Editor,
After reading the story of the settlement for $200,000 — paid to the son of Marie Hatch (“Senior eviction lawsuit closes with settlement” in the Wednesday, June 20 edition of the Daily Journal), I saw one more example of how out-of-control the court systems have gotten.
We have sworn leaders — accountable to no one — clearly making up “law” spontaneously off the top of their heads instead of following the existing laws that they don’t like. The Marie Hatch case against the landlord never should have preceded in the first place. It should have been dismissed for lack of evidence. Since when are non-written, alleged verbal agreements legally binding in the first place? On top of that, unless otherwise stipulated in a legal document, when different owners take over property, the previous “agreements” are no longer valid. This is another example — much like the Brock Turner case — where the court and jury of public emotions have overridden actual facts.
Judges in many cases are appointed for life. President Trump calls Washington a swamp, and our biggest and most dangerous septic tank I’ve seen again and again are these court systems. Clearly they not only operate behind a bias, but they are forcing things that are clearly contrary to the law through because there is no one to stop them.
Frank M. Paya
San Mateo
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(4) comments
Great letter Frank, couldn't agree with you more. The judicial branch in America has thrown law out the window and have become point men/women for their political causes.
Well said Cindy. Often, people just don't understand how the laws/courts work. Nice clarification. Also, verbal agreements can be binding if you have witnesses. Best to research these things before posting. Btw, Marie Hatch's home remains empty. There was absolutely no reason to evict.
The judge did not decide. The parties settled. The case was about elder abuse
She was killed by an eviction notice handed two weeks before. Obviously the defendant didn't think he could survive a trial by jury.
Two reasons we settled: the costs incurred with going forward and proving the case in our favor were more than the number we settled at. Secondly the potential that my father would be held liable for the entirety of the opposing counsels legal fees should he found guilty of financial elder abuse. 1.7 million dollars, it would have bankrupted him.
I am truly sorry about the end of Marie Hatch’s life. We had no idea that an alleged agreement existed. I wish that Gary Hatch had been open to conversation with us when we notified of our intent to sell (he refused). It seemed that the very moment the Hatch’s got lawyers involved reasonable human discourse was removed from the picture.
There was no justice here.
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