{"id":422053,"date":"2026-08-02T22:36:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T22:36:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/422053\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T22:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T22:36:11","slug":"lawmaker-told-court-her-mom-had-dementia-in-family-property-battle-not-so-said-doctors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/422053\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmaker told court her mom had dementia in family property battle \u2014 not so, said doctors"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story<\/a> was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up<\/a> for their newsletters.<\/p>\n

AnaMaria \u00c1vila Bugarin had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for psychological evaluations, legal costs and fiduciary fees to prove what seemed obvious to most of the people around her: She didn\u2019t have dementia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But one of her daughters claimed she couldn\u2019t take care of herself. \u00c1vila Bugarin wanted to show she didn\u2019t need a court-appointed conservator.<\/p>\n

So the 76-year-old showed up impeccably dressed for her final exam with a neuropsychologist in September 2018, according to court records. Tearful and distraught, she explained how a quarrel over real estate had destroyed her family and landed her in a fight for the most basic human right, records show. First, she claimed, her daughter had hit her as their property dispute boiled over. Then, her daughter petitioned to get her declared incompetent.<\/p>\n

Such ugly family battles can be common in California. What makes \u00c1vila Bugarin\u2019s story unique is that the person who tried to strip her of her autonomy is now Assemblymember Anamarie \u00c1vila Far\u00edas<\/a>, who sits on her chamber\u2019s eldercare committee<\/a> \u2014 the legislative body that\u2019s supposed to protect seniors.<\/p>\n

CalMatters reviewed the case as part of our ongoing investigation<\/a> into California\u2019s conservatorship system, which is designed to protect the vulnerable by taking control of their lives and finances. Previous stories have shown that weak oversight by the state\u2019s Professional Fiduciaries Bureau and the courts has allowed the system to be used against the people it\u2019s supposed to protect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Records on file at the Contra Costa County Superior Court show that before \u00c1vila Far\u00edas rose to become an assemblymember, she faced a temporary restraining order<\/a> for elder abuse after allegedly hitting her mother<\/a> and ended her conservatorship attempt<\/a> only after her mother agreed to sign over real estate<\/a> in a settlement agreement.<\/p>\n

The records also reveal that \u00c1vila Far\u00edas and her husband have filed for bankruptcy<\/a> three<\/a> times<\/a> on behalf of themselves and their company since 2011, and the assemblymember provided a vastly different explanation of the property in question to the courts than she did to the Fair Political Practices Commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Melissa Brown, an elder-law professor emeritus<\/a> at the University of the Pacific\u2019s McGeorge School of Law, said \u00c1vila Far\u00edas\u2019 attempt to place her mother in conservatorship looks like \u201ca weaponization of the process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas would not comment on details of the case, citing a confidentiality agreement that was part of the case\u2019s settlement. But she said she plans to introduce legislation on the issue because of her experience in the case, \u201chopefully next year.\u201d She didn\u2019t provide specifics about the focus of the legislation.<\/p>\n

Her spokesperson, Roger Salazar, said in a written statement that there \u201chas never been a judicial finding that Anamarie Far\u00edas engaged in any wrongdoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia conservatorship proceedings commonly involve complex family dynamics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that she has since been named a conservator for another family member, which \u201creflects the court\u2019s independent determination that she satisfied the legal standards required to serve in a fiduciary capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her other family members also declined to comment for this story, citing the confidentiality agreement, or didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nick Miller, a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, said the speaker was not aware of the temporary restraining order or the conservatorship petition when he appointed \u00c1vila Far\u00edas to the committee.<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas grew up in Martinez, where she served on the city council and the Contra Costa County Board of Education. She was on the board of directors for the California Housing Finance Agency from 2015<\/a> to 2024<\/a>, during the court battles. Two years ago, voters sent her to the state Assembly with the endorsement of Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the Fair Political Practices Commission received complaints that \u00c1vila Far\u00edas had not disclosed all of her economic interests<\/a> for several years. The commission closed an investigation in 2025 after she amended her forms<\/a>, disclosed reportable economic interests and completed the commission\u2019s educational course.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Recently, she introduced a bill<\/a> that would ban some U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees from becoming police officers and teachers in California. A watered-down version<\/a> of the bill passed the Assembly and is now in the Senate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas sits on the Assembly\u2019s Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and is running for a second term in the Legislature.<\/p>\n

