Las Vegas residents who enjoyed Bobby Vee’s music may be interested to learn that two of Vee’s children alleged that their siblings mishandled estate funds. Vee, whose birth name was Robert Velline, died on Oct. 24, 2016, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Two of Vee’s children were responsible for putting on a play about their father’s life. His other two children and his widow had not approved. When the two children and Vee’s widow learned that the play would be moving forward in September 2014, the lawsuit claimed that Vee’s widow became distressed. This caused her to put all of Vee’s business assets and other belongings in a trust.
After her death, the lawsuit alleged that the two siblings diverted assets from the trust for their own personal use and for the benefit of Rockhouse Production, a recording studio that Vee and his widow started in the 1980s. As a result, the other siblings were seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and asks the court to remove the siblings as co-trustees. The siblings responded, stating that they did not believe their mother had the legal ability to restrict the production of the play.
Although the estate planning process can be difficult for family members, it can prevent disputes from happening after they pass on. An attorney may assist with the planning process by determining what assets and property a person has possession of and determining the value of each asset. The attorney may create a customized plan to ensure that the assets are only passed down to family members or that they can only be used in a specific way.
Source: Inforum, “Bobby Vee’s children argue over his estate in court“, Kim Hyatt, Feb. 5, 2017