Estate Planning

ANOTHER ESTATE GOES TO THE DOGS

By Hull and Hull LLP

There has been a great deal of discussion about the late Leona Helmsley who, when she died, left 12 million dollars in Trust for her beloved Maltese Trouble, while leaving nothing to 2 of her grandchildren for 'reasons that are known to them.'

Well it's happened again…another estate is going to the dogs! Our summer student forwarded me a Globe and Mail article discussing the provisions that the late heiress Gail Posner made for the benefit of her fabulously famous Chihuahua Conchita and her 2 other dogs, April Maria and Lucia. These pampered pooches are to receive an $8.3 million mansion and a $3-million trust fund under her estate while the deceased's only son, Bret Carr, takes a meagre $1-million in comparison.

According to the terms of a Trust Agreement (amended by the late heiress in 2008), so long as she had dogs at the time of her death, the trustees:

1.  are to retain the mansion property (located in Miami Beach) plus a sum of money not more than $3-million to cover the carrying costs of the mansion.

2.  shall pay $5-million to Elizabeth Beckford to care for Conchita, April Maria, and Lucia. I note that the deceased provided that they are to be cared for with 'the same degree of care' they received while Posner was alive (which, I suppose, will mean the continuance of their weekly doggie spa appointments).

Upon the death of the dogs, the mansion is to be sold and the proceeds are to go to charity. The remainder of the estate (after certain specific bequests) goes to animal shelters, breast cancer prevention, and suicide-prevention centres.

Those are some lucky dogs (shhhhh – don't tell my dogs, Digger and Nicky. They're spoiled enough)

Thank you for reading!

Kathryn Pilkington

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on July 05, 2010 (boomark / email).