Is it ethical for a testator to completely disinherit close relatives, especially when such a “snub” favors a dog?
Known as the “Queen of Mean”, billionaire real estate developer Leona Helmsley gained notoriety in the 1980s for her purported quote, “only the little people pay taxes” (she was convicted of federal tax evasion and sentenced to a short prison stay as a result of her crime.) Helmsley died in 2007, leaving behind a will that devised $12 million for the care of her eight-year-old dog, a Maltese named “Trouble.” She completely disinherited two grandchildren, with her will offering no explanation for their disinheritance other than “reasons which are known to them.” With respect to the $12 million, Donald Trump (then Helmsley’s former New York City real estate competitor) proclaimed, “The dog is the only thing that loved her and deserves every single penny of it.”Should a probate court rewrite such a will, reducing the amount of money for the care of the dog (after all, how many “doggie biscuits” does a Maltese need?), and allocating a reasonable portion of the funds to the two grandchildren who received nothing from the will?Is it ethical for a testator to completely disinherit close relatives, especially when such a “snub” favors a dog?
