I need strength and calm for a hearing Tuesday

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Hi all,
wouldn't you know, the day b4 my FINRA hearing, difficult child has the day off from school. :(

Background: I used the broker that husband and I had known for 10 yrs, to consolodate P's assets (they were all over the U.S. and England) and make a plan for her care. I got snagged into investing into a fraudulant bond and lost several thousand dollars of P's money. I filed with-FINRA, which is a step down from the SEC. I filed against the owner and two brokers.
One of the brokers settled with-me out of court.
The owner has declared bankruptcy and is on hold.
The 3rd guy's atty almost settled with-me but at the last min., I discovered more info and refused to sign. He called for an emergency hearing to force the settlement and it was denied.
So we move forward tomorrow.
The arbitrator sent a fax saying that he would discuss the settlement with-us tomorrow. I'm guessing he's going to throw it out because the atty did not follow proper procedures (like notifying me! until it was too late).
I am now making copies of all of the newspaper clippings on this firm (a doz or so with-big, color photos), copies of P's photo so the arbitrator can see that this firm cheated an elderly woman out of her $ that was supposed to be totally liquid and totally safe, and copies of the actual form I filled out, which, in fact, I never filled out--it was done in the 3rd guy's handwriting.
I feel safe in my arguments, and rec'd help from a student and professor at Howard Univ. and can bring those notes with-me to the hearing.
Still, I've never faced an atty at a hearing b4, and I am my own atty. He's going to try to eat me alive by saying I shouldn't have signed it to begin with.
D*mn right I shouldn't have. But I trusted the owner of the firm and had had our own investments with-him for 10 yrs. How was I to know that this was a Ponzi scheme? It was totally based on trust.
I. Am. Breathing. Deeply.

:bath:
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Sending supportive and caring thoughts and prayers your way. Good luck...you can do it! DDD
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Sending you strength and board power that you bowl over the attorney on merit and not flowery confusing language and the judge will see everything he needs to see to rule properly.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Thank you! Just got an email from the claimant's atty saying that he has withdrawn and that the claimant is representing himself. Sigh.
Don't know if that means the guy ran out of money or they got into an argument or what.
 
T

TeDo

Guest
Sounds like the atty might have gotten the full picture and wants nothing to do with it. You go for it girl :fan:
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Ditto Tedo.

Will be thinking good thoughts. Just picture us surrounding you. All of us with our meanest warrior mom "look" on.

Hugs
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I could have sworn I responded to this, sending you all kids of good vibes, but apparently it did not save. LOL! You got 'em anyway.

How did it go?
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
OMGosh, I am wiped out.
I just ate a bunch of Petit Ecolier cookies and had a glass of wine and if I have any more carbs, I will explode.

I have no idea how it went. I mean, really. The arbitrator was very nice and explained things very well, so all we can do now is wait. One thing he did do, was immediately throw out the demand to force the settlement. He cited 3 reasons, but the main reason was (get this--it's SUCH fab legalese)--I didn't sign it.
smartass.gif


I found myself at a loss for words several times but everyone was patient and polite. (The defendant and I had to share the bathroom key. So cozy.) The arbitrator allowed 2 newspaper articles about the investment firm as evidence, and he allowed a photo I brought, of P in bed in NY, being kissed by two caregivers. Her arms look like sticks.

I used the same evidence that the defendant used, but we had very different explanations for it. He used it to say that I should have remembered the dates and times and exactly what went on, when I was called in to re-sign documents. I said that was proof of how disorganized everything was and how unprofessional. I mean, they typed in the wrong name! And kept calling me back to re-do things. I told the arbitrator that it was like a 3-ring circus.

Even though the bldg we used was very high-tech, very James Bond-ish (remotes for the blinds, webcam, recorders, anything you want), we stuck to basics and used pen and paper and lots of folders and paperclips. Something comforting about all of that, I don't know why. ;)

Fingers crossed for the next few wks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is AT LEAST as bad as waiting for difficult child dr results. Not that the rest of my life is staked on it, but that if I lose, I have to pay the other guy's atty fees. I hadn't expected that. Gulp.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
You sincerely believe that you are RIGHT! You prepared and presented as well as you possibly could. I hope and pray that the resolution is what you want but, either way, you stepped up to the plate and gave your best shot. I am proud of you, the family is proud of you and most importantly you should be proud of yourself. Hugs. DDD
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Hugs.

Sounds to me like, if the picture of P was allowed, someone has some decency there... Which bodes well. I'll keep rattling my beads though!!!
 
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