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Broken Refrigerator

William-The-Refrigerator-Perry-Otis-Wilson-001297869

Scraping a bit for probate and will related news this week. William “Refrigerator” Perry shot to stardom as the large defensive lineman who sometimes played running back for the awesome 1985 Chicago Bears. He allegedly could dunk a basketball even though he weighed 300 pounds. He now lives in South Carolina under a legal guardianship created by his brother when he was near death 7 years ago. Fridge’s son wants to remove the brother as guardian while a court has stated that the guardianship can be removed if Fridge files the appropriate paperwork. Fridge, meanwhile, spends his days drinking with various friends, walking assisted by a walker, and generally not taking care of his health.

Several points:

1. Any interested party can apply to be the guardian of another with the supporting medical documentation. The son could have applied to serve as guardian in 2009 but did not.

2. Guardians are compensated for their services. Despite the son’s allegations, the $1,250 annual compensation received by the brother is not the reason he continues to serve as guardian of Fridge.

3. A guy who starts drinking first thing in the morning and is unmotivated to file paperwork to remove a guardianship likely still needs the protection of the guardianship.

4. This has bothered me for 30 years. It has always been reported that Fridge could dunk a basketball. How hard would it have been to ask him to do it? It is not as if basketball courts are as scarce in this country as bobsled courses.

Where Are They Now? Collecting an Inheritance.

An Illinois man who lived alone in a farmhouse with no running water, bathed in a creek, and did not bathe when it was frozen, died last summer of a heart attack.  His will left his estate to two actors he had never met – Kevin Brophy and Peter Barton.  Brophy’s biggest role was as a man who had been raised by wolves in “Lucan” while Barton  had been on the “Young and Restless.”  Apparently the deceased had written the actors in the past and they had responded with a thank you and watch me in my upcoming appearance note.  The deceased considered them friends.

Several points:

1.  Simple acts of kindness and respect reap dividends.

2.  For will purposes, there is a difference between eccentric and mentally incompetent.

3.  I am not sure that either Brophy or Barton would qualify for an episode of VH1’s “Where Are They Now?”

4. Lucan?  I vaguely remember it from my youth.  I certainly did not have a poster from it for years as did the decedent.  This was the poster in my teenage room.

 

 

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I am an attorney located in Cincinnati, Ohio who practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, asset protection, and small business advice. I make a difficult and bewildering process as simple as possible. Most importantly, I provide "more for less" for my clients.