Rexford NY Woman Forces Immigrant To Be Mansion Servant

Federal authorities have accused a Rexford woman of hiring an illegal immigrant from India to work in her mansion for nearly three years.  39-year old Annie George and her now-decesased husband, Mathai Kolath George, initially hired the woman back in 2005. The Georges supposedly forced the woman known as “V.M” to work from dawn to late in the evening seven days a week.  She was never given vacation or personal time over that time period.

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V.M. cooked and cleaned for the George’s six children.  Mr. George died back in 2009, along with their eldest son, George Kolath, Jr., after their plane crashed into the Mohawk River in Glenville.  Mr. George was a real estate developer and former actor in India.  He planned to purchase the mansion, known as Llenroc, at the time of his death.  His family moved into the home while he was trying to sell another piece of property, in 2008.

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Annie George supposedly called V.M.'s son in India three times.  The conversations were recorded by the son.  In those conversations, Annie George was quoted as saying, "If she says anything about working, it would become a big crime.  They'll start adding up all the taxes and everything, for all the time."  V.M. was only paid $29,000 for the 5 1/2 years of work and all the money was sent back to her son in India.

V.M. was promised $1,000 a month by the Georges to clean the 34-room, 30,000 square-foot home and cook for the family with housing provided.  Llenroc has 15 fireplaces, marble flooring, 24-karat gold gilded celings, a glass elevator and even a helicopter launch pad.  Looking at the amount of time V.M. spent working within the home, authorities figure she is owed more than $200,000.  Based on New York's minimum wage law, even if she had been allowed to leave the mansion after working a 40-hour week, she would have been entitled $1,160 per month, before taxes.

The $19-million mansion was named Llenroc, or Cornell spelled backwards, by Albert Lawrence, the initial owner of the home.  Lawrence met his future wife while studying at Cornell.  He built the mansion in 1990.  He was found guilty on 20-counts of white-collar crime, including embezzlement, fraud and tax evasion.  He died two months after his prison sentence began and the home was sold for far less than its value.  After this recent investigation, some wonder if the home is cursed.