Court Freezes Assets in Houston Surrogacy Escrow Account Scandal
June 25 2024 - 3:25PM
Business Wire
Shackelford complaint labels business, owners
as ‘nothing short of evil’
Attorneys at Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, LLP, have filed
a lawsuit against an escrow fund for surrogate mothers after one
mom-to-be received notice her account – with more than $60,000 in
it – now has a zero balance.
Hundreds of surrogates and intended parents are without prenatal
funds managed by Surrogacy Escrow Account Management (SEAM) and its
owner, Dominique Side.
“Many of these families have struggled with infertility for
years and this is yet another blow to their finances and emotional
well-being,” said Shackelford partner Marianne Robak, who filed the
lawsuit.
According to the complaint, couples including Ms. Robak’s client
and her husband, deposited thousands of dollars to pay for their
surrogate’s medical expenses and fees into a SEAM-managed escrow
account. SEAM was responsible for holding the funds, reviewing the
surrogate’s expenses and disbursing the money in accordance with
the terms of the surrogacy agreement.
Earlier this month, SEAM sent a notice to parents saying it was
having “significant issues” with its bank, that all SEAM accounts
were put on hold and that the bank was setting up new accounts. But
two accounts that should be holding the plaintiff’s money appear to
have nothing in them.
In addition, the lawsuit details public filings that show Side
may have recently pledged a portion of the escrow funds to two
different lenders in exchange for cash. Subsequently, those
payments failed and both companies are also suing SEAM and Side
over the missing funds.
“Defendants’ actions are nothing short of evil,” the lawsuit
declares.
In June, Side deleted all her social media accounts and many of
her business websites. SEAM has indicated its staff is no longer
employed.
A Harris County judge has issued a temporary restraining order,
freezing the escrow agency’s assets, as well as any bank accounts
belonging to Side and her business partner, Anthony Hall, that may
hold escrow funds. The order also freezes the operations of a new
entity Side’s business partner recently formed.
The case is Marieke Slik v Surrogacy Escrow Account Management,
LLC D/B/A SEAM, LLC, et al., Cause no. 2024-39298 in Harris County
District Court.
About Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, LLP
Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, LLP, is a transactional,
litigation, aviation, and entertainment law firm with attorneys and
offices in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, and New
Orleans.
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Alyssa Woulfe 800-559-4534 Alyssa@androvett.com