Russell Buchan with "The Ladies" at recent 40th High School Reunion
“The only thing you take with you when your gone, is what you leave behind.”
John Allston
I believe my Brother, Russell Buchan Legacy will be:
He murdered his mother and became a Probate Predator.
It is not the Legacy I believe Russell would fashion for himself and not the one he thought would define his life; however, it is the one I believe he acquired by his deeds and one that will probably follow him in death.
In my search for the motivation for Russell’s actions, I visited his former home that is now listed for sale as a “tear down”. It looked like a vandalized tenement with its broken plumbing fixtures and damaged walls. It led me to reflect on my brother’s past actions and the conclusion Russell may have ordered my mother’s death to maintain appearances of success.
In 1986, Russell and I purchased our older brother’s interest in Buchan Gas Company. The company was operating as a cash and carry propane service and gas grill parts sales. Russell and I together developed Grill Parts Distributors. The family company was founded in 1954 and the division we purchased had average annual sales of $800,000 with an average profit of $80,000 per year.
At the time of the gas company purchase, Russell had been the managing partner of the family company that included propane gas home delivery. This segment of the company was sold to a national marketer. Additionally, Russell was co-author and publisher of a series of Florida travel and restaurant guides. He was the President of the local chapter of the International Wine and Food Society and an advocate of fine wines, traveling extensively to various wine regions both here and in Europe.
I was familiar with the finances of the publishing business. While the books received wide critical acclaim, there was very little positive cash flow in this venture. Of course the pursuit of one’s avocation with wine and food offered friendship and enjoyment but was a costly hobby. When we purchased the Gas Company, Russell and I were equal partners and Russell insisted his salary would be $50,000 a year. In the beginning my salary matched his salary. There were discussions to expand our business operation to Clearwater and Orlando; however Russell vetoed the idea of any expansion because he did not want added responsibilities.
The shortfall between annual profit and salary draws began to take its toll and we agreed to reduce our salary draws to $15,000 annually to stabilize cash flow. About nine months later, I discovered Russell surreptitiously reinstated his salary draw. When questioned, he stated he felt the company cash position had funds to pay him but not enough to reinstate me. This was the beginning of the end of our business relationship. After two years of contentious negotiations, I sold my interest to Russell in 1994.
During this period, our mother was placed in guardianship, moved into an assisted living facility and in 1994 transferred to a nursing home. Our father passed away in April, 1994, the same week our mother was moved to a nursing facility.
I had written previously on the website, www.fairnessforfamilies.com how our mother assisted her children with financial aid in times of need. All of her children were independent and I believe her generosity was not abused. When mother was placed in guardianship, this safety valve arrangement was closed. All my mother’s funds would now pass through the Circuit Court under the control of the Court appointed guardian.
Mother’s commercial investments and retirement benefits generated approximately $120,000 annually. Nursing home and medical expenses were approximate $60,000 per year. The guardian and the guardian’s attorney did not permit family members to see there billings for charges to the guardianship. (If you have a love one in guardianship, please reread the previous sentence over and heed it as a warning.)
When Russell continued to operate the Gas Company on his own, he began to make changes. I believe many of the changes he made were because of his fear of liability issues. He ceased repairing gas barbeque grills on the premises, stop repairing gas cylinders, ceased delivery services, stopped filling propane tanks on RV’s and eventually ceased selling cash and carry propane. Russell appeared to be totally dependant upon the Gas Company as his source of income and our mother assets were not available as a safety net.
The family business was founded in 1954 selling propane. At one time we were told by industry personnel we had the largest cash and carry propane location in the country. In my opinion, ceasing propane sales was the death knell for the business. Virtually every business in the country has a feature item that is the mainstay of the business. From there they add auxiliary products to increase profitability. An example would be “big box” drugstores. Their mainstay product is prescription service and drives the customer traffic to the store. Eliminate the mainstay product and the overall business will falter. While I was co-owner of Buchan Gas Company, propane gas represented 32% of our sales but 48% of the profit. After Russell started eliminating profitable items in the business I beleive his cash flow suffered and then he eliminated the sale of propane gas, the most profitable item in the business. Russell was no longer publishing books and had no other business venture that generated income. After these changes, I beleive Russell needed cash to maintain appearances, however our mother's assets were now "Off Limits".
In 2007, Russell permanently closed the Buchan Gas Company. Without the mainstay propane product, I was not surprised and after obtaining all of mother's estate, he no longer needed it.
Each and every one of us finds our position in this world. We find a level of contentment based on our means of support. At some point in our life we realize who we are, what our means are and accept the status we have been given. It is our comfort zone.
Russell wanted a different comfort zone and he believed with my mother’s estate assets he would reach it. He could not wait for her natural death. He did not want his share, he wanted it all.
Soon after our mother’s death and Russell’s claim to her estate, he purchased a $100,000 BMW and brought a $2,000,000 home on Snell Isle. Russell created his new "comfort zone".
I believe my brother, Russell Buchan will not be remembered for his home or car, but because he killed his own mother to get them.
