The Moodys:
Chapter 3
The rest of the paperwork process ran smoothly. Their BCIS clearance came in well below the usual timeframe. By the first week of January 2003, they received their referral for a two week old baby boy named Elias Ingracio. They changed his name to Nathan Moody.
Nathan’s initial referral didn’t have a medical report. Before they received his referral, they were promised monthly updates and photos. After three weeks passed and no medical report, Kimberly contacted Denise and asked her for the report. Denise said she was “still working on that.”
Denise “worked on that” and obtained the report and more photos of the baby. After the medical and photos, they asked Denise to keep them updated. Denise said she would only be contacting them when there was “information to give.”
Over a ten month period, the Moodys received “a total of three different photos and one medical report” on their baby. And they’d been promised monthly updates by Denise.
In May, the Moodys were informed their case had reached PGN, a huge step nearing the completion of the adoption. Later on towards June, some Hague issues developed in Guatemala and that caused a slowdown. By July those Hague issues had cleared up and families cases were moving once again.
However, they found out that month Nathan’s case had been kicked out “several times” from PGN and was in limbo. Kimberly and Jonathan were agitated. What was happening over there? “Denise really started to get rude with all my inquires” Kimberly wrote on March 29, 2004.
There are always ways to get around Denise. Guatemala is in our hemisphere, on our time zones. It’s not Eastern Europe. It’s easier making a trip down to Central America or the Caribbean than it is to fly to Sofia, Moscow or Kiev. It’s also easy to find bi-lingual Spanish speakers in the United States as opposed to finding somebody who speaks Ukrainian, Russian or Bulgarian.
Kimberly had a close friend who had been born and raised in Mexico. This woman stepped up and helped the Moodys out by calling down to Guatemala City and speaking directly to Beatriz Armas de Ortega’s assistant, Norma. Beatriz was the attorney who was handling the case. The Moodys had signed their Power of Attorney over to her.
It was a fortuitous call with fabulous information. Norma informed the Moody’s friend that her mother Elsa was Nathan’s foster mother! Norma asked if the Moodys wanted to know anything about Nathan for she saw the baby every day. Norma said he was in good health and doing fine, and that was not an exaggeration or a fib. Nathan was in excellent hands with Norma’s parents. The Moodys were happy to receive this information directly from the source as opposed to having to wade through Denise Hubbard’s misinformation
Norma told them the reason why the papers had not been re-submitted to PGN. They were waiting for the birth mother to sign a paper. Even after she signed, there would be a delay. Beatriz Armas de Ortega would be out of the country and therefore would not be able to submit it in a timely fashion. Norma did not state when Beatriz would be back from her trip, but the Moodys felt better knowing they had a concrete reason as to why Nathan’s case was stalled.
Upon finding out the information, Kimberly called Denise Hubbard to inform her of the good news. “When I contacted Denise to let her know the update, since she had provided us with none, and also to question when our attorney would be back since it was frustrating our case would be delayed because she was out of country, she went berserk!”
Professional way to speak to your paying clients, clients who had to find out information that you have been contracted to give them. Denise Hubbard really has a power problem.
After her outburst, Denise asked Kimberly how they had obtained Beatriz’s telephone number. Kimberly told her, “the law firm’s website!”
Denise admonished Kimberly they were “not allowed to speak to our Attorney because of some contract she claimed to have with the agency down there… She said that Norma was not a reliable source because she had given much mis-information to clients in the past and that she was told repeatedly not to speak with BBAS clients and because of this instance Denise was going to make sure she was fired. This made us mad.”
(Like many other adoption agencies, this may well be traceable to the fear that parents will use this direct contact with the agency’s representatives overseas to go into the business themselves. While Denise certainly knew all about this, it can be remedied by a simple non-compete clause in the contract. Denise’s failure to include this bespeaks that, for her, it’s really all about control).
When I read this email, I thought of the LIES Denise Hubbard told the Corrigans about Valerie Kamenov. The I’m-the-leader-run-to-me power trips Denise pulled on her Eastern European clients. Hadn’t this bint in Medina learned anything at all? When will the ink in her Rule Book of Excuses and Damnation fade?
Kimberly wrote: “I came back strong letting her know that we had signed power of Attorney over to Beatriz and therefore she worked for us… If BBAS was not going to provide us with timely updates like they were supposed to, then I was indeed going to call down anytime I felt like it. If I was given the updates from BBAS then I would not call down. I also warned that Norma better not have any reprimand at all because she was taking care of our child and I felt she did know exactly what was going on.”
Denise’s response? “Denise had no reply to this at all.” Because it was the TRUTH.
