A Year Without Papa
This story is about grief
I write stories from the front and back lines of the newsroom. This story is about grief.
July 18, 2025
Alexander Christian Stark Jr died a year ago. To honor the anniversary of his death, I’m reviewing all the events that have happened since to see if my audience can figure out what’s going on. These are the events that followed. It’s a lot. So your email service provider probably truncated this post. Let me assure you that this story is the abridged version of my spreadsheet.
Mom called. She asked me if I had finished Papa's obituary.
March 20, 2025
I started writing his obituary on this date. Papa's health was fading for a while. I had sufficient warning, and it still seemed too soon. Mom told me to send the obit to her. And the Bag Man. The only boundary I set with my mom was to leave my name out of her mouth when talking to that man. And, on the day my grandfather died, she violated that boundary yet again. There were several rapid-fire edit suggestions piling in from Jupiter, Florida. Reading the obituary now offends me. I don’t know who changed my writing. But I don’t write euphemisms like “passed away” or Oxford commas.
July 18, 2025
Receiving an email from my dead grandfather stole my gasp. An email from the Bag Man haunted my inbox. He had access to a dead man’s email to make travel arrangements for the funeral. Grief fogged the glaring wrongness I felt. I made my judgments against the Bag Man clear years ago. Something felt wrong. Wrong enough to switch bank accounts after he looked at my statements. Mom texted to ask what year I was born. I joked that she was there. The Bag Man sent the travel arrangements to my email.
July 20, 2025
Then my mother emailed me a song. She said it was “written for Papa.” The email was forwarded from the Bag Man. And obviously created using AI. I found it offensive. Mom forced me to listen to it in my hotel room in Florida. She was sobbing at the soulless music. I felt sorry for her because I found the AI song offensive and couldn’t pretend to be moved by it.
July 22, 2025
Mom texted asking me for my flight information. Even though she could have seen it by scrolling up a couple of texts. It was just grief. I told myself at the time. The Bag Man booked my flight the same day as my housing court hearing.
July 23, 2025
Papa’s visitation was 5 days after he died. It would have been sooner, but I had to go to court. Everything felt rushed.
July 24, 2025
I gave Papa’s eulogy 6 days after he died. The eulogy was my way of highlighting all the awesome confidence he instilled in me. My awesomeness was his accomplishment. Papa helped me find it when I was low on awesome reserves. My little sister was my unanticipated hype woman from the front row. She’s better at church than I am. Way better. I don’t judge people on how they grieve. Grieving a 92-year-old AT&T executive is complicated. But some people at the funeral seemed almost elated or relieved of a burden. The family knew for a while that he would be leaving us soon. As an event organizer for Wikipedia’s birthday, I thought planning a celebration of 92 years of life in 6 days was impossible. And I’ve seen Wikimedians plan unconferences during a bomb threat. They played the AI song at Papa’s funeral. Mom texted that night that she and her late brother weren’t mentioned in that “stupid song.”
September 4, 2025
Mom texted me a screenshot of the Bank’s contact info. It’s not the last time in this timeline that I received contact information as a screenshot. I use the anonymized “Bank” and “New Bank” because several bankers are involved in this case. And two banks.
September 5, 2025
Mom texted me that she spoke to the Bag Man. She said that everything is “being done that has to be done” and there’s “no need to bug anyone lol.”
September 9, 2025
My first urgent trust request involved housing insecurity and a pro bono lawyer. It would not be my last request to the Trust Team. It was not my last urgent request.
September 10, 2025
I emailed my current address, phone number and date of birth information to the Bag Man to forward to the estate attorney.
September 16, 2025
Alexander C. Stark, Jr. Probate Case Filed: I didn't know what probate was at the time. I know now that this was the date his probate was filed. My elderly step-grandmother’s lawyers filed the petition for Administration that same day. Palm Beach County Probate Division, Case No. 50-2025-CP-004503, listed Molly Stark Dean at my correct address as granddaughter and trust beneficiary. The Bag Man notarized the Oath of Personal Representative.
September 24, 2025
My step-grandmother’s lawyers filed an Amended Petition for Administration that correctly listed my address again.
September 25, 2025
My step-grandmother’s lawyers filed a Checklist for Petition for Formal Administration of Testate Estate. It confirmed that the death certificate was filed, that the will is self-proved, that assets exceed $100,000 and that the trust is a beneficiary of the will. My elderly step-grandmother is serving as both sole Personal Representative and sole Trustee.