Before her ascent in state politics, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas and her husband tried their hand in real estate, leaving behind a trail of bankruptcies and questionable property transfers, court and property records show.<\/p>\n

Their family strife centered on three properties: the family home that \u00c1vila Far\u00edas purchased with her mother and sister, which they rented to a tenant; \u00c1vila Far\u00edas\u2019 permanent home; and another rental property.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In August 2008, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas and her husband gifted<\/a> the three<\/a> properties<\/a> to the lawmaker\u2019s mother, \u00c1vila Bugarin, property records show. In court filings, \u00c1vila Bugarin maintained she had no idea she\u2019d been given ownership of two of the properties. \u00c1vila Far\u00edas told the court that her mother was aware<\/a> of the transfers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About three months after the transfers, the couple signed a $2.3 million business loan agreement<\/a>. They defaulted<\/a> on the loan about 18 months later, according to court filings, and the couple\u2019s real estate company filed for bankruptcy<\/a> in September 2011, eventually turning over ownership<\/a> of an unrelated property to the lending company<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bankruptcy case was dismissed<\/a> in April 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Years later, \u00c1vila Bugarin said that she discovered her daughter \u201cwas behind on her mortgage\u201d on the family home, according to the court investigator\u2019s report. It was then, \u00c1vila Bugarin said, that she started researching the properties, and she learned that her daughter had placed the two other homes in her name.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Bugarin told the court investigator she also learned that her daughter had taken out loans against the family home. \u00c1vila Bugarin, who spoke limited English, told the court investigator that she signed the bank documents for the loans, thinking she was refinancing the home, not borrowing against it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She refused to deed the two properties back to \u00c1vila Far\u00edas, saying she\u2019d have to get the family home back first.<\/p>\n

The police eventually got involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In February 2018, according to court records filed by \u00c1vila Bugarin, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas stormed into her apartment<\/a>, yanked the telephone from her mother\u2019s hand and hit her wrist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mother filed for a temporary restraining order, asking for protection for herself and her daughter who lived with her, Judith \u00c1vila, which a judge granted<\/a>. Judith \u00c1vila corroborated her mother\u2019s account in court filings.<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas denied the allegations, saying her mother slapped her instead<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Salazar pointed to a statement from another sister<\/a>, RoseMarie Griffin, who was on the other end of the phone call when the altercation occurred. Griffin told the court her sister had no history of verbal or physical abuse. \u201cI have never experienced or witnessed any behavior\u201d that would merit a restraining order, she said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The temporary restraining order was in place for about<\/a> a year<\/a>, according to court records.<\/p>\n

After mediation over the restraining order failed, the mother filed to evict<\/a> \u00c1vila Far\u00edas from the home that was now in her name. \u00c1vila Far\u00edas filed a request in probate court to place her mother<\/a> and her sister<\/a> in a conservatorship, telling the court that her mother had \u201can inability to carry out actions in her own rational self-interest, and is subject to delusional and severely disorganized thinking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She argued that her brother was unduly influencing their mother and that her mother needed a neutral conservator in light of disagreements between her and her siblings.<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas told the court that her mother was forgetful and cited years-old incidents of her mother being scammed out of about $500 and allowing \u201csome squatters (homeless felons)\u201d to use her water hose as examples of why her mother needed someone else to handle her affairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The judge immediately placed \u00c1vila Bugarin<\/a> and Judith \u00c1vila<\/a> under a temporary conservatorship. He said \u00c1vila Bugarin appeared to have been unduly influenced and ordered that she\u00a0 be evaluated. The conservatorship, albeit temporary, blocked \u00c1vila Bugarin from making any financial or personal decisions for herself.<\/p>\n

