Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog

Jeff Beck, Guitarist With a Chapter in Rock History, Dies at 78

Legendary guitarist, Jeff Beck, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 78 after contracting bacterial meningitis. His family confirmed the news on his website.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician and eight-time Grammy winner rose to stardom in the 1960s with the supergroup The Yardbirds and continued to have an illustrious career until the time of his passing. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time and famously had fingers insured for £ 7 million. At the time of his death, Beck’s net worth is estimated to be $18 million.

For more information see Jim Farber, “Jeff Beck, Guitarist With a Chapter in Rock History, Dies at 78”, The New York Times, and Jack Wright “What locals said about Jeff Beck”, The Daily Mail, and “Jeff Beck Net Worth 2023”, SSSAMITI.org, January 12, 2023. 

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing these articles to my attention.

Lisa Marie Presley, Singer and the Only Child of Elvis, Dead at 54

Lisa Marie Presley, singer, and the only child of Elvis Presley, died on Thursday at the age of 54. Her mother, Priscilla Presley, released a statement confirming the news Thursday evening shortly after reports that her daughter was rushed to a hospital in Calabasas, California.

As the only child of Elvis, Lisa Marie Presley was the sole beneficiary of her father’s massive estate, which she received on her 25th birthday. A few years later she turned Graceland into a museum, which was a massive hit with the public. This increased the value of the estate to $100 million.

By 2004, the estate was in debt to the tune of $25 million. Presley agreed to sell 85 percent of the business, which absolved her of the debt, and earned her another $53 million in cash. However, during her divorce from her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood, it became public knowledge that she was $16.7 million in debt, with total liquid assets of less than $20,000 and an additional $500,000 in credit card debt.

Presley is survived by her mother, Priscilla, and children Riley Keough, Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, and Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood. Her son Benjamin Keough died by suicide in 2020.

For more information see Charisma Madarang “Lisa Marie Presley, Singer and the Only Child of Elvis, Dead at 54”, Rolling Stone; Distractify Staff “What Was Lisa Marie Presley’s Net Worth Before Her Passing?”, Distractify; “Lisa Marie Presley Got a Shocking Net Worth— More About Her Here!”, Country Thang Daily, January 12, 2023 and TMZ Staff “Lisa Marie Presley MY EX WON’T LET ME MOVE ON… Make Me Single, Judge!!!” TMZ, March 5, 2021.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing these articles to my attention.

Scam alert: 'Will Mills' targeting Arizonans who are estate planning

The process of going through probate can be time-consuming, expensive, and overwhelming for many. Scammers are well aware of this and use this knowledge to lure people into what has become known as “Will Mills.”

This predatory practice was common in California about 20 years ago and has now become a widespread issue in the state of Arizona. They advertise living trusts for prices as low as $699-$900, however, there is a catch. After gaining access to your financing information, they try to sell more expensive, and unnecessary, insurance products that inevitably drain the assets of unsuspecting customers.

For more information see Nohelani Graf “Scam Alert: ‘Will Mills’ targeting Arizonans who are estate planning”, KGUN9 Tucson, January 10, 2023.

Former Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 20 years for selling body parts

Megan Hess, a former Colorado funeral home owner, was recently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for defrauding relatives of the dead, along with her mother who was sentenced to 15 years. The mother-daughter duo used the access their funeral home business provided to dissect, steal, and sell body parts of over 560 corpses. 

This case was triggered after a 2016-2018 Reuter investigative series about the sale of body parts in the United States, which is a virtually unregulated industry. Former employees told Reuters about the unauthorized dismemberment of bodies and the forged donor forms used by Hess and Koch. Once the series was published, the FBI raided their business.

Hess’ attorney says that her client has been unfairly vilified as a “witch” and a “monster” rather than considering the traumatic brain injury she experienced at age 18 which left her a “broken human being.” U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello said that this was the most emotionally draining case she had experienced, noting the emotional pain experienced by family members and next of kin.

For more information see John Shiffman “Former Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 20 years for selling body parts”, Yahoo! News, January 3, 2023.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

Gabby Petito's family just won $3 million in a wrongful death suit against Brian Laundrie's estate — but they're not going to get anywhere near that number

A Florida judge has ruled for Gabby Petito’s parents in the amount of $3 million in the wrongful death suit brought against Brian Laundrie’s estate. Petito and her fiancé, Laundrie, documented their travels across the United States in Petito’s van for social media. The pair became well known after Petito’s disappearance, which sparked national news coverage last summer.

Petito disappeared in late August 2021 and Laundrie raised suspicion when he drove Petito’s van from Wyoming back to his parents house in Florida without her. He was deemed a person of interest, and once his remains and diary were discovered, the FBI closed their investigation concluding that Laundrie killed Petito.

Petito’s parents filed the lawsuit against Laundrie’s estate in May for “damages which exceed $30,000.” Laundrie’s estate totals less than $3 million, which was arbitrary number. In reality, his estate is worth about $20,000. Petito's parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, plan to donate the money to the Gabby Petito Foundation, which they started to support and locate missing persons and provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence.