September 30, 2025
This was a busy day on my grandfather’s probate docket. I am not a lawyer. I’m a journalist explaining Palm Beach County, Florida, records to the best of my ability. Five items were filed on the same day:
Notice to Creditors
Notice of Administration: States the estate must be closed within 12 months, triggers a three-month window for interested persons to object to will validity)
Order Admitting Will: Signed on my birthday and witnessed by the Bank
Letter of Administration: Granting my step-grandmother full power to administer the estate with an estate closure deadline of September 30, 2026 reiterated
Notice of trust: An Order Admitting Will to Probate and Appointing Personal Representative. The Will dated June 27, 2024 was signed on my birthday and attested by two bank employees. It was admitted as self-proved
October 11, 2025
Mom texted: “hopefully you are remembering the good times. Life is not promised so live it.” Looking at that text now, it didn’t feel like something she would say. Was she warning me about my future?
October 14, 2025
Mom texted that she wanted to talk. That same day, I emailed the Bank to request a loan from the trust to help with my rent. My grandfather was a guarantor on the same apartment that I was at risk of being evicted from. I didn't know then that I was emailing people who witnessed my grandfather's new will on my birthday in 2024.
October 15, 2025
Mom texted that the Bank “found a trust company and will set up a conference call soon.”
October 20, 2025
The Bank confirmed a meeting with my pro bono housing lawyer and “Mollie Stark Dean.” It felt odd for a bank to get my name wrong. But they don't know how serious I am about my name. Don't know that I scream it loudly in front of hundreds of nerds.
October 21, 2025
Meanwhile, in probate court, my step-grandmother’s legal team sent a Notice to Creditors via certified mail to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (Florida Medicaid). No claim was ultimately filed by Medicaid.
October 22, 2025
The power company shut my power off due to lack of payment. I was in crisis. Called my mom. She was “at lunch” and said “I get it. I have 74 bucks.” She said she was having issues with the Bank as well. Mom suggested that I ask my step-grandmother for money.
October 29, 2025
My policy is to record all meetings that affect my bank account. The Bank said that internal approval was required before the recording could take place. The same Bank representatives who witnessed my grandfather’s will. That same Bank spelled my name wrong again in the meeting invite: “Mollie.”
October 31, 2025
Bank statements show a $300,000 year-to-date withdrawal. The Bank only sent me statements from after my grandfather died. As a qualified beneficiary, I know now that I am owed a full accounting of the trust.
December 9, 2025
The Bank declined to manage my family’s subtrusts. Mom forwarded a New Bank’s request for documents (IDs, birth certificates), a co-trustee fee agreement and EIN numbers for the six trusts.
December 10, 2025
Mom texted to ask if I had sent the paperwork to New Bank, which was formally appointed as co-trustee. I told her that I was sick. She texted me to feel better. Then texted that my brother needed help with his paperwork the same day. I was too sick to do my work, but my mother suggested that I was healthy enough to do cross-country secretarial work. We texted back and forth about my involvement with the trust. I realize as I type this that this isn’t the last time we would talk about the trust on days that I told her about feeling sick. Mom texted that she was having lunch with New Bank. I texted that “only shady wealth managers take people out to lunch,” and she said that it was her idea. And none of my business.
December 12, 2025
I sent an email to my pro bono housing lawyer affirming that this New Banker was “the new lawyer for my grandfather’s estate.” It’s odd reading these documents now. I want to warn my former self. But time-travel technology is not on my side.
December 23, 2025
Mom texted and forwarded New Bank’s email. New Bank sent sensitive information to the wrong Molly. A “Mollie” to be more accurate. My mom shared this information with yet another uninterested party that same day. She texted on Christmas Eve Eve to make sure my name is correct on the new forms.
December 29, 2025
Mom texted, “Did you get your shit notarized?” This is a pretty sh🤓tty text to get from your mom over the holidays. This was also the anniversary of my dad’s death. So she knew I was vulnerable. Mom texted, “Everyone did the signing but you. Get it done, this thing needs to be done!”
December 30, 2025
Mom texted that New Bank had all the paperwork but mine. I sent notarized files from a Brooklyn public library to New Banker. It all felt so rushed. Luckily for me, local librarians helped me print and digitize these sensitive documents.
January 9, 2026
My housing lawyer asked me for an update on the money because my landlord filed a motion to evict for nonpayment. I forwarded my landlord's notice to New Bank. They asked what documentation I needed to help, without committing to specifics.
January 20, 2026
My step-grandmother’s legal team filed a Notice to Creditors: the Department of Veterans Affairs Debt Management Center. My grandfather was a Korean War veteran. Her lawyers didn’t disclose the source of VA payment funds on the probate docket.
