Ailing senior's home boarded up, possessions turfed

The B.C. Public Guardian and Trustee's office is investigating howan elderly East Vancouver woman's possessions ended up beingdumped onher front lawn following her admission to hospital.

The woman, in her 80s, had been taken to hospital last week.

Neighbour Jeannette Raich told CBC News she was surprised on Monday to see the rundown house on Victoria Drive boarded upand some of her friend's things in the front yard.

"They were all in the front outside her door. And then some bum came around and he just went through and ransacked it all," she said.

Raich, whopacked up the items and hid them, wants to know who is responsible.

Woman doesn't own home

Even though the woman had lived in the house for more than 50 years, ithad not beenwilled to her when her husband died.

The people it was willed to declined it and the legal owner of the property, valued at almost $800,000, is the B.C. Public Trustee.

Beta Gustafson, who speaks for the trustee, said the woman has the right to live in the home until she dies or is incapable of caring for herself.

Gustafson said the trustee had ordered the home boarded up to secure it while the woman was in hospital. Butshe said she doesn't know how the possessions ended up outside.

"We would not issue an instruction for property to be strewn on the lawn and left there, no."

Raich has spoken to her longtime friend, andsaid shehasn't even been told her house is boarded up.

The woman is moving to a care home from hospital.