Three holographic wills come to be found in the home of Aretha Franklin, near Detroit, by his lawyer, David Bennett, nine months after the disappearance on August 16, 2018, the Queen of soul. One of them would have been discovered concealed under the cushions in the living room, specified as The Guardian . The most recent of these wills have been drafted in march 2014 in a notebook spiral. It léguerait the legacy of the singer to the members of his family. However, The Guardian specifies that some pages are hardly readable, and include deletions and a few annotations in the margin.
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The diva of soul was 76 years old when she died of pancreatic cancer last August. She had made public her illness at the end of 2010. At his death, his family had said they did not know the existence of a will. David Bennett, the board of Aretha Franklin for over 40 years, so has handed over the manuscripts on Monday, may 20 at the american justice. He wished to point out to the judge that he could not be sure of their validity under the law of Michigan. A hearing has already been set to June 12.
A legacy still being assessed
For the moment, Sabrina Owens, director of the university of Michigan, continues to assume the responsibility as executrix. She said after the discovery of these three wills: «I will remain neutral. And I wish that all the members of the family of Aretha Franklin, including his children, to make wise choices on behalf of their mother and its rich artistic legacy».
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It does not seem for the moment to unfold peacefully. Kecalf, the son of Aretha Franklin, has just declared that his mother wanted him to be the representative of the estate in the will of 2014. And he objects already in the project to sell a piece of land near the house of Oakland county, which is estimated at 325.000 dollars.
In April 2019, judge Jennifer Callaghan has approved the appointment of a panel of experts to evaluate the assets and the personal effects of Aretha Franklin, including his memories, his robes together and the furniture of his house. The result of this expertise could prove crucial: the u.s. treasury has just filed an appeal to try to recover a sum of $ 6 million, mainly income taxes, have remained to this day unpaid.
● The funeral of Aretha Franklin
