Fox: Does 12 million dollar dog 'need a lawyer?'
 Twelve million dollars can't buy a dog happiness, Fox News reported on Monday. The gold plated water dishes, t-bone steaks, and mountains of plush toys may have to wait, as Leona Helmsley's millionaire Maltese could be spending more time in the courtroom than chasing squirrels up trees.
When the New York City hotel operator died last month at the age of 87, she left $12 million out of her $4 billion fortune to her eight-year old dog Trouble but nothing to two of her four grandchildren. Helmsley, who was known as the "queen of mean," sued the estate of her only son following his death in 1982, wiping his wife and children out financially. She was convicted of income tax evasion in 1989 after a former housekeeper testified she had heard her say, "Only the little people pay taxes."
Lawsuits are now expected from all involved, including a former Helmsley housekeeper who previously sued when the dog bit her, allegedly causing permanent nerve damage. That suit was tossed out, but defense attorney David Wohl told Fox that the housekeeper will have a much better chance if she sues the dog directly.
"So, does the dog need a lawyer?" the Fox commentator asked. "I would guess a lot of lawyers would be signing up for that gig with all that money at stake."
The following video is from Fox's America's Newsroom, broadcast on September 3.
|