January 23, 2026
This is the anniversary of my email relationship with New Bank. I sent them an urgent Distribution Request by email. Now I’m the self-professed “girl who cried ‘urgent,’” simply because it’s the only word the banks respond to. These exchanges with both Bank and New Bank continue to this day. I’m a Vermonter, so I warned future lawyers involved with this case: “Don’t print out the timeline! It’s hundreds of pages.” I summarize for Substack.
3:31 PM: New Banker forwarded my housing lawyer’s balance breakdown to me, asking me to “advise” since a payment is now being demanded
3:40 PM: I replied confirming my landlord filed a motion for a money judgment and asked my pro bono lawyer to contact her by end of day
3:44 PM: New Banker responded that he already replied to the landlord on January 9th with a documentation request and asked her to specify what she needs from him and from the trust
4:10 PM: I wrote that I needed money from the trust “ASAP” to avoid eviction, noting that I signed the notarized documents for this purpose and that I was in an “information vacuum” about the fund's availability
4:35 PM: New Banker explained that the other bank declined to accept the six sub-trusts and New Bank stepped in; New Bank said it was still obtaining EINs, had no distribution timeline and asked me to submit a clean, documented formal distribution request with a budget plan
4:58 PM: I sent an email citing my housing emergency, the balance due January 31, 2026 and my grandfather’s history of covering my rent in 2020. I attached my pro bono lawyer’s balance email, the court’s Motion to Restore notice, my lease, the November 2025 stipulation and the rent breakdown
5:04/5:05 PM: New Banker asked me to resend the attachments and stated he didn’t believe funds or committee approval would be available by January 31, 2026, though New Banker would “certainly try”
5:23 PM: I sent a follow-up stressing it had been over six months since my grandfather’s death with zero distributions, reiterated the housing deadline and asked directly whether an emergency distribution could be expedited before January 31
January 28, 2026
5:16 PM: I emailed New Banker asking for an update on the emergency distribution request
5:39/5:40 PM: New Banker replied that he worked on the Bank account, opening documents that day and is calling the estate lawyer to try to work out funding
January 29, 2026
4:00 PM: New Banker asked my pro bono lawyer to send the amount owed, the payee’s name and the payee’s overnight mailing address, noting the check would likely be mailed overnight, directly to the landlord; New Banker also told me this is a “one-time approval for the past due rent” and that they’ll need to work on a sustainable budget
5:21 PM: I responded requesting the amount needed to cover arrears through the end of March and provided my landlord’s address
5:22 PM: New Banker replied that he “did not get approval for that much” and asked my pro bono representation to separately provide the amount due through end of January plus an additional amount for February
February 1, 2026
Banker tells my pro bono attorney and me that the Bank team is raising the cash for the payment.
February 4, 2026
My pro bono representation sent an overnight mailing address for the landlord’s attorney.
February 7, 2026
The Bag Man filed an SMAKZ CORP 2026 Annual Report with the Florida Secretary of State. I remember my step-grandmother talked to him about this new company during the funeral. This filing was eight days after the Bank transferred money into my trust account and 20 days before the Bag Man notarized my step-grandmother's dual-capacity inventory receipts for the Stark probate estate. The Bag Man remains sole officer, director and registered agent of SMAKZ CORP. Signed under oath.
February 9, 2026
I formally invoked Florida Statutes §§ 736.0813 and 736.08135 to demand complete trust instruments, a full accounting since my grandfather's July 2025 death, an asset/liability summary and a statement of my beneficial interest within 30 days. New Bank responded the same day, refusing to prepare a formal accounting and stating that I'd instead receive Bank trust statements, while confirming I am the sole current beneficiary. New Bank attached my late grandmother’s Trust document and its modification agreement.
February 12, 2026
In the words of a Florida probate lawyer looking at my case: “It’s not like you were asking for a Lamborghini.” Reading through my minimal HEMS (Health, Education, Maintenance and Support) claims, my email tracking numbers spiked. I tried to apply for a government loan several times. Every time I get to the inheritance section, I worry about lying to the government about my situation. I later told a friend, “I have no idea what’s in my bank account.”
February 17, 2026
My mom forwarded an email from New Bank with zero attachments. That same day, my mother called me to say that the Bag Man “found” $20,000 in insurance money for me. She asked if I wanted it. I said yes and never heard about it again. This is what I mean by not knowing what’s in my bank account.
February 18, 2026
New Bank apologized for not getting my budget approved. New Bank recommended part-time work or going on disability. As if I hadn’t thought of either of those ignorant recommendations. My mom suggested both. Several times.
February 22, 2026
Mom forwarded a text from the Bag Man, suggesting that my husband shovel snow. Another clear violation of my one boundary.
