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If you’re the type who lives paycheck to paycheck, this story may be hard for you to relate to.
Billboard reports that according to newly filed court papers, Aretha Franklin had nearly one million dollars’ worth of uncashed checks in her possession at the time of her death a year ago. The checks were discovered when the Queen of Soul’s possessions were inventoried.
According to Billboard, there was one check made out to Franklin’s publishing company for just under $286,000, and another check from Sound Exchange and Screen Writers Guild for just under $702,000. All told, there were just under $989,000 worth of uncashed checks.
The checks are just one part of a bigger problem, though. According to Billboard, Franklin was thought to have died without a will, in which case her four sons would have split her estate equally. But three handwritten wills were discovered nine months after her death, which are are currently being evaluated by a handwriting expert.
Meanwhile, Franklin’s niece Sabrina Owens has been named the representative for the estate; it was she who compiled the inventory. However, Franklin’s son Kecalf has formally complained that it took Owens too long to provide him and his brothers with a list of Franklin’s property — plus which, he claims, the list she provided was incomplete.
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