BC Judge Orders Predatory Individual to Forfeit Ownership Stake in Elderly Woman’s $1.2M Home
A man accused of elder abuse has been ordered to pay punitive damages to an elderly woman in British Columbia with dementia and relinquish his share in her $1.2 million home.
BC Supreme Court Justice Sheri Ann Donegan labeled Zoltan Vimhel as a “predator” whose alleged mistreatment of Judith King was deemed “egregious” in a recent ruling. He is required to give up his stake in the victim’s townhouse and pay her $50,000.
King, now 88 and residing in a care facility, first encountered Vimhel, also known as Steven Vimhel, 11 years ago.
From 2013 to 2020, Vimhel allegedly “systematically isolated, manipulated, deceived, abused, and exploited” King for his own benefit, as stated by Donegan’s decision.
After allegedly abusing King for years, Vimhel convinced her in March 2020 to make him a joint tenant of her North Vancouver property, draining her savings and coercing her into selling a family vacation property in Parksville. The proceeds were placed in a joint bank account.
“While Ms. King may not fully recover her health and savings, this lawsuit aims to return her home,” the judge remarked, emphasizing that when King met Vimhel, he was homeless.
Vimhel, who is 15 years younger than King, created false stories about King’s family and friends to isolate her, according to court documents.
Vimhel took part in the early stages of the legal process but has since disappeared. Donegan stated that King’s lawyer has not heard from him for more than two years, prompting a trial in absentia.
Donegan ruled in favor of King in July, denouncing Vimhel’s behavior as “malicious, high-handed, and offensive.”
Alleged Abuse
When King met Vimhel, he portrayed himself as an artist with minimal income, court documents revealed.
Prior to meeting Vimhel, King was active in her church, hosted friends at her home, and was on good terms with her children, but admitted to feeling lonely to a friend.
“She was vulnerable to predators like the defendant,” Donegan noted.
Vimhel proceeded to exert control over King, entering a romantic relationship with her and subjecting her to physical, verbal, and mental abuse, according to Donegan.
Her children attempted to maintain contact with her and free her from Vimhel’s control, but Vimhel prevented her from leaving a motel in Surrey in 2017, where she had been moved without notifying anyone.
Rescue
King’s daughter intervened in 2020, rescuing her from the motel where Vimhel had kept her isolated. King now resides in a care home with advanced dementia.
“This predator completely transformed a once happy and financially secure woman into a fearful, lonely, and powerless individual, robbing her of her dignity, family support, and the last healthy years of her life,” Donegan expressed.
