to purchase vehicles, and to pay for rent, personal expenses, vacations and even a luxury box in The Pit to watch University of New Mexico basketball.

The case came to light when several employees of Ayudando approached federal agents in Albuquerque.

The second case involved a woman in Albuquerque whose children claimed that she and her $5 million estate were placed into a guardianship by a caretaker without their knowledge or consent.

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