The Maltese terrier that inherited US $12 million from her owner Leona Helmsley, has had his inheritance cut by $10 million. Trouble, the dog in question, will have to live out his remaining life with only $2 million in spending money.
Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge Renee Roth accepted a settlement between Helmsley’s heirs and the New York State Attorney General’s office that cuts Trouble’s inheritance from $12 million to $2 million on the grounds that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she made her will.
The ruling was made on April 30 and became public yesterday.
The settlement also awarded Helmsley’s two grandchildren, Craig Panzirer and Meegan Panzirer Wesolko, $6 million.
They had been cut out of her will “for reasons which are known to them”, the document said.
Trouble is nine years old, and wasn’t the only beneficiary of the will to have some funds cut, to share with Leona’s grandchildren.
Trouble’s expenses, in case you are thinking about pampering a maltese, include $100,000 for 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.
Her carer, Carl Levick, is the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel in Florida. He is paid $60,000 a year to care for the dog.
Trouble is now nine years old. Levick says that $2 million would be enough money to care for Trouble for “more than 10 years, which is more that twice her reasonably anticipated life expectancy.” I suspect that if a human had inherited the money, this would not have been settled so easily. We humans don’t like to give up our cash.
Leona was once quoted as having said “only the little people pay taxes”, she later spent 18 months in federal prison for evading $1.7 million in taxes in 1989.
Scary to set a precedence like this. I can’t believe a will can be changed. Nobody has the right to change the deceased’s instructions as to the disposition of an estate. It doesn’t matter that Leona Helmsley was mean and nasty. The law is the the law and only when the dog died should there have been any contest to the money. This is unreal.
I have to agree with Leandra. Much as I think leaving that amount of money to a dog is really stupid, it’s frightening to think that you would really have no choice in the disposition of your estate, because a judge can overturn it for no reason.
I’m also with Leandra. What’s the point of a will if it’s not honored?
I wish someone would leave my dogs a crap load of money
Ditto on the will. Helmsley plainly didn’t intend to include the two grandchildren.
On the dog front, to make a judgement based on the dog’s ‘needs’ is wholly disingenuous since the dog is not in a position to protest. And by wholly disingenuous, I mean completely dishonest and opportunistic. Only the dog comes out well here.
Its likely she left the sum of $12 million to the dog, instead of her grandchildren, because they never visited her. Imagine how it is with most grandchildren these days. Especially in very affluent families (read Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie). They don’t “hang out” with grandma. I figure she probably commented to herself, “I see more loyalty out of this dog than my grandchildren. I’m going to make a statement.” And she did. I’m only speculating here, but it seems the most likely explanation aside from batcrap crazy.
I wonder if everyone is aware of exactly who Leona Helmsley was? She was legendarily cruel to any and all other humans who were not on her level – and virtually no one was on her level. She was so filled with malice towards others that she may have actually been possessed by evil. She wasn’t just an eccentric old lady who totally loved her horrid little dog. She was just mean as hell. Defending anything that woman did is just a waste of good air. In my opinion. 🙂
I was going to go with the dangers in changing wills like this but it is not the first time a will has been changed because the deceased was not mentaly fit to make a will. It is done all the time.
If she was cruel, then it is no wonder that she did not get on with her grand kids. I guess it is then not so bad that her ridiculous wishes are not honoured. But only if it is true she was cruel.
Can I look after ‘trouble’? Please and for half that. Mind you he will leave me half of his wealth on his death, which I can easily arrange. 😆
Sorry but being pushed out of a uterus does not entitle you to your parents’ or grandparents’ money once your behind is all grown up.
Leona was batshite crazy, cruel and evil but it was her money and she should have been able to do with it what she wished.
She should have been smarter about it and they wouldnt have been able to put their grubby hands on it. I don’t give a crap if she was evil or not, they apparently dont think she was too evil to take money from her. Sounds like quite the family, the dog is likely the best one of them all.
What on earth is the point of writing a will and disinheriting your money grubbing grandchildren, that probably never even came to visit, if a judge can just overturn it after you go? I agree with the charity $$, but the “heirs” shouldnt have seen a dime. She may have been the meanest old hag on earth, but that doesnt neccisarily make her grandchildren any better.
As much as I hate to back up that old bat…it was her money…it should go wherever she wanted. Period.
i can tell that most of the people complaining about how wills shouldn’t be changed probably have little to NO experience with being a wealthy heir. i do, by way of marriage–(so no, i am not some spoiled rich kid).
my experience has taught me that 1) ridiculous amounts of money makes many older people crazy and mean, and 2) ridiculous amounts of money makes younger heirs do f*cked up things like manipulate & intimidate their elders.
that’s why judges will change wills; bcs experience has taught them that the will was usually written under either an UNSTABLE or MANIPULATED mind.
besides, in situations like this the all the money ends up going to the lawyers anyway. her grandkids won’t get anywhere near 6 million. so in reality, leona’s actions caused most of her money to go to law firms!
would have ben better off with the dog! 👿
Not sure why everyone is griping about this so much. Judges have been changing the law for hundreds of years, and most people only complain about it when it screws them or what they believe to be right, but don’t mention it if it’s ‘good’.
Ever notice that court cases are generally better known than the laws they overturn? Rowe V. Wade, Brown V. Board of Education, ect. Hell, just a few days ago everyone on this very site was saying how ecstatic they were that those judges in California overturned the gay marriage ban that the voters in California chose.
So it’s fine for judges to tell an entire state’s population that their votes don’t count, but it’s not alright for a judge to keep a batshit crazy, tax evading, waste of space human being from leaving 12 million to her dog? Little perspective people.
If she really didn’t want her grandkids to get the money, she should have donated it all to charity immediately on her death, not the furball.
Leona Helmsley was an uncaring hateful bitch who flaunted the law most of her life, was once quoted that taxes were for ‘little people’, and signed her fortune over to her dog as a final dig to both the IRS and her family. Hat’s off to the judge for seeing the intent behind her wishes and re-assigning the money in a more equitable fashion.
A person has the right to leave their money to whomever they want. Just because someone has grandchildren, children, sisters, etc.. doesn’t mean that they deserve the money. The dog was probably a better companion to her than her ungrateful relatives.I have no problem with Leona’s choice. I think the judge is an ass to over turn the wishes of the deceased party!
I wish someone in my family had some money. I can’t even hope for the possibility of being included in a will. We’re all broke. Lucky dog.
I think Leona was of perfectly sound mind as she left her money to the only entity not greedy for her money that truly loved her. How evil of the judge to interfere with her wishes and give those bastardly children her money when Leona delibrately didn’t want them to have a dime!! Leona was a truth speaker and the only reason she was punished is because she was honest. The rich have their money in off shore corporate accounts and they don’t pay taxes. This is true!
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