Jimmy Buffett ’s widow has accused her late husband’s monetary adviser of failing to manage the singer’s multimillion-dollar belief in good religion and ignoring what she believed had been her finest pursuits for the $275 million property.
Jane Buffett on Monday requested a choose in West Palm Seashore, Florida, to cease Richard Mozenter from attempting to take away her as a trustee and as a substitute sought an order eradicating him from overseeing the property, in accordance with court docket papers.
Jimmy Buffett, who popularized seashore bum gentle rock and created a “Margaritaville” empire of eating places and resorts, died Sept. 1, 2023, at 76.
His widow and Mozenter have since been embroiled in a battle over who controls the belief, with every accusing the opposite of mishandling funds in lawsuits filed in each California and Florida.
The dispute is just like one other occurring with the property of one other beloved singer, Tony Bennett. Two of the late crooner’s daughters sued their brother over his dealing with of the household belief.
Jane Buffett’s submitting on Monday accuses Mozenter of “repeatedly” breaching his fiduciary obligation by failing to supply her with primary details about the belief’s property and its investments whereas taking “unreasonable charges and prices within the context of the companies supplied.”
On Could 30, Jane Buffett’s attorneys supplied Mozenter’s attorneys a duplicate of a petition they deliberate to file in Los Angeles Superior Court docket if he didn’t resign as cotrustee by June 2, the submitting states.
Mozenter’s counsel as a substitute filed a petition June 2 in West Palm Seashore, searching for Buffett’s elimination as cotrustee, paperwork present. Jane Buffett’s grievance was filed June 3 in Los Angeles, the place Mozenter is managing director at Gelfand, Rennert and Feldman LLC.
“Notably, Mr. Mozenter solely introduced this (and his different) retaliatory, baseless motion after Mrs. Buffett had knowledgeable him that, absent his resignation, she would provoke litigation in opposition to him to hunt his elimination as co-trustee,” the grievance stated.
Mozenter claimed in his lawsuit that Jimmy Buffett established the belief with Mozenter as an unbiased trustee as a result of he was involved about his spouse’s “capability to handle and management his property.”
The grievance filed Monday in Florida says the connection between Jane Buffett and Mozenter is “untenable,” and asks the choose to take away Mozenter as cotrustee.
“Jane won’t play into Mr. Mozenter’s palms by litigating this dispute in two separate courts throughout the nation, which might drain the very belief cash that Jimmy particularly put aside for her care,” stated lawyer Matt Porpora.
“As an alternative, Jane is bringing the battle to Florida, the place she and Jimmy referred to as house. Jane is assured she is going to prevail no matter the place her claims are heard, and her determination to maneuver her claims from California to Florida illustrates that she is the one co-trustee trying to preserve — not waste — belief property,” Porpora stated.
Mozenter didn’t instantly reply to an e-mail searching for remark.
