the conservatoriship of rita cook ended on december 30, 2008. cook and harvey thought that meant case closed >> we found out they were paying for her care out of her money, the first couple months in 2009. >> the santa clara county guardian used to pay assistive facilities and fees to santa clara county. >> she had to pay out of her money against her will. >> the santa clara county public guardian refused to be interviewed nor story. citing confidentiality and ongoing legal proceedings in recent filings, the count makes the case it spent money in her best interest saying the public guardian had a duty to make sure her bills were paid but in a ruling a ventura county judge ordered santa clara to pay cook $19,000 plus interest for money spent after the conservativeship without her merm yigs. >> i had in idea where the money was. >> she is not sure she'll get the money back, but is more concerned about the treatment other people receive under conservativeships. >> so sad for other people. people shouldn't have ever go through this. >> cook and her f

the conservatoriship of rita cook ended on december 30, 2008. re out of her money, the first couple months in 2009. >> the santa clara county guardian used to pay assistive facilities and fees to santa clara county. >> she had to pay out of her money against her will. >> the santa clara county public guardian refused to be interviewed nor story. citing confidentiality and ongoing legal proceedings in recent filings, the count makes the case it spent money in her best interest saying the public guardian had a duty to make sure her bills were paid but in a ruling a ventura county judge ordered santa clara to pay cook $19,000 plus interest for money spent after the conservativeship without her merm yigs. >> i had in idea where the money was. >> she is not sure she'll get the money back, but is more conc treatment other people receive under conservativeships. >> so sad for other people. people shouldn't have ever go through this. >> cook and her family left california where w.no plans to return the santa clara public guardian has a court date where t

. >> reporter: 85-year-old rita cook can't get around without the help of her family and a wheelchair't need santa clara county's help with anything. in spring of 2008, the santa clara public guardian planned to conserve cook, taking over her financial decisions. they were concerned how she was spending her money, including taking a large loan out on her own, including selling it, and purchasing rvs for her grandchildren, and the money spent included investing in a hip hop artist. >> i think it is my right to spend my money on what i want to spend it on. i had enough. i knew what i was doing. >> reporter: after cook's primary doctor diagnosed her with dementia, they promised to take control of her health care. >> i was not demented at all. >> reporter: she said that is when she decided to get out of santa clara county. >> i called my daughter and we immediately made the decision to leave. we had to do something. >> reporter: in late may, 2008, they fled in the rv to ventura county. days later on june 3rd, the santa clara public guardian conserved cook. janet harvey is rita's daughter