Posted on 09/09/2014 12:14:22 PM PDT by Loyalist
Reuters) - The secret marriage this year of a 96-year-old Virginia woman and a 95-year-old man has drawn the scrutiny of a judge, who has ruled the marriage may be illegal, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
Judge James Clark of the Alexandria Circuit Court ruled this month that the marriage between Eddie Harrison and Edith Hill may not be legally binding and ordered Hill's attorney, Jessica Niesen, to investigate it.
The legality of the marriage surfaced during a custodial dispute over who should care for Hill, who was ruled legally incapacitated in 2011.
Hill's granddaughter, Rebecca Wright, and daughter Patricia Barber have been the woman's legal custodians since early this year, Barber's attorney, Cary Cucinello, said.
As part of the custodial dispute, family members have challenged the marriage in court after they discovered the two had wed this year without telling them.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
A man marrying a WOMAN?
I’m pretty sure that IS illegal now.
Afraid they may get less of her cash when she shuffles off this mortal coil?
If he was legally incapacitated, then I think the marriage would be invalid.
Sounds like her family is worried about any changes to her will.Money makes people behave like animals.
When someone says, “This is not about money.”, you can be sure it IS all about money.
If the family didn't know the couple had already been married, then leave them alone. If I was the judge; I would ask one question...
"Did you - ummm - consummate the marriage? What do you mean you don't know. "
5 paragraphs, four of them just repeating the assertion that the marriage may be illegal, and still no mention of the reason. The second sentence should have been “The family challenged the marriage on the grounds that ...” Journalists need to go back to journalism school.
She wouldn’t have to change her will, which would include language about required mental competency. Historically, a legal marriage automatically put the spouse in a beneficiary position, typically 1/3 of the estate (curtsy/dower rights).
In recent decades, many states have eliminated that right, but it could be that (if that is Mr. Harrison’s goal) he is not aware of its elimination, IF, in fact, VA is a state that has eliminated dower rights.
Yep. Some of the nastiest intra family battles will be over who gets grandma’s money.
“Afraid they may get less of her cash when she shuffles off this mortal coil?”
They lost the right to make decisions on her health and safety. With marriage that goes to the old dude who may not be capable of making those decisions.
I learned how to avoid that personally. I am completely out of the decision loop on family inheritance. If I get something, nice. If I don’t get something, life will go on.
I don’t have to live with myself. The people who would cheat me out of my inheritance would have to live with themselves.
I can live with that.
I’ve seen families do all sort of idiotic things. Some of it makes no sense whatsoever. It’s just mean vindictive payback in some instances for absolutely nothing.
It’s a shame really, what people do to those they should care about.
Yes. It is all about the money, despite the denials.
“Part of the dispute is Hill’s estate, which includes real estate holdings that total $475,000, according to media reports.”
This couple has been together for 10 years and just recently got married. No wonder they didn’t get married earlier, and when they got married they didn’t tell their families, who are, I assume waiting for them to die and leave them their money.
Although I can see why his family might object. She did “rob the cradle”. Edith is 96 years old. Eddie is only 95.
The thing is that the family members who grab the most money will justify it by saying if they didn’t do it, someone else would. My BIL’s bachelor uncle passed away suddenly and before the day was over, kin who didn’t give a hoot about him were in his house taking anything of value.
We did the same thing. Stayed out of it until when hubby’s dad started getting dementia his sister put him in a home. We wanted to know how she did that since hubby was supposed to be the designated trustee with POA etc. Found out she took him down and had him change it to her.....while he had dementia. She then immediately stole all his money. Yeah the fight was on. We eventually won in probate court but by then Dad had passed. We’lll never speak to his sorry azzed sister again. The minute she put dad in the home he went downhill fast. In our opinion she hastened his death by a good 2 yrs or so.
Yes, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen men desperate for attention or loyalty from their spouses change their wills at the last minute, favoring a person with months invested over blood relatives with decades invested too.
People go bat —— crazy at the thought of some little bobble that didn’t mean squat to them the last 40 years too.
It’s a real mess. I believe living wills or assigning executors can help, but event then you find some unscrupulous people.
I think you have to resign yourself to these types of things. It sucks, but it is reality.
Sorry you ran into the problem. Glad it worked out.
You did the right thing.
There’s money involved somewhere, thus the “dispute”
(Admittedly, I did not click the link to read more)
The point is that the marriage happened three years AFTER she had been declared legally incapacitated, which made her unable to enter into contracts, including marriage.
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