In subsequent proceedings to determine whether the conservatorship should be permanent, \u00c1vila Bugarin\u2019s other children told the court<\/a> that they didn\u2019t think their mother had dementia. Two medical doctors came to the same conclusion. And after the final exam, so did the neuropsychologist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMs. Avila does not present with any form of significant cognitive deficits which would limit her ability to make medical, legal, financial or life care planning decisions for herself,\u201d Dr. Eric Freitag told the court.<\/p>\n

Even the court-appointed professional fiduciary \u2014 whom \u00c1vila Far\u00edas had recommended \u2014 told the court investigator that she \u201chadn\u2019t noticed any of the issues (\u00c1vila Far\u00edas) set forth in the petition.\u201d The fiduciary said \u00c1vila Bugarin was \u201cclear headed and able to take care of herself,\u201d court records show.<\/p>\n

A group of experts drew similar conclusions about Judith \u00c1vila, saying she did not need a conservatorship.<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas\u2019 attorney, Gary Winuk, said it was appropriate to use conservatorship to figure out \u00c1vila Bugarin\u2019s mental capacity. \u201cThe whole purpose of the conservatorship process is to get appropriate testing to find out what someone\u2019s capacity is,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But even after experts determined that her mother and sister had the capacity to make their own decisions, the Contra Costa County politician didn\u2019t drop the conservatorship cases.<\/p>\n

About a year after her petition, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas won a significant victory: Her mother agreed<\/a> to transfer ownership of the two contested properties, valued<\/a> at about<\/a> $1.8 million. And they both agreed to sell the family home they owned together.<\/p>\n

Her mother also agreed to drop her petition for a restraining order. \u00c1vila Far\u00edas, who had been arguing that her mother wasn\u2019t competent to make her own financial decisions, said she would\u00a0 stop trying to get the government to take away her mother and sister\u2019s ability to control their own lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Five months after the settlement, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas hadn\u2019t listed<\/a> the home for sale. The judge appointed a receiver<\/a>, over \u00c1vila Far\u00edas\u2019 objection<\/a>, to sell the home. Three months later, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas filed for bankruptcy<\/a>. The home was eventually sold<\/a> in November 2020; mother and daughter used the profits<\/a> to cover more than $186,000<\/a> in legal fees and other bills related to the conservatorship. Under the agreement, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas also gave her mother $116,000 from the sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the case has long since been resolved<\/a>, the records from the conservatorship petition raise larger questions.<\/p>\n

\u00c1vila Far\u00edas had claimed that her mother hadn\u2019t been contributing to the costs of the properties.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past 20 years, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas not only has been financially responsible for all asset liability but has also managed day-to-day operations and expenses with no financial contributions from Mom,\u201d she wrote in a court filing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet, three and a half years earlier, \u00c1vila Far\u00edas told the Fair Political Practices Commission a completely different story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under pressure from a resident to recuse herself from a city council vote on a resolution that could have impacted her property value, she asked the commission to weigh in. \u201cMy mother provided the down payment and has made the loan payments ever since,\u201d she wrote<\/a>. \u201cMy mother is the sole owner of the property.\u201d<\/p>\n

The commission said that there was no conflict of interest<\/a>. \u00c1vila Far\u00edas voted in support of the measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At a city council hearing, the politician berated the resident for asking her to recuse herself<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI conduct myself in a high moral standard, and I have my own code of conduct, that I don\u2019t need you or any of my council members to govern,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

CalMatters<\/a> is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. AnaMaria \u00c1vila Bugarin had racked up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422054,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[168508,1843,392,2476,115442,74,76,75],"class_list":["post-422053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-anamarie-avila-farias","tag-california-legislature","tag-contra-costa-county","tag-dementia","tag-elder-care","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422053"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422053\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}