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Absconding with donation

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noguilt

Guest
Estate with 5 members. All agreed/signed to donate an entire collection of decedant's art to local museum. Museum in IL, Estate registered in DC. One of 5 members, who has continually shown has some sort of mental illness, has bullied, threatened, or otherwise harrassed the Museum to give them a large portion of the donated collection back. They allegedly told the museum that all 5 members were in agreement. This was not the case & no one was aware of situation. What recourse do the other 4 members have to take this property back & give it back to the Museum where it belongs? The member in posession of the Estate/Museum property left the country temporarily. Can the items be removed in absentia?Help.
 


A

advisor10

Guest
1-14-2002

(1) What was the monetary value of the art donation made to the museum?

(2) Is there any official medical or psychological records that would prove this relative's mental illness, or are they generally just a mean, disagreeable person?

(3) Have you consulted with the museum's attorneys about this situation?

(4) Has the museum actually given any of the art to this relative?

(5) Who was executor of the decedent's estate?

(6) Was the gift to the museum a joint decision by only the 5 surviving members, or was it also a decision made by the express, written wishes of the decedent?

(7) Eventually you will need to ask your attorneys which state law will have jurisdiction over this matter, Illinois or Washington, DC or a combination of both.

The decision may eventually come down to being based on some aspects of business law and/or probate law.

Until a permanent solution can be figured out, you may want to make arrangements with the museum to insure that the collection is secure and protected, and maybe even having the museum or someone in your family have a restraining order issued against this relative that would prevent him from having access to the museum.

SINCERELY,

advisor
 
N

noguilt

Guest
Answers to Advisor

Thank You for your prompt reply.
#1, The appraisal was not completed because the Museum gave part of the collection to this person. We believe it's approx. $20K.

#2, Unfortunately no, there is no medical documentation stating that they are mentally ill.

#3, Museum atty's have not been contacted, should we contact the Museum & request the contact info. for their counsel?

#4,Yes, the Museum handed over boxes & boxes to this person.

#5, The Executor was/is the Atty. in DC that established the Estate. btw, this alleged "Estate" has been in existence for over 7 years.

#6 Decision was joint, not a bequest of the decedant.

Glad we were thinking in the same vein, the 1st thing we said after discovering the situation was to get a restraining order against them. What is so upsetting is that the Museum would so willingly hand over their property. Makes me think I should go there & ask for something really valuable, & see if I can get them to give it to me. That goes against all standards.-Shocking.

So, what do you suggest as an immediate course of action?
Contact the Museum Atty's.
Do we file a local Police report? Does the Museum have to file charges against this person, in order for things to be set in motion? Can a restraining order be established while this person is out of the country?

Thanks...
 

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