In retaliation, Denise told Kimberly she had spoken with “JP” the head attorney of Diaz-Duran. Denise informed Kimberly that JP was “very angry” that her friend had called down to the law firm. Kimberly, by this point, was stunned by her nasty tone and unprofessional conduct.
“I told her that if she did her job and communicated accurately and timely then I would not have to call down there.” Another TRUTH fired across Denise Hubbard’s Liar’s Bow.
“I also told her that I was still going to call the Embassy to check on things.” She wrote.
Two months passed after the conversations above. They heard they had supposedly been kicked out of PGN twice before or after the birthmother’s signature is unknown. Denise sent them information in mid-September 2003 that Nathan’s paperwork was out of PGN and would soon be entering the US Embassy to be issued the Pink Slip.
Families at this stage were told to schedule their itineraries for at least four to six weeks in advance. It usually took that amount of time for the US Embassy to issue the Pink Slip. The Moodys thought it was safe to schedule their trip and did so.
Three weeks into the wait, and there was no word about the Pink Slip. They were getting nervous. If they cancelled those tickets, they’d be eating a hefty fee. They had been led to believe once the Pink Slip was issued, they’d be notified within a week.
Kimberly once again took the bull by the horns and contacted the US Embassy directly to find out what was going on with the Pink Slip. Her heart sank when the woman at the Embassy said that their case had NOT been submitted and “in fact, it may not have been out of PGN because the pre-approved package was just picked up in July.”
She was livid. They had been told their paperwork was submitted into PGN in May. The Embassy said that was “impossible because no cases could be submitted without first being issued the pre-approval packet that hadn’t even been picked up until July.”
Another telephone call was made to Guatemala City. Kimberly called Diaz-Duran and spoke directly with Stephanie, the liaison who Denise spoke with. Stephanie who, before they had received Nathan’s referral, Denise had praised to the skies for her reliability and information. Kimberly believed Stephanie was a secretary of sorts at Diaz-Duran.
As usual, the representative on the ground was helpful. Stephanie explained “they were still waiting for some of the paperwork to be obtained…and that it had NOT EVEN gone to the Embassy yet for the Pink Slip issue.”
It was surprising for Denise had told the Moodys their case was in the Embassy, as evidenced by their making flight arrangements for their trip. Hence the telephone calls to the Embassy and Diaz-Duran.
After the helpful conversation with Stephanie, Kimberly immediately emailed Denise. Kimberly informed her she had successfully received an update directly from Stephanie, and said she was disappointed to learn their documents weren’t at the US Embassy. Their flight plans were now in jeopardy and would need to be changed.
No sooner had Denise read her email, than she was on the telephone to Kimberly, speaking in a nasty, condescending tone. She hissed “How did you get Stephanie’s number?”
Kimberly stated the obvious again. “I told her she had given it to us with all the information we would need for travel.”
Denise proceeded to “go off” saying Stephanie’s number was “only to be used when we were down there.” They had “no right to call down there…and that Stephanie had been told over and over not to speak with families.” How many times had Denise given this speech to her more intuitive customers?
It leads one to conclude other BBAS Guatemalan families had taken advantage of that number being on their information. And that they too had called Stephanie and gone over Denise’s head. Denise should have been happy her clients were taking the initiative to call down to the law office. It was one less thing she would have to do.
Another replay of Bulgaria where Valeri Kamenov gave families his cell phone number, and his son Vladimir would give out his email address. Also, Denise had talked down Valerie Kamenov to her clients, as if he were some country bumpkin who wasn’t as sophisticated about adoptions or Americans as she was.
It’s easy to guess what else Denise threatened. “Stephanie had no clue what was going on with the cases and oftentimes gave wrong information.” Denise said she was “going to make sure Stephanie was fired.”
With all the head rolling Denise was going to do down at Diaz-Duran in Guatemala City, she’d have to find a new set of attorneys and foster parents. She’d be out of a Guatemala program if that were the case. And she knew it. No wonder she played Ace Control Freak with clients.
Kimberly was fed up with the “I’m going to fire that bad rep down in Guatemala” line. So she gave it right back to Denise. “My first reply to her was she needed to stop speaking to me in that manner because it was not appreciated. She was making herself look bad.”
Kimberly continued. “I…went on to explain…she really was shooting herself in the foot with all of her negative comments since Stephanie is the person who gives her all the updates…and that if she were so unreliable, then why was she using Stephanie for updates to give to people?”
Gosh, another unruly client giving it right back. And using the word NEGATIVE! Where do these assertive clients come from! How dare they step up and tell it like it is.
