Posted on 06/17/2008 2:37:43 AM PDT by Daffynition
In August of 2007 luxury hotelier Leona Helmsley passed away. Her will revealed that her beloved pooch Trouble would receive a $12 million trust fund. The heiress left two of her grandchildren with nothing.
The New York Post is reporting that a judge in the New York court system has altered the inheritance and now the white Maltese will have to somehow survive on a mere $2 million. The other $10 million is being given to charity.
Oh, apparently the two grandkids, initially left out of the will, have fallen back into favor, at least with the courts. They will each get $6 million.
Helmsley left instructions in her will to have her cherished canine buried alongside her in the family mausoleum.
Just 2 million? Will it have to switch to kibble?
" Trouble is living in Florida with Carl Lekic, the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel.
In an affidavit, Lekic says Trouble appears to be very happy in her new permanent home and is doing well in all respects, and the extra cash wouldn't buy her more happiness.
"Two million dollars . . . would be enough money to pay for Trouble's maintenance and welfare at the highest standards of care for more than 10 years, which is more that twice her reasonably anticipated life expectancy," he said.
Lekic put her annual expenses at $190,000, which includes his $60,000 guardian fee, $100,000 for 'round-the-clock security, $8,000 for grooming, $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses, $1,200 for food and anywhere from $2,500 to $18,000 for medical care."
good, there's hope for Warren Buffett's granddaughter.
The story spends no time explaining on what legal basis the trust was overturned. Leona was more of a bitch then the dog was but it was her money to dispose of as she saw fit. In the absence of clarity in the court’s ruling, I expect the executors of the estate will appeal this ruling of a judge playing Robin Hood and Santa Claus.
I’m not excusing Helmsley, but she could do what she wanted to with her money. Maybe her grandkids were spoiled self centered little brats. What business does a court have reversing a will?
We are ruled by our judges. They decide what they want to decide.
Three grand will buy a lot of chew toys.
This reminds me of what happened to the Barnes Foundation near Philadelphia. The benefactor in that case owned a massive art collection and when he passed on he left very explicit instructions in his will about how the pieces in said collection were to be managed. To summarize, the paintings (many considered priceless) were "not to be moved from the walls."
The city of Philadelphia soon decided that it wanted this collection to hang in a museum in the city so it could serve as a tourist attraction. The city sued, and ultimately succeeded in, getting a judge to throw out the will and allow the city to do with the collection what it pleased, even though the benefactor's estate wasn't located in the city itself.
We don't have judges anymore... we have kings. It is disgusting. As far as I am concerned, a will is a will. If you get cut out, well the lesson here is... "don't piss off grandma!"
I guess the judge would agree with “buzmeg acuchad.”
Really? Did you know her? Because people who actually did speak rather highly of her.
People whose reality is defined by sensationalist headlines and soundbytes, on the other, seem to judge her rather harshly.
Leaving $12 million to a dog and $0 to family just might provide grounds for her heirs to claim she was not of sound mind. Much as I like dogs, I would concur.
As nutty as it sounds that's what the will expressed. Wealth and wisdom don't always go hand in hand. Generally there has to have been something really squirrelly going on for a judge to overturn the will.
You nailed it. It WAS her money. I see how much the grand kids loved their grand mother or her money
I don't know anything about the adult grandchildren, but they are more the rightful heirs than any charity. Some black-robe playing God with the money, choosing non-family beneficiaries on whim or with an agenda, seems a little scary to me.
The grandchildren may be ungrateful wretches growing up or they may have been cold to their grandmother. We don't know. It may be well to remember that it was Leona who was the true nutcase in the family....and obviously a woman who grew old with a heart full of revenge, bitterness, hate and dog hair.
Leni
A burlap sack and a local pond will save $8000 for grooming, $3000 misc, $1,200 in food and 2500-18k in medical care.
I’m wondering if there is a statute of limitations on continuing to be a b!tch after you’re gone? ;)
With all due respect -- Leona was a smart woman, who sat with her lawyers, carefully drew up a will, and decided to give money to her dog. It should be a done deal.
You don't like a judge to play God and transfer the money to a charity of his choosing? Fine. I agree with you.
I don't like a judge to play God and transfer the money to a blood-relative of your choosing. How is your opinion on this any better than the judge's?
Leona directed where the money should go. Her wishes should be carried out.
But....but.....but.....she directed that her pooch get all the pelf, so her wishes WEREN'T carried out.
I personally don't give a doggone, but if an unsatisfactory decision HAD to be made, the judge should have come down on the side of the blood heirs.
At one time, Leona may have been a "smart woman" as you said, but anyone who leaves millions to a dog with a finite life expectancy is whacky. Her whole history as an adult shows her to be an unstable woman. A judge ruled she was mentally unfit when she executed her will. Her nuttiness is easily researched on Google or Yahoo.
She was so smart she was convicted of federal income tax evasion and other charges and was sentenced to the federal pen. She spent the rest of her life in isolation with no friends except her pooch.
In her hatred to deny her kin any benefit from her will, she only enriched scores of lawyers over the decades. She wasn't called "The Queen of Mean" for nothing.
She is probably best-remembered for saying, "WE don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."
Leni
According to the N.Y. Post article, the trust was overturned by agreement between all the parties to avoid further litigation amid allegations that Leona was not mentally competent to make her final will. Not a very nice legacy.
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