Executor of O.J. Simpson's estate plans to fight payout to the families of Brown and Goldman

[ificandream]

Source: Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate says he will work to prevent a payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a California civil jury nearly three decades ago in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.

Simpson’s will was filed Friday in a Clark County court in Nevada, naming his longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, as the executor. The document shows Simpson’s property was placed into a trust that was created this year. LaVergne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the entirety of Simpson’s estate has not been tallied. Under Nevada law, an estate must go through the courts if its assets exceed $20,000.

Simpson died Wednesday without having paid the lion’s share of the civil judgment that was awarded in 1997 after jurors found him liable. With his assets set to go through the court probate process, the Goldman and Brown families could be in line to get paid a piece of whatever Simpson left behind.

LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, said he specifically didn’t want the Goldman family seeing any money from Simpson’s estate. “It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing,” he told the Review-Journal. “Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/oj-simpson-will-estate-goldman-brown-d34f28de478a07c3689547296f7228fd

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Shit continues.

[RockRaven]

2. Never forget that one can be a professional zealous advocate for a client

without being an unnecessarily offensive douche-canoe. So if you see the latter, don't ever let anyone explain it away to you as the former.

That MFer is the latter, no question about it.

[Think. Again.]

3. As executor of the estate...

...this LaVergne guy's "hopes" mean nothing and he is absolutely wrong to impose his personal wishes for the estate onto the distribution process.

[LeftInTX]

4. My opinion:

[LoisB]

5. Jerk!

[cstanleytech]

6. Can't argue that though I will point out that he might also be doing the job Simpson hired him to do.

That being to manage the estate and or trust how Simpson wanted it handled and we all know that Simpson did everything he could to evade ever paying that judgement out while he was alive.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. His fee might be percent of value of estate. Might not be anything left after Simpsons get their rightful cut

I suspect he's being mercenary for his own self-interest.

[machoneman]

13. Yes, absolutely! He is getting a share of the estate for his efforts to protect OJ's assets. Not uncommon for a lawyer..

..to do so, usually however without acting like a douchebag.....which he is!

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Tightwad in life, tightwad in death

Simpson routinely didn't pay when he was obligated. Example: He'd be playing as a foursome in golf and the pot got big for betting on holes. Simpson would lose. He'd stall for time. Go back to the clubhouse for beers and drinks. Said he'd pay for the beverages, etc. Would dazzle the golfers with stories from the NFL. Would excuse himself to shower in the locker room. Meanwhile, he'd give a teen $10 to put his clubs in the trunk of his vehicle. His friends would notice that "Juice" was gone a little too long and went outside to look for him. And he'd be waving goodbye to them as he drove off -- without paying, of course.

I think I read that anecdote in Raging Heart by Sheila Weller.

[Paladin]

9. Figures. (nt)

[Novara]

10. A trust executor can't make that decision.

I was the executor after my Mom died. I had to carry out her wishes to the letter. And I did.

But what's more, there is a legal judgement that Simpson never fulfilled. The executor has absolutely no say about what debts were owed upon death.

[machoneman]

14. True, but he can legally attempt to defy that judgement. Good luck however as I foresee his efforts will fail.

[JohnnyRingo]

11. I don't think it's anything personal.....

...that is, I don't believe OJ's heirs want to deprive the victims' families, it's just that they naturally want to protect what they feel is theirs.
I imagine the courts will do what's right, one way or the other.

[DET]

12. A Question

What is the pecking order in terms of disbursement of the estate?
- outstanding financial obligations to creditors
- legal judgements
- heirs and other parties named in the will

[melm00se]

19. Distribution rules for FL are

1. Expenses related to estate administration - commission to the personal representative (what they call the executor), lawyers fees etc.
2. Funeral expenses - funeral home etc.
3. Debts owed to government - taxes, fines and the like.
4. Medical expenses - doctors, hospitals etc.
5. Family allowance - applicable to minor children and surviving spouse. It gives them a livable income while the estate is being dealt with.
6. Child support - self explanatory
7. Business debt - also self explanatory
8. Other claims - this is where the judgment falls. Assuming, of course, that the judgment was renewed properly in the various jurisdictions necessary.

The key will be how his estate was structured. A smart estates/trust lawyer can set it all up to make it virtually untouchable.

States all have protections built into their civil code to protect debtors and FL has among the strongest laws tracing back to unscrupulous creditors who would get little old ladies to sign debt instruments with impossible terms and conditions. Then, upon the absolutely inevitable default sue and then zap their properties.

In FL, the homestead exemption (to protect against seizure and forced sales) has no dollar amount cap (but has a physical size cap: 1/2 acre in a city/town/village and 160 acres in unincorporated areas) so it is virtually impossible to execute against a primary residence in the state of FL.

I was a bill collector for many years and hated certain states (FL was in the top 5) as the laws made debtors virtually untouchable and professional debtors knew that and exploited the laws to their fullest extent.

[DET]

21. Thank you!

Very nice of you to take the time to provide such a detailed response. So Florida will probably protect the estate - and the Goldmans appear to be at the back of the bus. Such a shame.

[dembotoz]

15. estate law from my experience is pretty much been there done that

there are pretty much rules and procedures to be followed.
its not like something like this has never happened before.....

[Midnight Writer]

16. Question. If he owes the Goldman's 33 million, how did he die with an estate worth millions?

Shouldn't his money have been confiscated by the Court to pay the legal judgement against him? While he was alive?

[melm00se]

20. Not all assets are executable

pensions, life insurances, primary residences and annuities etc. all have specific protections under the law.

FL has some of the most expansive protections in the USA.

[Prairie Gates]

22. Many of his assets were shielded from judgment as pension

But, really, that wasn't enough. In some ways, Fred Goldman was responsible for Simpson serving 9 years in Nevada state prison, because Simpson involved himself in the armed robbery of the sports memorabilia guy because he was "short" on cash due to the asset forfeiture. It takes some time for things like that to kick in, but they do.

[LudwigPastorius]

17. LaVergne, you can put your "hopes" in one hand and shit in the other.

See which one gets filled up first.

[LiberalLovinLug]

18. Since 1997?

This is what makes me sick. The lions share has not been paid?

It makes me wonder if Alex Jones will ever be made to pay out
Or Donald fucking Trump for raping and lying about it.

The wealthy simply do not have to do what the rest of us would. They live in the Epstein world where anything goes. Because you can get away with anything. "They just let you"

[Kennah]

23. Perhaps the Goldman family can raise money for a urinal stone at Simpson's grave