February 26, 2026
My mother forwarded a “Beneficiary Insurance Waiver” to me and my siblings. The Bag Man forwarded this document, requesting that we sign the document and have it notarized. My step-grandmother’s legal team prepared it. This Waiver stated that the Trust owns the property my step-grandmother lives in and that insuring it would be too expensive and would require buying a new roof.
I read documents before I sign them, and this one asked my step-grandmother, my mother, my siblings and me to:
Release and forever discharge my step-grandmother from all liability for leaving the Jupiter Home uninsured or underinsured
Indemnify and hold her harmless from any claims related to that decision
Acknowledge we were advised by her lawyers to seek independent counsel before signing, and that her lawyers represent the Trustee, not them
Allow execution in counterparts
One more thing to note about this document. Over the past year, I have been gathering lots of PDFs. I read this document and filed it. Then I ran it through Perplexity to see if I missed something. Some PDFs need to be run through an OCR. The computer sees it as a picture. I had to run this particular document through two optical character readers to extract the machine-readable data.
February 27, 2026
The Bag Man sent me a "Waiver of Accounting, Portions of Petition for Discharge, Service of Petition for Discharge and Receipt of Beneficiary and Consent to Discharge" (aka a full waiver) in Papa’s estate.
This Waiver asked me to waive my right to a final accounting, waive disclosure of personal representative/attorney/agent compensation and the plan of distribution, waive service and notice of the Petition for Discharge, acknowledge "complete distribution" of my estate share and consent to discharging the personal representative without notice, hearing or further accounting. He paired it with a separate Receipt form acknowledging I received only the "Estate Inventory" from the personal representative.
On the same day, my elderly step-grandmother filed a document in probate court. The Bag Man notarized my step-grandmother’s dual-capacity signatures on two Estate Inventory receipts: once as beneficiary and once as Trustee.
March 2, 2026
Mom texted (using voice-to-text): “Molly, you need to stop.” Mom said that my step-grandmother was under the impression that I was suing her. Mom said she talked to “Papa’s attorney” (who I now know is the estate’s lawyer) and the Bag Man. Mom ended the text with “I love you but please chill out.”
March 3, 2026
I filed complaints with the FTC and the DBPR.
March 9, 2026
I created my first spreadsheet to keep track of all of the estate documents.
March 12, 2026
Mom texted asking about the waiver. The estate attorney confirmed that she didn’t have a problem with it.
March 16, 2026
This was the deadline for the Consent Waiver that my siblings and I refused to sign.
March 24, 2026
I filed complaints with FINRA, FOFR, the SEC and the FBI.
March 29, 2026
Mom texted that my step-great-grandmother died. My step-grandmother and my step-great-grandmother lived with my grandfather when he died. It’s an odd thing to text. But I dismissed it as Mom being too old and too grief-stricken to understand text etiquette.
March 30, 2026
The Department of Veterans Affairs Debt Management Center filed a Statement of Claim against the estate, representing overpayment of VA compensation benefits paid to Papa.
April 2, 2026
The VA filed a claim seeking repayment of overpaid disability benefits from Papa’s estate.
April 3, 2026
I texted my mother that I was in the emergency room. She called to talk to me that night. Knowing that I couldn’t talk because of a mouth full of puss.
April 4, 2026
My mother forwarded an email from New Bank the same day I was discharged from the ER. The chain shows that the same email was sent to another beneficiary 5 days before I received it. New Bank requested the 12 monthly 2025 statements for two separate trusts. My siblings and I were not copied on the original email despite being qualified beneficiaries of these same trusts. This is a documented instance of my sibling beneficiary class being excluded from direct trust-administration correspondence regarding accounts in which we have a beneficial interest. Beneficiary communication patterns were forming. And the business journalist was the last in the inbox at the end of this game of trust telephone.
April 13, 2026
Banks automatically collected management fees. No committee approval needed.
April 16, 2026
I logged into the Palm Beach County, Florida eCaseView for the first time. It’s the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s free court records search. I warned the Banks that my phone and power were about to be disconnected despite the committee’s February 24 monthly approved budget, cited my MS as a documented health risk and demanded payment records and a fix by end of day. New Bank’s same-day reply dodged all four questions and described a different payment process than what I said was originally approved, leaving the contradiction unresolved.
April 19, 2026
The Florida AG’s Office responded to my three March 2026 complaints. The AG acknowledged receipt and redirected me to other agencies and law enforcement. The complaints themselves detailed the Bag Man’s undisclosed corporate background, a suspicious will-signing timeline, months of denied HEMS distributions, a pressured insurance-waiver deadline and an unfiled, past-due Estate Inventory allegedly omitting millions in assets.
