Her niece has ripped her off the piece of shit.

The farm had been free of debt, family members said, until 2000, when court and land records show that Albinger took out a $100,000 mortgage on the property. Albinger then began to sign over parcels of land to a trust and also to a company called Phoenix Horizon LLC, which according to state records was formed by Albinger's niece, Bridget Gruzdis, 47.

In an e-mailed response to questions from the Tribune, Gruzdis said Phoenix Horizon was created "for the sole purpose of land development and sale."

Over six years, Albinger and Gruzdis took out a series of mortgages on the farm, eventually borrowing $700,000, according to court and land records.