In that vein, Kimberly stated the obvious to the smoldering Denise: “I …went on to tell her that I knew she had no power over any working situation down there and if she were to behave in such a way in corresponding with the law firm…she would lose face…of course, she did not want that to happen.”
She continued, “ If BBAS gave us timely and accurate updates, I would not need to call down directly but if they failed to do so, then I was going to call because we had every right to do so.”
Instant replay. I wonder if upon hearing Kimberly Moody say this Denise Hubbard was thinking about a conversation she’d had with a certain client in December 1999 where the same “right to know” was discussed.
Perhaps Denise remembered that conversation and called upon her list of usual excuses to counter Kimberly’s statement. Denise said she “contacted the head of the company…and he was very angry that I kept calling down and reminded her of the agreement BBAS signed regarding clients calling down there.”
Kimberly didn’t want to hear it any more. She told Denise point blank she thought it “interesting that the Embassy confirmed that there was no way” they could have been submitted to PGN in May because of the pre-approved package and its real time frame.
Denise’s response to this? Nothing. As expected of the Arch Liar.
Kimberly took it upon herself to call “the head of the company” JP directly and offer her apologies for any problems she may have caused for him. She did not want to go against any contracts or agreements he had signed with BBAS.
JP, as it turns out, is neither a Diaz or a Duran. He is a partner of the firm.
When they spoke, Kimberly says JP was “so kind and understanding and said that he was in no way angry he only wanted to make sure I spoke with the same person (namely him) to get the correct information…and not different stories based on the level of involvement with the case.”
“Denise lied again” Kimberly said in the next sentence. “He had never said he was angry …that is why he urged parents to get communication through Denise.”
Kimberly is no fool; she knew JP and Beatriz were the people making Nathan’s adoption happen, not Denise Hubbard. She didn’t want to contradict him. She amiably told him the reason they had to speak with him directly was because Denise was “not providing correct information, if any at all.”
At the end of their conversation, JP gave Kimberly his personal office number and cell phone number. So much for the alleged “Agreement” he’d supposedly signed with Building Blocks. He told her Nathan’s case should be wrapped up in a few weeks. If either she or Jonathan needed to call again they were welcome to do so.
Once again Kimberly called Denise and told her she had spoken with the law firm. She did not tell Denise that JP had give her his office and cell telephone numbers.
It turns out that what Denise had told the Moodys was “complete bunk.” It was Kimberly Moody who informed Denise Hubbard about Nathan’s adoption, not vice versa. Who was paying who here? Didn’t the Moodys deserve a discount in their Program Fee for this?
Denise was, according to Kimberly, “madder than a wet hen.” Honestly, Kimberly was rather amused by Denise’s fuming. After what she had put the Moodys through, it was only fair.
Another week passed and Denise stepped up and did her job on a Thursday. She told the Moodys they were “in the Embassy” and it should be about a week or two. A week later Denise left a message that the Pink Slip had been denied. The attorney was to return Tuesday to be informed as to why it was denied. The Moodys did not understand why there was such a lag in finding out about it.
Another telephone call was made down to Guatemala City, this time to the American Embassy AGAIN. The woman at the Embassy explained the “file was submitted with only copies of a few documents and not the originals...and one of the papers was missing the attorney’s signature. She was puzzled by this because…the attorney should have known better.” The woman said she informed Diaz-Duran that the required papers “would be faxed to their office on Friday, and then they could come back on Monday and resubmit” them.
Another telephone call was made to Building Blocks and a message left on their voice mail. Again Kimberly said she’d had to do Denise’s JOB by contacting the Embassy to find out what was going on. She again told Denise her information was incorrect.
Denise phoned back and asked her “what exactly is going on with your case?”
Kimberly nearly blew. “How much money am I paying you to know these answers?” she asked Denise. A valid question.
Denise got on the ball and followed up with her “reps” in Guatemala City. Kimberly also called the Embassy back on Monday and was informed their papers were brought back in, but they had not brought the paperwork that the Embassy had faxed them to complete! Therefore, they were at a standstill.
Since Kimberly and Jonathan had the two boys to take care of at home, they decided it would be easier for Jonathan and his mother to travel. Kimberly would meet everybody at the airport and Jonathan would have an able traveling companion – his own mother.
By then Jonathan and his mother’s flights were scheduled. They were to fly out that Saturday to pick Nathan up. They were then looking at eating “a lot of air fare expenses” if they had to reschedule the trip.
In another obnoxious move, they learned the attorneys hadn’t even resubmitted the papers to the US Embassy until the Thursday before they were to leave! “Had they done it on Tuesday,” Kimberly wrote, “the Embassy would have turned it around in two days and we would have been able to keep our flight date.”