April 20, 2026
I followed up with the Banks, citing an ER visit and demanding written confirmation of payment dates, prompting New Bank to first suggest I’d misunderstood his prior email. Then a Banker (who witnessed my grandfather’s new will-signing in 2024) asked off the correspondence entirely. New Bank ultimately reversed course and admitted the approved budget had run out after paying the overdue bills. This contradicted his own April 16 explanation. This effectively confirms the February 24 committee-approved six-month distribution plan was not honored as written by month three.
April 22, 2026
New Bank sent a correction email to the full team, reversing the phone and power amounts he had stated 26 minutes earlier. He did not acknowledge or explain the discrepancy in banking information. The Banks used my old bank account instead of the one provided in the January 2026 budget submission.
April 28, 2026
The Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed receipt of $10,412.81 payment from the estate. Account marked PAID IN FULL. Source of payment funds not identified in docket: estate had $0.00 in probate assets on record.
May 6, 2026
My step-grandmother’s legal team filed a Notice of Filing Proof of Payment of Claim. It confirmed the VA’s $10,412.81 claim was satisfied. The funding source still isn’t identified anywhere in the docket. The Estate Inventory and Final Accounting both show $0.00 in probate assets.
May 11, 2026
My step-grandmother’s legal team filed a "Notice of Confidential Information Within Court Filing" to flag that the accompanying Final Accounting for Papa's estate is confidential and exempt from public record under Florida law. It blocks general public access to this one document, per Florida Statute §733.604. The same legal team sent this Final Accounting to my sister’s lawyer the same day.
May 15, 2026
I emailed an itemized discretionary shortfall across March-May under the February 24 committee-approved plan, invoked Florida Statute §736.0813 to demand full trust records if disputed and requested immediate payment plus confirmation that June-August distributions would arrive on schedule. New Bank's same-day reply gave no numbers or timeline, only stating he'd "review the transactions" and advise what "may or may not be available" to send.
May 18, 2026
A new Banker from New Bank entered my already overpopulated email chain with the Banks. This relationship manager moved the chat to New Bank secure messages. The secure message is documented evidence that New Bank’s own internal numbers conflicted with what its own Managing Director told me in writing weeks earlier.
May 19, 2026
The Bank notified the Trust chain that New Bank’s encrypted portal is blocked by the Bank’s firewall. This is his second notification of the same barrier. New Bank’s continued use of an encrypted portal after this notification effectively excludes the Bank's managing director from producing documents in a matter in which the Bank is a named financial institution.
May 20, 2026
This was a busy day on my document timeline.
My first publication explaining my experiences with the Banks went live on my Substack.
I filed a DOJ Corporate Whistleblower tip against the Banks.
My landlord emailed me, confirming that my rent was late.
I filed CFPB complaints against The Banks, alleging fiduciary misconduct in my trust account.
I filed a complaint with the OCC’s CAMP consumer portal against the Bank regarding its administration of asset management/trust accounts.
The Bank confirmed in writing:
Monies that left my Trust were asset transfers, not fees: destination unverified
The Bank declined to serve as trustee
My sister received material financial information in Feb 2026 that was withheld from me
HEMS emails were ignored while the document thread received responses
My email tracking data showed 89 opens of beneficiary communications by parties in Coral Gables, FL; Boca Raton, FL; Columbus, OH and Ashburn, VA. The data pulled on Papa’s death anniversary reached 3.8K total views. I know that this data is littered with security bots. It confirms that the Banks are paying close attention to my communications.
May 21, 2026
There were several emails with the banks. Here are the main themes:
Rent delay: May 2026 rent paid 20 days late, a possible breach of prompt-administration duty on a HEMS obligation
Revocable Trust access: New Bank affirmed that it will only “attempt” to obtain the Trust from the estate attorney and raised (for the first time) that I may not be a beneficiary of it
Portal access confirmed: Bank sent Feb–Apr statements, noting they were already available online to me, but ignored my four outstanding document requests
My mother’s conflict: New Bank admitted family members commonly serve despite conflicts but didn’t deny mom’s dual role (co-trustee + $1M floor beneficiary) or confirm whether that provision was ever disclosed to me
Shortfall: I flagged the gap between the Will’s bequest and my account, demanding an explanation and full asset accounting since Papa’s death
Trust structure disclosed: New Bank confirmed only two governing documents exist, “Trust 1A” never existed, Papa’s Will directed monies to me, and my mother holds a $1M floor while simultaneously controlling my distributions as co-trustee
Partial statutory response: The Bank sent only the January statement, ignoring three of four statutory demand items and omitting the trust instrument entirely
I started collecting donations to pay for a legal team by starting the #PapaStarkFund.
