Marian’s Life Before Conservatorship
For most of her life, Marian Towner was independent, self-sufficient, and in control of her future. She worked hard, built financial security, and ensured she had assets that would allow her to live comfortably in her later years. Marian was a businesswoman, a mother, and someone who took pride in maintaining control over her own affairs.
But despite her strength and foresight, she became one of thousands of elders swept into the legal trap of conservatorship—a system designed to “protect” but often used to exploit.
The Conservatorship in California
In 2018, Marian was placed under a conservatorship in California that stripped her of her legal rights and financial control. Instead of protecting her, the system allowed a court-appointed conservator to make financial decisions on her behalf, take control of her property, and leave her without the ability to advocate for herself.
Despite legal requirements for transparency, the conservator failed to return Marian’s assets to her name, neglected her properties, and allowed serious financial mismanagement to occur.
Even after a legal battle led to the conservatorship being terminated in 2023, Marian’s assets were never returned to her. Her properties remained in the name of the conservatorship, and she was left without the financial stability she had worked her entire life to secure.
Conservatorship is supposed to end when a judge rules it is no longer necessary—but for many elders, the loss of control never truly ends.
The Current Fight: Forced Guardianship in Washington
Now, after everything she has endured, Marian is once again at risk of losing her rights—this time through guardianship.
A new legal battle is unfolding in Washington, where attempts are being made to force her into a guardianship that would take away her ability to make her own decisions, despite having already survived years under conservatorship.
Guardianship functions similarly to conservatorship, allowing third parties to take control of an elder’s life under the claim of “protection.” This would mean:
- Marian could lose the ability to make medical, financial, and personal decisions.
- Cecelia, her daughter and strongest advocate, could be legally shut out of the process.
- Control over Marian’s remaining assets and personal autonomy could be handed over—again.
This ongoing fight highlights how conservatorship and guardianship systems work together to keep elders trapped, even when there is no justifiable reason.
The Systemic Issue: How Many More Will This Happen To?
Marian’s case is not unique—it is part of a deeply flawed system that allows elders to be stripped of their rights under the guise of protection.
- Conservatorships and guardianships disproportionately impact vulnerable communities. Many elders—especially those without wealth, strong legal representation, or family advocates—are placed into these legal arrangements and never regain full control over their lives.
- Black families have historically been targeted through legal loopholes that strip them of wealth and property. From redlining to wrongful conservatorships, the pattern repeats: assets that should be passed down are instead funneled back into the system.
- Once these systems take hold, they are nearly impossible to escape. Even when a conservatorship or guardianship is ended, as in Marian’s case, families are left to fight for years to undo the damage.
Marian’s story is about one woman’s fight—but it represents thousands of others. It raises the question:
If someone like Marian—who worked, planned, and fought—can lose everything, how many others have already been lost to the system?