This week’s issue of the Arkansas Times contains a sad but fascinating story written by Mara Leveritt, who is well-known for her writing about so-called “true crime,” including but not limited to her book about the West Memphis Three, Devil’s Knot. Specifically, Ms. Leveritt tells the tale of an older gentleman living in Washington state whose trust assets were [...]
Archive for the ‘Misappropriation of assets’ Category
“Murder, Fraud, $2.2 Million Somewhere”
Posted in In the news, Misappropriation of assets, tagged arkansas, fraud, lawsuit, litigation, trust, undue influence on August 5, 2011 |
Mediation As An Alternative To Inheritance Litigation
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Improper investments, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Self-dealing, Will contests, tagged ADR, alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, confidential, court, docket, estate litigation, mediation, mediator, probate litigation, trust litigation on October 31, 2010 |
Lawsuits are not the only way to resolve disputes, and arguably are not even the best way. Litigation can be financially expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally tolling. Especially in the context of estate, trust and probate litigation, the disputes often involve persons who know each other, including relatives, friends, and business associates. Accordingly, in addition to the expenditure of money, [...]
Stealing From Grandma And Grandpa—Inheritance Theft
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, Duties of trustees, Misappropriation of assets, Powers of attorney, Rights of beneficiaries, Self-dealing, tagged accountant, attorney, Bob Sullivan, elder abuse, elder financial abuse, Elder Justice Act, elder law attorney, elder theft, financial abuse, financial exploitation, Huguette Clark, power of attorney, undue influence on August 28, 2010 |
A recent lengthy but interesting series of stories (Part I and Part II) on the odd heiress, Huguette Clark, appeared to prompt a good article yesterday from Bob Sullivan, who covers Internet scams and consumer fraud for msnbc.com. Mr. Sullivan’s posting focuses upon allegations and situations involving elder financial abuse, which is a significant portion of my own law practice. I suggest that you read the [...]
Inheritance Hijackers: Who Wants To Steal Your Inheritance And How To Protect It
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, Duties of trustees, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Self-dealing, Will contests, tagged assets, beneficiary, fiduciary, inheritance, Inheritance Hijackers, inheritance theft, litigation, Protect Your Estate, Robert Adamski, trust, victim on August 6, 2010 | 1 Comment »
At the recommendation of a client, I have recently started reading a fascinating book entitled Inheritance Hijackers: Who Wants To Steal Your Inheritance And How To Protect It (Ovation Books 2009) written by a Florida attorney named Robert C. Adamski. The book is primarily written for beneficiaries and potential beneficiaries of an inheritance. Mr. Adamski’s book sets forth an extensive [...]
Update On Gary Coleman Estate Dispute
Posted in Duties of executors, In the news, Misappropriation of assets, Will contests, tagged Dana Plato, Diff'rent Strokes, Gary Coleman, misappropriation, Todd Bridges, trust fund on June 30, 2010 |
As a child of the 1980′s, I grew up watching Diff’rent Strokes like most people my age. A white, middle-class kid growing up in Oklahoma, I did not have much in common with two African-American orphaned children from Harlem taken in by a rich Park Avenue businessman, but the show constantly had me laughing, especially when Gary Coleman [...]
Arkansas Court Of Appeals Rules Dying Woman Not Competent To Execute Deed
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Misappropriation of assets, Recent Arkansas appeals, Rights of beneficiaries, tagged competent, confidential, deed, duress, incapacity, invalid, mentally impaired, Pulaski County, trust, undue influence on May 2, 2010 |
Sorry for no posts as of late—I’ve been tied up preparing for, and then engaged in, a lengthy trust litigation case in which the jury, after a 6 day trial in Pulaski County Circuit Court, returned a significant verdict for our clients. I’m just now trying to catch up on other work, but hope to resume regularly [...]
Billionaire’s Former Lover’s Shenanigans Fail In Will Contest
Posted in In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Misappropriation of assets, Will contests, tagged arkansas, executor, fiduciary, Nina Wang, Tony Chan, trustee, will contest on February 7, 2010 |
Most estate and trust conflicts for which our law firm is retained, either to represent the fiduciary (executor, trustee, etc.) or the beneficiary to whom the fiduciary duty is owed, involve anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to several million dollars. The fact is that the substantial time and expense associated with litigating smaller amounts in dispute can often [...]
UPDATED: Dispute Erupts Over Wealth Of Deceased Billionaire Shopping Mall Developer
Posted in Duties of executors, In the news, Interpretation of wills/trusts, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, Will contests, tagged Baby Boomer, Bren Simon, Central Arkansas, Melvin Simon, Park Plaza Mall, Parkinson's, shopping mall, Simon Property Group, trust, University Mall, Wall Street Journal, wealth war, will on January 29, 2010 |
Pretty much anyone who has lived in Central Arkansas over the last few decades has been aware of if not actually visited University Mall in Little Rock’s midtown area. While it used to be the hot spot for shopping many moons ago, in more recent years it became better known for its empty stores and the litigation that resulted from disputes [...]
Removal Of An Executor (Personal Representative) From An Estate Under Arkansas Law
Posted in Breach of fiduciary duties, Duties of executors, Misappropriation of assets, Rights of beneficiaries, tagged administer, arkansas, asset, beneficiary, conflict, conflict of interest, debt, distribute, estate, executor, fiduciary, good faith, heir, intestacy, intestate, letters, manage, passed away, personal representative, probate, property, removal, remove, testamentary, will on January 9, 2010 |
As previously discussed on this Blog, an executor, also known as a personal representative, is a person who is charged with the responsibility of administering an estate after another person has passed away. They will typically do things like collect and inventory the deceased’s assets, manage the property, pay the debts, and distribute property according to [...]
