New TN Conservatorship Law Comes Too Late for Some Wards

Shannon Hill says much of the past two years of her life has been unbearable. Even the most basic of decisions about her daily life were taken away.

Hill, 67, was placed in a court-ordered conservatorship in 2009, although she says she had never set foot in the Nashville courtroom where her fate was decided.

Her attempt to regain control of her life comes amid increased public attention on the Tennessee law governing conservatorships. A major rewrite of the statute was approved by the legislature and now awaits Gov. Bill Haslam’s signature.

The bill sets new notification and hearing requirements for conservatorships, meaning someone like Hill would have to be given an opportunity to be heard in the courtroom. The new provisions won’t affect Hill’s case, however. They apply only to cases initiated after July.

Hill, who lives at an independent living facility, complains that her life “has been one misery after another.” Her condominium and two cars were sold. And she said all aspects of her life are controlled by her conservator and cousin, Kathy Mangrum.

Mangrum has filed a request to be removed as Hill’s conservator, and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Probate Judge David Randy Kennedy’s court.

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New Conservatorship Law Comes Too Late for Some Wards