NEW YORK(AP) Leona Helmsley's dog will continue to live an opulent life, and then be buried alongside her in a mausoleum. But two of Helmsley's grandchildren got nothing from the late luxury hotelier and real estate billionaire's estate.
Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public Tuesday in surrogate court.
She also left millions for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, as well as two of four grandchildren from her late son Jay Panzirer _ so long as they visit their father's grave site once each calendar year.
Otherwise, she wrote, neither will get a penny of the $5 million she left for each.
Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer's other children _ Craig and Meegan Panzirer _ for "reasons that are known to them," she wrote.
But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper.
"I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum," Helmsley wrote in her will.
The mausoleum, she ordered, must be "washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year." She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley.
She also left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100,000.
She ordered that cash from sales of the Helmsley's residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, be sold and that the money be given to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Her longtime spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, had no comment.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
Rene
August 29, 2007, 8:21pm
Guest User
In my previous life, I wanted to come back as a Helmsley dog, but it just wasn't in the cards for me.
In my previous life, I wanted to come back as a Helmsley dog, but it just wasn't in the cards for me.
BEFORE I'M ACCUSED OF DEFAMATING SOMEONE'S CHARACHTER, THIS IS TONGUE IN CHEEK...
Instead, you got stuck dealing with the dogs (m) and bitches (f) (verified that these are the proper names for both sexes of dogs, so it's not derogatory) downtown to get things straightened out with the county legislature.
Interesting, I almost abbreviated legislature as leg. And look what that would do. What have these dogs been doing on the leg.? Seems we got pi$$ed on sometimes, huh?
Helmsley’s dog gets $12M; grandkids zilch The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Leona Helmsley’s dog will continue to live an opulent life and then be buried alongside her in a mausoleum. But two of Helmsley’s grandchildren got nothing from the late luxury hotelier and real estate billionaire’s estate. Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public Tuesday in surrogate court. She also left millions for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, as well as two of four grandchildren from her late son Jay Panzirer — so long as they visit their father’s grave site once each calendar year. Otherwise, she wrote, neither will get a penny of the $5 million she left for each. Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer’s other children — Craig and Meegan Panzirer — for “reasons that are known to them,” she wrote. But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper. “I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum,” Helmsley wrote in her will. The mausoleum, she ordered, must be “washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year.” She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her fi - nal resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley. She also left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100,000. She ordered that cash from sales of the Helmsleys’ residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, be given to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Her longtime spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, had no comment. Helmsley died earlier this month at her Connecticut home. She became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname “the Queen of Mean” after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion. JENNIFER GRAYLOCK/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Leona Helmsley and her dog, Trouble, are photographed in Leona Helmsley’s Park Lane Hotel apartment in 2003.
She ordered that cash from sales of the Helmsley's residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, be sold and that the money be given to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Funny how the media overplayed the dog thing, but failed to bring the Helmsley Charitable Trust to the forefront. They failed to mention in their headlines BILLIONS OF DOLLARS GIVEN TO CHARITY!
And anyways, it was her money to do with what she pleased. And personally, I think that her billions in charitable donations say quite a bit about the person she really was. Pehaps a person different than what the liberal media portrayed.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
senders...what does that have to do with anything?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Gotcha! However the dog is surely damn cute! Looks like the dog got all the looks in the family, huh?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Nah...the dog only got 12mill....the charity trust got the billions!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Bequests to animals not uncommon, experts say BY DAVID B. CARUSO The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Leona Helmsley’s decision to leave $12 million to her dog so it could live out its life in luxury proved once and for all that she was not one of the little people. But legal experts say that, size aside, Helmsley’s gift to her beloved pet — a Maltese named Trouble — wasn’t unique. A growing number of people, not all wealthy, have been setting up trust funds or adjusting their wills to ensure that their pets are well cared for if they die, according to attorneys and animal welfare groups. States have rushed to make such gifts easier. At the close of the 1990s, only a handful recognized so-called “pet trusts.” Now, 39 states plus Washington, D.C., have enacted laws dealing with such gifts. The types of bequests vary. Some well-off Americans go as far as to set aside tens of thousands of dollars to allow their pets to continue to live comfortably in their past homes with a professional caretaker, rather than be shipped off to a relative. Others leave money for future veterinary bills, or just to compensate a new owner for taking on the responsibility of a new dog or cat. Rachel Hirschfeld, an estate lawyer in New York who specializes in pet trusts, said the idea isn’t so crazy. “People really think of their pets as their babies,” she said. Yes, she said, gifts like Helmsley’s are extraordinary. Her clients more commonly leave $5,000 to $10,000, although she had one who set aside $5 million. Tales about eccentric millionaires leaving chunks of their fortune to a pet go back decades, but the creation of trusts for that purpose became easier in 1990 because of an update of the Uniform Probate Code, a model upon which many states base their laws regarding wills. Animal welfare groups have also lobbied for a federal bill that would create tax benefits for a pet owner who creates such a trust, then leaves the remaining money to charity when the animal dies. Sara Amundson, a director of legislative affairs for the Humane Society of the United States, said even a small gift can keep a pet from winding up in dire straits. “As a nation, we still euthanize 4 to 6 million cats and dogs every year, and a good number of those are pets left without care when their owners die,” she said. Pet owners of moderate means can ensure some stability for their animals by including a few lines in their will spelling out who gets the family dog, said Kim Bressant-Kibwe, associate counsel of trusts and estates for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “Maybe it’s a situation where a person only has $500 or $1,000 to leave for a pet’s care, and that’s fine,” Bressant-Kibwe said. “What we want people to think about is making arrangements.”
Logged