For more information see Rebecca Cohen and Natalie Musumeci “Gabby Petito’s family just won $3 million in wrongful death suit against Brian Laundrie’s estate— but they’re not going to get anywhere near that number”, Insider, November 17, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

’Top Gun: Maverick’ Suit Can Move Forward Against Paramount

A judge has declined to dismiss the copyright lawsuit over Top Gun: Maverick, filed this summer by the family of Ehud Yonay. Last week, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson found that the family has well-pleaded facts that state viable claims for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and declaratory relief. The case is still in early stage of proceedings.

The suit revolves around a 1983 article that inspired the original Top Gun. Paramount originally obtained the exclusive rights to the article but the copyright reverted back to Yonay’s widow and and son in 2020. Paramount claims that the film was “pretty much done” prior to the January 24, 2020 termination date and insists the movie fell under “prior derivative works exception.”

Paramount now has until November 28 to formally respond to the initial complaint.

For more information see Joe Schneider “’Top Gun: Maverick’ Suit Can Move Forward Against Paramount”,  Bloomberg Business, November 10, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

Humanity hits the eight billion mark

A baby born somewhere today, November 15, 2022, will be the world’s eight billionth person, according to United Nations projections. "The milestone is an occasion to celebrate diversity and advancements while considering humanity's shared responsibility for the planet," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

The growth is attributed to human development. People are now living longer due to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. While this is largely seen as positive, there are concerns around environmental impacts of economic development. 

For more information see ”Humanity hits the eight billion mark”, Yahoo! News, November 15, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

Tragic Aaron Carter ‘died without a will’ leaving the state to decide who will’ inherit his assets including $800,000 house which he had out on the market shortly before his death

Former teen hearthrob and singer, Aaron Carter, passed away earlier this month. The 34 year old was found by his housekeeper on November 5th, and died without a will in place. This leaves the division of his estate up to the state of California.

Carter began performing at age nine, had three bestselling albums by age thirteen, toured with Britney Spears and performed with the likes of Liza Minelli, Gladys Knight, and Missy Elliott. He later transitioned into acting and went on to experience a series of public controversies and struggles in his young adult years. Insiders told reporters that Carter quickly spent whatever money he made.

It has been reported that Carter was advised by his attorney to make a will upon the birth of his 11-month-old son Prince, whom he shares with his ex girlfriend, Melanie Martin. Carter was looking to resolve his custody battle with Martin before entering rehab. He had previously admitted to having a huffing addiction.

For more information see Jack Newman “Tragic Aaron Carter ‘died without a will’ leaving the state to decide who will’ inherit his assets including $800,000 house which he had out on the market shortly before his death”, Daily Mail, November 14, 2022.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

In a Run-Down Roman Villa, a Princess From Texas Awaits Her Next Act

Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi has been locked in a battle over her late husband’s estate with her three stepsons. Prince Nicolò Francesco Boncompagni Ludovisi died in 2018 leaving behind an epic noble family feud over his estate, which has gained attention from global media.

The princess is American born, the daughter of a Texas rancher who became a political opposition researcher, congressional wife, model, horror film starlet, and real estate agent. The Roman prince was her third husband, and since his death, the princess served as a tour guide of the villa they shared, which is a former hunting lodge in the heart of Rome that has been in the family for over 400 years. It boasts a Caravaggio on the ceiling, lavish frescoes by Guercino, works by Bril, Domenichino, Pomarancio, and Viola, and a statute attributed to Michelangelo. 

She insists her husband’s will gave her half of the entire estate and as a widow, she is in her right to continue to inhabit the villa, while the family says she owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent. An Italian judge, who has grown sick of the lawsuits over the estate, has ordered the villa be publicly auctioned. The original asking price in January was $531 million.

The villa was put up for auction a fourth time last month via a website that deals with bankruptcy property. The courts have stipulated that whoever purchases the property must cover restoration costs, estimated around $11 million.

For more information see Jason Horowitz “In a Run-Down Roman Villa, a Princess From Texas Awaits Her Next Act”, The New York Times, March 4, 2022 and “Rome villa with Caravaggio mural is up for auction a fourth time,” Wanted in Rome, October 17, 2022.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

The man who made Red Bull the world's best-known energy drink and amassed a $25 billion fortune has died aged 78

The Austrian billionaire and Red Bull cofounder, Dietrich Mateschitz, has died after battling a long illness. Red Bull is the world’s best-selling energy drink and helped Mateschitz amass a $25 billion fortune.

Mateschitz used this fortune to create a Formula 1 team that is known as one of the most successful teams in the sport. Team principal Christian Horner told reporters at the US Grand Prix last weekend in Austin, TX how grateful he is for Mateschitz for providing opportunities based on his vision for the sport. “Never be afraid to chase your dreams.” 

Stefano Domenicali, F1 CEO, said the F1 community was deeply saddened by his passing, recounting how Mateschitz was a widely respected visionary that helped transform the sport and was a “much-loved member of the Formula 1 family.”

Through Red Bull, Mateschitz also owned football clubs in Austria, New York, and Leipzig, and sponsored sports such as surfing, cliff diving, winter sports, and mountain biking.

For more information see Sam Tabahriti “The man who made Red Bull the world’s best-known energy drink and amassed a $25 billion fortune has died aged 78”, Business Insider, October 23, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.