May 22, 2026
This was another busy day of emails with the banks. Here are the main themes:
Discharge letter withholds trust instrument: A letter calls me a “qualified beneficiary,” lists six enclosures, but omits the trust instrument entirely, which starts my six-month limitations clock while withholding the document I need to evaluate my claims
193-day delay documented: My reply-alls to the full institutional chain noted that they opened my account 193 days after Papa’s death, and that I’m reviewing the February statement’s Misc. & Corporate Actions section
Retroactive surplus argument rejected: I formally rejected to New Bank’s claim that unpaid bills created a “surplus” against my budget, arguing the trust’s failure to proactively request bills doesn’t reduce my entitlement, the first written rejection on the full record
ACH migration refused: I declined to sign the ACH form moving distributions from Bank to New Bank until I receive written answers on the legal basis, trustee authorization and post-migration accessibility of the account
Transfer source confirmed: The Bank confirmed the monies that funded my account on January 30 came from my late grandmother’s Trust
Account opening date confirmed: The Bank confirmed in writing that they opened my account on January 27, 2026 (six months and nine days after Papa’s death), while still not responding to my HEMS requests
May 25, 2026
To celebrate my late father and grandfather’s duties on Memorial Day, I continued my email communications with the Banks about three formally documented active items:
The Bank demand with May 30 deadline: specific demand for 2019 irrevocable modification, plain-text format requirement due to the Bank firewall and identification of who holds pre-July 2025 statements
Formal HEMS request for June 2026 rent due June 1
Formal documentation of outstanding unpaid discretionary balance with request for full 2026 written accounting including authorization basis for each transaction. Regulatory complaint escalation warning on record
May 26, 2026
The CFPB confirmed receipt of my May 20, 2026, complaint against the Bank and forwarded it to the company, which has 15–60 days to respond.
May 27, 2026
The Bank admitted:
Pre-July 2025 Dorothea Stark Trust statements exist and were sent to my mother, not me
The Bank's resignation letter exists and was likewise provided only to my mother, not me
The Bank mischaracterized my May 21 acknowledgment of receiving the February statement as if it satisfied my separate accounting request
The bank directed all further questions to my mother, a conflicted co-trustee with a $1M floor interest, a pattern that doesn't discharge the Bank's independent disclosure duty under Florida Statute §736.0813
May 28, 2026
The Bank sent a secure email response:
Confirmed his role is financial advisor only, not attorney
Confirmed pre-July 2025 statements exist and were sent to my mother
Confirmed the Bank resignation letter exists and was provided…but not to me
Directing me to my mother and New Bank for funding questions
Stated statutory communications will now be forwarded to his compliance department
May 29, 2026
New Bank responded:
Deflected the outstanding bills and trust document requests back to prior emails
Told me to Google the estate attorney’s contact information rather than provide it
Submitted the estate attorney’s contact details as unsearchable embedded images
This is all while ignoring the May 28 compliance deadline. The Bank's compliance department directed the Banker to withhold statements from me and, for the first time, cc'd a new name in the chain, likely a compliance supervisor.
My mom called and asked about my complaint to the government. I asked her which one. My mother then said that the Bank “fired me.” And asked me to apologize to the New Bank or else they will fire me too. I wanted to mute the phone to giggle a little bit. Fired?
June 1, 2026
I emailed the Banks again:
Formally noted ongoing deficit and unreleased balance
Submitted June 2026 HEMS requests
Requested full outstanding HEMS balance accounting (January–June 2026)
Placed all parties on formal notice that trust documents remain outstanding past the May 28 compliance deadline under Fla. Stat. §736.0813
Directly disputed New Bank’s pattern of redirecting me to drafting counsel as non-compliant with trustee obligations under §736.0813
June 2, 2026
The Bag Man emailed my grandfather’s insurance company. Papa’s life insurance policy lists my grandfather’s Trust as the beneficiary. The company requested a completed claim form signed specifically by my late grandmother.
The Bag Man submitted a copy of my grandfather’s Trust to the insurance company, while signing as acting for my step-grandmother, “Executor of Alexander C. Stark’s estate.” No court appointment exists in Case 50-2025-CP-004503 supporting this title.
