Three handwritten wills found in Franklin’s home
PONTIAC: Three handwritten wills have been found in the suburban Detroit home of Aretha Franklin (pic) months after the death of the “Queen of Soul”, including one discovered under cushions in the living room, a lawyer said.
The latest one is dated March 2014 and appears to give the famous singer’s assets to family members.
Some writing is extremely hard to decipher, however, and the four pages have words scratched out and phrases in the margins.
Franklin was 76 when she died in August last year of pancreatic cancer.
Lawyers and family members said at the time that she had no will, but three handwritten versions were found earlier this month.
Two from 2010 were found in a locked cabinet after a key was located.
The 2014 version was inside a spiral notebook under cushions, said David Bennett, an attorney for Franklin’s estate, on Monday after filing the wills.
Bennett, who was Franklin’s lawyer for more than 40 years, told a judge that he was not sure if they were legal under Michigan law. A hearing is scheduled for June 12.
He said the wills were shared with Franklin’s four sons and their lawyers, but that a deal was not reached on whether any should be considered valid.
A statement from the estate said two sons objected to the wills.
Sabrina Owens, an administrator at the University of Michigan, will continue to serve as personal representative of the estate.
“She remains neutral and wishes that all parties involved make wise choices on behalf of their mother, her rich legacy, the family and the Aretha Franklin estate,” the statement said.
In a separate court filing, Franklin’s son Kecalf Franklin said his mother wanted him to serve as representative of the estate in the 2014 will.
He is objecting to plans to sell a piece of land next to her Oakland County home for a total of US$325,000 (RM1.3mil).
Judge Jennifer Callaghan in April approved the hiring of experts to appraise Franklin’s assets and personal belongings, including memorabilia, concert gowns and household goods.
The Internal Revenue Service is auditing many years of Franklin’s tax returns, according to the estate. It filed a claim in December for over US$6mil (RM25mil) in taxes.