Living wills didn’t matter. Power of attorney didn’t matter. A relationship that spanned decades didn’t matter.
Despite the solid foundation of their relationship and all the legal documents they filed to prevent tragedy, Sonoma County officials took everything from a longtime gay couple Clay Greene and Harold Scull, including their chance to say goodbye before Scull died.
In April of 2008, Scull, 88, fell down the stairs and was taken to the hospital. While he was admitted, Sonoma County officials logged their belongings and petitioned the court for conservatorship of the couple’s estate. Despite being granted only limited powers, the County arranged for the sale of the men's personal property, cleaned out their home, terminated their lease, confiscated their truck, and eventually disposed of all of the men's worldly possessions, including family heirlooms, at a fraction of their value and without any proper inventory or determination of whose property was being sold.
They also moved Greene, 78, into a nursing home and confined him against his will, not permitting him to see his partner. Three months after he was taken to the hospital, Scull died, without having seen Greene.
Green is suing the county and a trial date has been set for July 16, 2010.