Unfortunately, “as usual, BBAS and their group dropped the ball” and they had to reschedule their flights. Before doing so, Kimberly and Jonathan again called the US Embassy to make absolutely certain their file had been accepted – and there would be not other glitches before they booked the flights.
“Keep in mind,” Kimberly stated, “every time we changed our flight, there were fees. I think in all in all we paid almost $1,000 extra in penalties.”
They booked their flights for the next week, the first week of October, per the schedule Denise had sent them months prior. On the schedule, it was indicated clients would always fly out on a Wednesday and it “never changed.”
The Moodys found out themselves that the elusive Pink Slip had been obtained and contacted Denise to tell her the news. Denise hadn’t even been informed. Her ignorance was expensive bliss. They told her of the departure and arrival dates. Denise sent her an email stating the departure dates could only be for a Tuesday or a Thursday. If they flew in on a Tuesday, they would have to fax all of their documents to Diaz-Duran so they could “review them and make sure all was in order for the final Embassy interview.” Or, they could wait and fly out on Thursday.
They were furious with her. Kimberly asked “Why does your literature say you must leave on a Wednesday because that is always the schedule? And now a Wednesday isn’t even an option?”
Denise answered by stating “the attorney had court dates and was not able to be there.”
Jonathan Moody got involved. He emailed JP. JP responded and stated he would “work with whatever schedule” they had set. He hadn’t even been made aware of their flight plans, contrary to what Denise had told them. However, he confirmed that he truly would be in court on Wednesday.
The Moodys opted for the Tuesday departure. They let Denise know and faxed the documents to her. Upon seeing this Tuesday departure, Denise informed them they were going to NEED to travel on Thursday and not Tuesday because the attorney was not going to be there on Monday. And the attorney hadn’t any idea they were even being offered that “option.”
“Yup.” Kimberly wrote us. “Another flight change. “By this point we did it and didn’t even speak to her.” Jonathan and his mother flew down on the Thursday.
Kimberly’s own words express best what happened in Guatemala when Jonathan and his mother held Nathan and met with “the reps”:
My husband and his mother go down (I don't fly) They arrived Friday evening. Nathan is brought to Jonathan on Sunday. Jonathan was told the hotel would provide an interpreter because the foster family did not speak English. Well....Denise was wrong again....on Sunday's the Interpreter does not work but one of the Hotel managers agreed to help out.
Nathan was beautiful!!! The foster family was wonderful....Elsa, Norma and her husband Ronnie all came. Yes that's right Norma who Denise insisted knew nothing about Nathan......lied again!
The attorney came to meet with Jonathan on Tuesday and when they were going over the paperwork [he] found many papers filled out incorrect and they had to re-do them there. [The same paperwork] Denise insisted on proofing and making corrections to so it would be correct.
Again no surprise because at this point we realized that on top of lying every other sentence, Denise was either very clueless to the process down there or very stupid....Maybe a combination of both.
When all was done they flew out on Thursday. The last little fiasco happened in Texas at customs. Denise said it would be clear where to go (I asked in advance) and of course she was wrong. She also said if we left at least an hour lay over that would be sufficient time. Again wrong....thank fully I left 1.5 hours which was almost not enough. After being in several long lines and wrong lines my husband found the correct one. There were two people in front of them with only about 20 minutes before having to board. The person in front of them started a conversation and in talking they realized they had plenty of time before there flight and allowed my husband to go in front of them. It saved us.....He finished the paperwork and ran to the plane just making last call.
They arrived safely and were greeted by a very happy me and two happy boys (my older sons).
April 5th is our re-finalization and Denise had contacted us to let us know about the post placement and cost. I informed her we would be using the court assessor to do the post placement and that it was free.
Suffice it to say, Nathan is doing wonderfully, thriving with his new family, developmentally on target and blessedly healthy. They could not have wished for such a wonderful son.
They do not recommend Denise Lynn Harding-Hubbard or her adoption agency to anybody. Kimberly Moody stood up to Denise and gave her all her b.s. right back to her. Kudos to Kimberly and her family.
Kimberly wrote to us on August 24, after we sent her a BBAS inquiry for Guatemala:
Good for you! I have met three people in the area just being out and about at the zoo and museums who have adopted and they had night mare BBAS situations as well.....two from Russia and one from Guatemala.
Will it ever end!
We have one thing to say: Denise better watch her back on her own turf. What the clients in Ohio have to say to one another is more damning than reading about it on the Internet.
Back to the main Guatemala page.