The Bag Man’s known documented connections to the Stark estate include:
Access to Alexander Stark’s email on the date of death, July 18, 2025
Notarization of dual-capacity inventory receipts on February 27, 2026
Communications regarding lease and budget matters in 2024 pre-dating Alexander’s death
Sole officer and registered agent of SMAKZ CORP, a Florida profit corporation with “any and all lawful business” as its purpose
Manager of Krab Holdings LLC, through which he conducted a Florida real estate transaction in 2020
SEC Director Nominee filings for RPM Interactive, Inc. in February, April and May 2025
June 3, 2026
I filed a complaint with the CFP Board.
June 5, 2026
I started my day with a lovely phone conversation with a dedicated public servant: the Palm Beach County Clerk. She warned me not to let probate close, or it would take “a tank” to reopen.
I registered for the Palm Beach County, Florida eCaseView for the first time. I exported every document I could.
New Bank responded to some of my outstanding questions via email:
Agreed to ask the Bank for the credit-side entries corresponding to the transfers and for the date/reason of the Bank's trustee declination
Committed to courtesy outreach to the estate attorney for the 2003 Revocable Trust; contact information still not provided
Confirmed bills were to be paid
New Bank recommended in writing that I retain independent counsel to analyze the conflict of interest.
The Bank responded to my CFPB complaint, outlining that the company is still working on my issues.
June 7, 2026
This year taught me so much about the law. My respect for it grew exponentially. I e-filed a pro se “Caveat by Interested Person” in Papa’s probate case, formally putting the court and estate’s attorneys on notice of my legal interest before any further estate action proceeds. The court had my correct address on the docket since probate item #2. I didn’t receive the probate paperwork until I filed a Caveat (item #27).
June 11, 2026
Filed a complaint with the FDIC Consumer Response Unit (CRU).
The Clerk issued a Notice to Caveator. My new title, Caveator, put my name on the probate docket. My step-grandmother’s law firm listed an attorney who had already been replaced by a new attorney at the time of issuance.
8 and a half months after the Letters of Administration were issued to my step-grandmother.
For the first time since Papa died, I was formally on record as the recipient of notice of any future proceedings in the case, including my pending Objection to the Petition for Discharge.
June 12, 2026
It was another day of activity on all sides of my grandfather’s estate.
Service action: My step-grandmother’s legal team e-filed and served a Formal Notice on Molly Stark Dean at 6:00 PM, both by email (cc’d to the court and firm attorneys) and certified mail, delivered June 20, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Contents of the package: The mailing bundled the Formal Notice, Notice of Administration, Estate Inventory, Estate Accounting, Annual Trust Accounting and a Limitations Notice, along with a cover letter from my step-grandmother’s lawyer stating the probate was initiated “solely to validate” the pour-over will and that the firm is “not aware of any probate assets”
Legal deadline triggered: The Formal Notice directs that I serve written defenses within 20 days of service (excluding the service date), setting a deadline of on or around July 2–3, 2026, and warns that failure to respond may result in judgment against me without further notice
The Final Accounting lists every schedule (Receipts, Disbursements, Distributions, Capital Transactions, Assets on Hand) at $0.00
The Inventory lists the sole estate asset as the Jupiter, Florida home my step-grandmother currently lives in, classified as an exempt protected homestead, with all other property and non-exempt real estate at $0.00 and no independent appraisal disclosed
The Notice of Administration identifies the June 27, 2024 (my birthday)Will and warns interested persons they have a 3-month window from service to contest the Will’s validity, venue or jurisdiction or risk waiving that right
But that’s just my filings in probate court. I emailed the banks about some unresolved items.
The estate’s Final Accounting and Inventory both show $0.00 in assets, yet the cover letter claims that the probate exists solely to validate the pour-over will.
June 16, 2026
The bank’s portal confirms:
The New Bank is listed as an Authorized Agent/Stakeholder with 0.00% beneficial ownership, and I don’t recognize the Florida mailing address listed on my account
The Bank is listed as an Authorized Trader, Discretionary
The Bank retains discretionary trading authority over the beneficiary account after formally declining to serve as trustee
June 18, 2026
The Bag Man notarized items #30 and #31 on my grandfather’s probate docket: Both documents are titled “Waiver of Service of Notice of Administration (testate)”: They’re companion filings, executed the same day, notarized by the same person.
The first waiver is signed by my step-grandmother in her personal capacity, as a beneficiary of the estate
The second waiver is signed by my step-grandmother, as Trustee
In both, my elderly step-grandmother is waiving service of the Notice of Administration and giving up her own right to ever challenge the validity of the will, the qualifications of the personal representative (herself) or the venue and jurisdiction of the court.
