Conservatorship

The Conservator Account Auditing Program (CAAP) operates statewide to audit conservator accounts and provide information and recommendations to the district courts and to conservators. 

The mission of the Conservator Account Auditing Program (CAAP) is to safeguard the assets of persons subject to conservatorship through the oversight of conservators by conducting professional compliance audits. CAAP will promote public trust and confidence by collaborating with local courts to provide education, establish consistency of best practices in managing conservator accounts and maintain a statewide online system for the reporting of accounts.

CAAP audits all first annual accounts, subsequent accounts above $10,000 at regular intervals and any other accounts referred for audit. Subsequent accounts $10,000 and below are reviewed by the Conservator Account Review Program (CARP).

Accounts are directed to the audit queue via programming within the MyMNConservator (MMC) accounting program. Your report history tab will display reports that are in the audit queue as in the following example:


Once the case is assigned to an auditor, you will receive a letter via email requesting supporting documentation. We strongly recommend electronically submitting documents (via email, fax, or uploading records to your annual report in MMC). However, if originals are provided, this documentation will be returned once the audit is complete. For additional information please refer to the Audit Tip Sheet.

CARP provides regular review of accounts not subject to CAAP audits and provides public hearing preparation documents to district courts. CARP reviews accounts under $10,000 and older than one year, and larger conservator accounts in-between those accounts’ fourth-year audits that are conducted by CAAP.  

CARP findings are presented to the parties and district judge for review. CARP reviews include a public Account Review Report summarizing the findings of a review.

Respond promptly to requests or questions from the Court, CAAP or CARP personnel.

Please provide all documentation listed in the audit letter. If any of the information does not apply, please state that in your response to the audit. We strongly recommend electronically submitting documents (via email, fax, or uploading records to your annual report in MMC).

 

Talk to the Auditor

If you have questions, contact the auditor. Keeping an open line of communication with the auditor will help expedite your audit.

 

What to include

• Conservators must provide official bank statements. Spreadsheets and online transaction printouts are not sufficient for audit purposes. Online statements are okay if they include all transactions, running balance totals, and all account ownership information.
• Be sure to include documentation for all asset account types, including CD’s, life insurance, IRA’s, other investments, prepaid burials, etc.
• You must provide cancelled (cleared) checks from the bank. Check copies provided with the statement are acceptable in the event your bank does not return physical checks. Duplicate check copies are not an acceptable replacement.
   

Arranging Documents

• Arrange all bank statements together by account in date order. Verify that you are sending all statements for the entire annual account period. Do not omit any statements. All pages must be provided for each statement, regardless of the page content.
• If a credit card is being used, all monthly statements must be provided as well as invoices and/or receipts for each individual transaction made using the credit card. Arrange these statements in date order as instructed above. 
   

Expenses

• Retain and provide documentation, including receipts and invoices, to support all expenses paid from the conservatorship.
• Supporting documentation must be provided to support all Guardian and Conservator fees paid. These fees should be paid on a consistent basis and statements must include, but are not limited to, the following items:
  • Dates of Service
  • Hourly Rate
  • Detailed Descriptions of Tasks Performed per Date
  • Hours per Task 
    
    

Property Sales

If real estate is sold during the account period, provide the HUD settlement statement.