Dr. Ann Marie Egloff, a renowned cancer surgeon, is being accused of manipulating her elderly relative, Jo Ann Paganetti, who was struggling with dementia. Paganetti, a former professor, had been living in a rehabilitation center after suffering a stroke in 2018. In July 2023, when Paganetti was admitted to the Upper East Side Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Dr. Egloff and her representatives tried to get Paganetti to sign estate planning papers. This was done despite objections from Paganetti's doctors and while she was under the influence of medication, according to a lawsuit filed by Paganetti's daughter, Georgia Lee Sarah Andrews.

Andrews claims that her birth mother had previously named her as the beneficiary of her will, including her East 94th Street co-op. However, Dr. Egloff allegedly isolated Paganetti from her family and set up a trust to transfer the co-op shares into it. The apartment was then put up for sale, with a buyer already in contract.

The situation is further complicated by DNA tests showing that Dr. Egloff and Andrews are related in some way, although it's unclear how. Dr. Egloff, through her attorney, has also questioned Andrews' biological relationship to Paganetti.

Andrews is seeking a court order to stop the sale of the apartment. Dr. Egloff, who is also affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

A Doctor's Dealings: A Tale of Dementia and Inheritance

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