Both waivers were notarized by The Bag Man. The same person whose corporate and estate-related background I’ve already flagged in several complaints. His commission numbers even show slightly inconsistent formatting between the two filings. Seeing his name notarize these waivers, filed the same day as each other, six days after I was formally served, is not something I’m willing to treat as coincidental without further investigation.
June 19, 2026
Here’s everything that hit my inbox and mailbox on the 19th. And it’s a lot:
My step-grandmother’s attorneys finally sent me the actual Will and the 2003 Trust (as amended June 27, 2024, my birthday), along with the Trust Accounting and a Limitations Notice that started my six-month breach-of-trust clock that same day
My elderly step-grandmother filed a petition on June 18 to close the estate and discharge herself, backed by a Final Accounting and Inventory, both showing $0.00
The court’s Formal Notice requiring written defenses named my mother, my little sister, my little brother, my niece and my nephew, but not me
My limitations clock started the exact day I finally received the paperwork needed to evaluate any claim
June 25, 2026
On June 25, 2026, I filed three items in probate court back-to-back:
Objection to the Petition for Discharge: laying out 14 grounds: from defective service and the Bag Man's shaky notarizations to that glaring trust accounting versus $0 estate accounting, the undisclosed insurance policy and a shortfall on my bequest
Request for Hearing: asked for at least 60 days to find counsel and get discovery on the trust's pre-death statements and transfers
Emergency Motion: to unseal the confidential Estate Inventory and Final Accounting that my step-grandmother’s lawyers had locked down.
My step-grandmother’s attorney fired back within 22 minutes, accusing me of contradicting myself by filing an "emergency" motion while asking for more time to get a lawyer, and by that night the Judge denied the emergency relief outright, ruling it didn't meet the threshold for expedited hearing and telling me to pursue it through the ordinary course instead. So the confidentiality fight isn't over; it's just back on the regular docket now.
June 29, 2026
I received confirmation that all three of my June 25th filings were officially accepted and docketed with the Palm Beach County Probate Court.
The North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks confirmed my OCC referral against The Bank turned into a formal complaint with the Commissioner’s office, demanding that the Bank provide a written response by July 20.
On top of all that, I sent the Banks formal written demands, citing Fla. Stat. §§736.0813 and 736.0802.
June 30, 2026
I e-faxed a Notary Complaint to the Florida Governor’s Notary Section.
July 1, 2026
The Bank’s CFPB response arrived by mail. In the response, the Bank misattributes the October 29, 2025, recording restriction policy to New Bank, an entity not appointed co-trustee until December 10, 2025.
July 6, 2026
My step-grandmother’s legal team sent a letter with the Will, Trust, Annual Trust Accounting and Limitations Notice. The physical certified mail copy arrived over two weeks after the email version and well into the six-month §736.1008 limitations clock it professes to trigger.
July 8, 2026
New Bank advised that my current HEMS budget is expiring at the end of July and that she will bring the renewal request to the Bank at its next meeting, scheduled for July 27, 2026. New Bank said that a decision would be communicated on or around that date.
July 10, 2026
I told New Bank that I’m not satisfied that the documents provided identify the specific governing trust instrument for my account, and renewed my request for the original Trust instrument, which has never been produced. I set a 14-day production deadline.
July 12, 2026
I submitted CFPB feedback on the Bank's July 1, 2026 response:
October 29, 2025 recording refusal attributed to a New Bank’s policy, despite New Bank not being appointed co-trustee until December 10, 2025
No confirmation that I was directly notified of the Bank's November 6, 2025 fiduciary declination, only that estate counsel was notified
Confirmed exclusion from February 18, 2026 correspondence to co-beneficiary regarding trust entries
July 17, 2026
The day before the anniversary of Papa’s death, I received the Q2 2026 trust account statement for the account held at New Bank as Successor Co-Trustee with my mother. New Bank is my account manager, and the bank remains listed as investment manager.
Yet another limitation clock starts.
Buried on the very last page is a Limitation Notice stating that under Florida Statute §736.1008, this statement itself constitutes a trust accounting and any breach-of-trust claim based on what’s disclosed in it must be filed within six months of your receipt of this document. This means New Bank asserts that receipt of this routine quarterly statement may start its own independent six-month countdown for any disclosures in these transactions. I’m already tracking one §736.1008 clock from June 19.
A recurring “2% floor” credit card transaction fee of $25.00 was charged multiple times specifically for paying my phone and power bills with a New Bank card.
This was the last year of my life. A year without Papa. Maybe someone in my audience can help with more insights. And funds for lawyers.
In the problematic, triggering words of Christian Palko:
“I’m meant to be here, and that’s the f🤓ckin hell I live with.”
— Cage
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