I have a suggestion for this grandson- go get a job! Many of us worked all the way through school and paid for our tuition and books, took care of family and carpooled children. I am sick of this whinning. At 21, it is past time to grow up!
AIKEN --- One of James Brown's grandchildren has filed a federal lawsuit against the attorneys appointed by the courts to oversee the late soul singer's estate and wants the two removed as trustees.
Forlando Brown, 21, whose college tuition was to be paid by an educational trust set up by his grandfather for him and his cousins, says in court papers filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court that Adele Pope and Robert Buchanan have refused to pay his school bills in violation of the singer's wishes.
At issue are the James Brown "I Feel Good" Trust and the James Brown Family Education Trust, created to pay for the educations of needy kids in South Carolina and Georgia and the singer's grandchildren under 35.
Mr. Brown left the bulk of his wealth to the charities, and household items to his children.
Five of his children have asked that a judge void both his will and the trusts.
Ms. Pope and Mr. Buchanan were appointed early last year as special administrators to the estate, and elevated to trustees when the men who formerly held that position resigned.
Since then, the former trustees and lawyers in the South Carolina and Georgia attorney generals' offices have filed objections to their appointments, saying they've mingled estate money and trust money, have a conflict of interest because they are owed significant legal fees and were illegally named trustees.
Forlando Brown, a senior at West Georgia College, now known as the University of West Georgia, echoed those allegations in his federal filing.
He says his tuition there and at Emory University Law School in the future should be paid from the trusts.
Reach Sandi Martin at (803) 648-1395, ext. 111, or sandi.martin@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
I have a suggestion for this grandson- go get a job! Many of us worked all the way through school and paid for our tuition and books, took care of family and carpooled children. I am sick of this whinning. At 21, it is past time to grow up!
Go get student loans like the rest of us!
At least he has a decent reason to bring the estate to court. He is in college trying to better himself. Give him a break. It's the rest of the family that are worthless trying to sue everyone to make a profit off of his death!
Forlando Brown should not have to get a job nor student loans if his grandfather intended to pay for his education. The rest of the grandchildren who are of legal age should also sue. Who wants to work to pay for their own inheritance? If you have to work to pay for your inheritance, then you really didn't inherit anything at all.
I must say, that if his college tuition is all that is being asked for and he is attending college, what is the problem.....
Had his grandfather been funding his education thus far?
If so, I'd think there wouldn't be a problem with that continuing.
If not, looks like he could continue with whatever funding he'd been using and get reimbursed when (if) the estate is settled.
Seems to me that this young man is the only one at this time entitled to the funds....all the rest of those seeking money should have to wait until it's settled legally but his claims are justified...that's what the fund was created for.. his and the other young peoples education.
This is a first. Many of us agree on something concerning James Brown, his estate, and his family!
LOL...King James...Happy 2008 !!!!
For the dummies that said get a job--there are people that go to college first so that they can get a better job. That is the point. If his grand dad said it, he is well within his right to receive it. Poor kid.
I agree with most of the comments that voice concern of him getting his tution paid. He should fight for what his grandfather left for him. Yes he can go and get student loans but why....when there is money sitting there to be use for something good.....an education!!!
Well, this Forlando Brown fella better get a job or some loans and pay his own way for now or either put his education off for a while.(a long while).
Finally the true victims of the Brown children's selfish lawsuits arise. Since the trusts got the bulk of the estate (as clearly desired by JB) the Brown children have been trying to get at it. Leave the trusts as JB wished them to be, let the Brown children fend for themselves. Obviously (to me anyway) JB cared far more for his grandchildren and the other children of SC than his very own. Seeing the way his own adult children have conducted themselves since his death, I'd say ol JB was very perceptive and judged his offspring accurately.
If the trust was left for the benefit of the grandchildren's education and is so stated, the trustees have no legal voice in deciding otherwise. The probate court should be monitoring this, apparently on a daily basis in this case, and if the trustees are not acting appropriately they should be removed immediately. It's hard to understand why the probate court has allowed this circus to continue. It has been over a year now, the period in which most estates are closed, yet almost daily something new and more comedic and sadder than the day before comes to the forefront.
This young man just wants an education that HIS grandfather wanted to pay for HIM to better himself. It was JB's money and should be used how he wanted!! ckb & tdp, I know u 2 would whine if someone wouldnt allow you to use your inheiritence... especially for school which is what it was there for. How would you feel if your relatives did this to your children when you left money to pay for their education? Would you just send them a message from beyond saying get over it, get a full time job and take away from your studies and make things hard on you. Who cares ckb and tdp worked hard all their lives to provide a good education for their kids. ....Just sounds like jealousy to me... but thats just my opinion!!=)
Give him the money for his education but make him change his major. The Godfather is sick of lawyers
I agree tall1.. you put it gr8!!!
After the dust settles, the attorneys will be the only ones making any money from the estate.....If they keep everybody fighting it just means more money for them, why settle it?
The money was left for his grandkids education. The young man should have it.
TDP and CKB come on and get a life. If your grandfather left you a trust fund for your education you would want the same. There is nothing wrong with him wanting what is rightfully due to him. He is young brother with a promising future and he shouldn't be deprived of that from greedy folks that want to take everything is grandfather work hard to establish. If charity is where JB wanted his funds to go to then there it is why contest his will. STUPID IT IS. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP FORLANDO
Maybe his parents should have given him a better name and he wouldn't have any financial aid issues. Is his name a combination of For-Orlando, F-Orlando looks like the parents Fanny and Orlando had to much fun at Disney. O.K. brother bad jokes at your name expense. Please fight for your educational funds.
He should not have to get a job or loans when his grandfather left him money for the purpose of his (along with other grandkids) education. If JB wanted the money to go to his kids, he would have will it that way. Why should he get loans like the rest of us? I am sure many of us wish there was some type of inheritance for our education versus struggling to pay loans back. Forlando should continue to fight for what is rightfully his. The ones that are contesting it should get the job!
This is probably the only "Brown" that's fighting for something worthwhile than the rest who are just fighting out of greed.
Well, since the young man is a senior, he probably had been receiving money from the trust fund for his education up to this point. Maybe he was expecting that money to continue after his grandfather's death and didn't receive it. Since he is studying to become a lawyer, maybe he decided to put his knowledge into action and started poking around. Sounds like a smart kid to me!
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