Commission removes estate administrator after petition alleging missing accounting

Petitioners appeared before the Morgan County Commission on Aug. 5 seeking the removal of Patricia Kiesecker as administrator of the estate of the late Marie Bettis (died 2011). The commission heard from family members who said they had received little or no accounting of estate funds and that the estate had been open for many years with alleged money withdrawn from an estate account.

A petitioner summarized the reason for the petition: "The reason we are doing this petition is to for our mother, which is Marie Bettis that passed away in 2011," and told the commission they had been unable to obtain financial records from the administrator. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether a will existed, how shares of family farmland were allocated, and whether bank records had been produced; petitioners said there had been limited accounting and raised concerns about missing funds.

After discussion, a motion was made to remove Patricia Kiesecker as administrator and to appoint the petitioners as co-administrators of the estate. The commission approved the motion by voice vote. The chair instructed staff to prepare paperwork to implement the change and to provide petitioners with initial information and any funds the county could legally disburse pending further court proceedings. Commissioners noted that civil court may also be needed to resolve accounting and property disputes.

The commission's action changes who manages the estate at the county level; it does not by itself resolve accounting or property disputes, which petitioners said may require further civil litigation.