Save Todd's House

Hi, my name is Todd. I have lived in my family's West Philly home for over half a century. I am currently at risk of losing my home to a lawyer who has become the administrator of my deceased mother’s estate, even though I am her only living heir. He has asked me to vacate my home so that he may sell my house to settle a debt of $19,000 to Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, the nursing home where my mother passed away in July of 2018. I do not know my social security number and the Social Security Administration has no record of my number and has not cooperated to help me obtain a new one, continuously turning down my applications over the past few years. Without a social security number, I could not inherit my mother’s estate, which is why this lawyer was able to become the administrator and hopes to profit off my home’s sale. He has also informed me of $3,000 owed in estate taxes and $6,000 owed to him in fees. I am now facing the possibility of becoming homeless this fall.It all started in March of 2018, when I took my mother to the hospital because she had a change in cognition. While in the ER, I also decided to be seen, as I had not been feeling well for a while. I was reluctant since I didn't have health insurance, but it was becoming urgent. As my mother's only caregiver, I could not afford to completely fall apart yet. I figured I might end up in the hospital overnight, in time to be home before she was discharged. That didn't work out in the slightest.As it turns out, I was in far worse shape than my 95-year-old mother. I had heart failure, diabetes, sepsis, and kidney disease. It's probably easier to say my liver was working fine. Had I waited a few days longer, I wouldn't have any problems now. A day or two after I was admitted, my left foot was amputated. About a week later, more of my left leg was removed. I spent the next week or two in critical care—time gets very strange in there, so I can’t be exact.At some point during that time, my mother was moved to Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, as there was no one to take care of her at home. It was supposed to be temporary. Again, things didn’t work out as planned. I ended up staying about two months in the hospital, two weeks in rehab, and an additional week in the hospital before being discharged. That put me at the end of June, and there was still the matter of getting a leg. So, I was still unable to care for my mother, and she remained in the nursing home. Fast forward to mid July, and I get a call from Renaissance that my mother is in the hospital. I rushed to see her, and on the last day I went to visit her, I got there just in time to see her take her last breath.Eventually, an employee from the nursing home contacted me. He said $19,000 of my mom’s bill wasn’t covered, and that I needed to settle her estate. He recommended an estate lawyer who he said was very good. I took him at his word—my mistake. When I spoke to the lawyer on the phone, he seemed very nice and helpful, so I gave him the information he wanted and even told him about my ongoing problem with the Social Security Administration. Sometime after, the same employee from the nursing home filed a petition with the Register of Wills to “force administration,” making the lawyer he had suggested to me the administrator of my mother’s estate. Under pressure and and without a lawyer, I regrettably signed the papers that made him the administrator. It seems to me that the lawyer and nursing home employee worked together to take advantage of my situation and gain control of my mother’s estate, namely my family home, which is worth far more than $19,000.I have been working with social workers and lawyers at CLS and Philadelphia VIP, but they say that without the Social Security Administration’s cooperation, they cannot guarantee to solve my housing issue. Without a Social Security number, I also cannot receive benefits for which I am eligible, including disability.My hope is that in raising the $30,000, I will have greater leverage to negotiate my case and prevent the sale of my home. I would like to use the money raised here to pay for additional legal services. In the worst-case scenario, funds raised here will assist me in finding new housing, should this lawyer succeed in selling my house. If anyone knows someone who can help me save my house, I would greatly appreciate contact information. My email is [email redacted] or you can pass along information via this fundraiser. Thank you for your support as I try to save my house. 

Note: Since I do not have a social security number, my friend Macaire has allowed me to use one of his bank accounts for donations. Because his name is linked to the account, gofundme lists Macaire Jackson as the campaign beneficiary, even though I have full access to the account and all funds.