A sad trail of financial devastation and woe

AMONG the 35 people who lost their money are:

Elizabeth Janse van Rensburg, who received a R544 000 payout from her late husband’s estate.

The money was paid into the law firm’s trust account but she never got her money from Peter Cowling. She has laid a claim with the Attorneys Fidelity Fund.

The Anglican Church’s Diocese of the Highveld, which entrusted Cowling, who was chancellor of the diocese, with R1-million after the sale of a property.

A lawyer working for the church, who asked not to be named, said Cowling had offered to help and was trusted.

“This has left the church financially stressed. We have made a claim with the fund and we are waiting,” she said.

Florence Rakgabaletsi and her husband, who sold their house in Benoni for R340 000 and hired Cowling’s firm to handle the registration of the transfer.

A year later Rakgabaletsi was still waiting for her money. Cowling gave her a cheque for R120 000, which bounced. She was paid out in full by the law firm after she complained to the law society.

Gay Rousseau, who hired the firm to help wind up his late wife’s estate which

had been delayed due to maladministration. He asked Cowling to invest the R1.1-million proceeds from the estate. Cowling failed to do so and Rousseau has never recovered the money.

Tina Nortje, who instructed Cowling to assist her with the recovery of R645 000 from her late son-in-law’s estate. The money was to be invested on her behalf in 2011. When the 72-year-old widow didn’t received regular payments she appointed another lawyer to recover her money. After a complaint was lodged with the law society, the full amount was eventually paid. — Monica Laganparsad