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Daughter and trustees at odds over sale of million dollar home

On Behalf of | Sep 25, 2017 | Estate Planning And Administration

One of the main purposes of estate planning is to help people avoid having disputes arise amongst those that they will one day leave behind in Greensburg. Yet simply because the process of how one’s estate is to be handled is outlined does not necessarily mean that problems will not arise in its management. Those empowered to handle the affairs of an estate may eventually find their interpretations of a testator’s wishes to be at odds with those of his or her beneficiaries. 

This fact is on full display in a case currently playing out in Miami. A dispute has arisen over the proposed sale of a multi-million-dollar home owned by the family of a once-prominent attorney. After his death in 2008, management of his many assets was turned over to a trust, including that of the home. The trustees recently obtained a court order authorizing the sale of the home. After obtaining the order, they evicted the decedent’s daughter from the property, who had been living there up until this past spring. She has since filed a claim attempting to block the sale of the home, saying that doing so would not serve the best interests of her mother, who is the beneficiary of the trust. 

Although people cannot anticipate what those who they name to manage their affairs will do years after they are gone, they can be very clear in what they want done with their estate assets. They can also put extra time and effort into choosing their personal representatives and trustees to hopefully ensure those parties’ decisions are made in the interest of their beneficiaries. Anyone needing assistance with this process may be wise to first speak with an experienced estate planning attorney. 

Source: The Real Deal Magazine “Estate of attorney asks $46M for Palm Beach home amid dispute” Sept. 09, 2017