(a) (1) A public guardian who has taken possession or control of the property of an elder person pursuant to this chapter is entitled to petition a court of competent jurisdiction for the reasonable costs incurred by the public guardian for the protection of the person or the property, together with reasonable fees for services, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees. These fees shall be payable from the estate of the elder person if the person is not deemed competent by the court and if any of the following apply:
(A) The public guardian or someone else is appointed as the temporary or general conservator of the estate.
(B) An attorney-in-fact, under a durable power of attorney, or a trustee, takes steps, or is notified of the need to take steps, to protect the estate of the elder person.
(C) An action is brought against the alleged financial abuser by the elder person, his or her conservator, a trustee, a fiduciary, or a successor in interest of the elder person, arising from a harm that the public guardian taking charge was intended to prevent or minimize.
(2) Any costs incurred by the public guardian pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be compensable as provided in Section 2902. Fees collected by the public guardian pursuant to this chapter shall be used for the activities described in this chapter.
(b) When a public guardian has taken possession or control of the property of an elder person pursuant to this chapter, the public guardian shall exercise reasonable care to ensure that the reasonable living expenses and legitimate debts of the elder person are addressed as well as is practical under the circumstances.
(c) Any person identified as a victim in a declaration described in Section 2954 may bring an ex parte petition in the superior court for an order quashing the certification issued by the public guardian as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 2952.
(1) Upon request by the petitioner, the court may defer filing fees related to the petition, and order the public guardian to authorize the release of funds from a financial institution to reimburse the petitioner the filing fees from assets belonging to the petitioner, but shall waive filing fees if the petitioner meets the standards of eligibility established by subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 68511.3 of the Government Code for the waiver of a filing fee.
(2) The court shall quash the certification if the court determines that there is insufficient evidence to justify the imposition on the alleged victim’s civil liberties caused by the certification.
(3) If the court determines that there is sufficient evidence to justify the imposition on the alleged victim’s civil liberties caused by the certification, the court may, in its discretion, do one or more of the following:
(A) Order disbursements from the alleged victim’s assets, as are reasonably needed to address the alleged victim’s needs.
(B) Appoint a temporary conservator of the alleged victim’s estate, where the facts before the court would be sufficient for the appointment of a temporary conservator under Section 2250.
(C) Deny the petition.
(D) Award reasonable attorney’s fees to the respondent’s attorney from the victim’s estate.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 232, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2002.)