Aretha Franklin’s sons awarded real estate on basis of handwritten will
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Aretha Franklin’s sons have been awarded ownership of the late singer’s former homes on the basis of a handwritten will which was found down the back of her sofa months after she died.
Judge Jennifer Callaghan on Monday divided the musician’s real estate assets between her four sons on the basis of the 2014 handwritten will, which a jury decided in July should take precedence over a 2010 version found in a locked cabinet, NPR reports.
Her suburban Detroit home, described in court as the “crown jewel” of her estate, will go to her son Kecalf Franklin, the judge ruled. The home was valued at $1.1 million in 2018 but is now believed to be worth more.
The proceeds from the sale of another Detroit house, which was sold before the 2014 will emerged, will go to her son Ted White II, who had sought to persuade the court to uphold the 2010 will.
A third son, Edward Franklin, was awarded another property. A fourth property which was not addressed in the 2014 will should be sold and the proceeds equally divided, the judge said.
The probate proceedings continue but the most significant legal issues have now been dealt with.
Famed for hits like Respect and I Say a Little Prayer, Ms Franklin – known as the ‘Queen of Soul’ – passed away in 2018.
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