1 day ago
A Chicago judge has changeable down an effort to void a will that would see $11miilion near to an inactive time attraction company.
Cook County Judge Daniel O. Tiernan made nan determination Thursday, aft proceeding grounds from 2 men who opportunity they witnessed the precocious Joseph Stancak motion nan will nan twelvemonth earlier he passed distant astatine property 87 successful 2016.
Mansoor Afzal and Asad Mahmood said they saw Stancak, a longtime recluse who lived successful a humble five-bedroom successful Gage Park, sign nan will astatine a New York existent property agency successful 2015.
Tiernan, successful turn, approved nan will beryllium allowed into grounds successful December, citing really authorities rule required him to do so. The rule requires jurists to o.k. a will if witnesses testified they were present, and successful possession of a clear authorities of mind.
The judge, however, disclaimed nan day's proceedings were simply paving nan measurement for an inevitable ineligible conflict betwixt Stancak's 119 still-alive relatives, who laid declare to nan luck nan man amassed complete his life to beryllium divided betwixt them.
Joseph Stancak (not pictured), near down a $11million erstwhile he died successful 2016. With nary evident will, officials deemed nan luck would beryllium distributed to 119 relatives - written down successful present successful this scroll compiled by lawyers Rodney and Kenneth Piercey
Stancak lived successful nan Chicago suburb of Gage Park, wherever he seldom ventured from this humble location connected South Troy Street. A caller will was recovered location past year, sparking a now underway ineligible battle
'This is designed to beryllium a constricted hearing,' nan judge said arsenic those relatives had claimed nary will was penned astatine nan clip of Stancak's death.
'It does not preclude a much general will title later on.'
The ruling served arsenic nan latest installment successful nan now astir eight-year saga surrounding Stancak's fortune, discovered by authorities officials aft senior's decease successful December 2016.
Stancak, an unseemly man who sometimes walked down his thoroughfare pinch his hands clasped down his back, had $21,000 successful 2 Bank of America checking accounts, but had a hive of assets successful communal costs aliases individual securities.
Altogether, they amounted to much than $11million - making nan luck nan largest unclaimed property successful U.S. history, owed to an absence of an evident will.
As nan treasurer’s agency received reports of these accounts, unit frantically worked to reside nan riches of historical proportions, successfully locating more than 100 of nan man's distant relatives - including 1 female who unrecorded little than 5 miles owed westbound of Stancak’s house, but had nary thought he existed.
Each were successful statement for $100,000 payouts until nan will was presented successful tribunal this past year, paving nan measurement for a ineligible conflict of epic proportions.
It came successful nan shape of petition revenge successful June 2023 asking Tiernan to judge a recently turned-up will - 1 that near his full property to a New York company, Smart Kids Child Care Inc, and nan company’s president, Mahmood.
Cook County Judge Daniel O. Tiernan made nan determination Thursday, aft proceeding grounds from 2 men accused of forging nan recently surfaced archive successful 2015
Stancak, an unseemly man who sometimes walked down his thoroughfare pinch his hands clasped down his back, had $21,000 successful 2 Bank of America checking accounts, but had a hive of assets successful communal costs aliases individual securities. Altogether, they amounted to much than $11million - making nan luck nan largest unclaimed property successful U.S. history
As nan treasurer’s agency received reports of these accounts, unit frantically worked to reside nan riches of historical proportions, locating much than 100 of nan man's relatives for illustration Anna Madeja (middle), who lives little than 5 miles from Stancak’s house. Each were successful statement for $100,000 payouts until nan will was presented successful tribunal past year, paving nan measurement for a fight
On Thursday Mahmood elaborate his ties to nan man successful question, claiming he knew him done nan daycare's original founder's son, Afzal.
Afzal testified that his begetter knew Stancak from erstwhile his begetter lived successful Chicago successful nan precocious '80s and '90s, when they some worked arsenic electricians.
He said his begetter died nan aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic Stancak, and that he only learned of Stancak’s decease 1 week agone from Mahmood.
Mahmood told nan judge really he allegedly witnessed Stancak motion nan will only discovered precocious past twelvemonth successful his location while cleaning for a move, while claiming his daycare institution is inactive and has ne'er had a beingness location.
Afzal said Stancak sometimes visited Afzal’s begetter successful New York aft he moved location successful 2002, aft which he co-founded nan daycare company.
In 2015, he invited Afzal to witnesser nan signing of his alleged will, Afzal claimed Thursday.
'Children meant thing to him,' Mahmood added.
Tiernan went connected to o.k. nan will to beryllium entered into evidence, arsenic nan lawyer representing galore of nan heirs who were successful statement for nan plum payouts accused Mahmood of forging nan will.
One of nan men told nan judge really he allegedly witnessed Stancak motion nan will only discovered precocious past twelvemonth successful his location while cleaning for a move, while claiming his daycare institution is inactive and has ne'er had a beingness location. The lawsuit will proceed successful August
In a petition revenge this month, nan jurist, Ashley Coppola, made that argument, while citing really Stancak was successful failing wellness successful nan years earlier he died.
This, she said, would make it highly improbable he was readying to move transverse state arsenic nan brace claimed.
Gregory Markwell, nan administrator of Stancak’s property and lawyer representing Mahmood, said he would reply to nan petition by nan adjacent tribunal hearing, slated for nan first week of August.
The boy of Polish immigrants, Stancak was calved successful Chicago successful 1929. His parents moved location aft surviving successful New Jersey for 2 decades.
He had six siblings: Mary, Paul, Anna, John, Helen and Frances. Only Anna and John married, but nary of nan siblings ever had children.
Stancak's neighbors successful nan Chicago suburbs told CBS that nan aged man was quiet and frugal, often seeing him undertake location repairs by himself.
He lived connected South Troy Street astatine a modest, $325,500 home, which is listed arsenic a 5 bedroom, 2 bath, single-family location connected Redfin.
The only grounds that Stancak had immoderate benignant of wealthiness was his boat, named 'Easy,' officials said. Public records show Stancak renewed his boating licence annually for nan alloy earlier turning 80.
When he died successful 2016, first responders recovered him wearing a overgarment successful nan home’s quiet bathtub pinch power and energy turned off.
Relatives were recovered crossed nan US and Europe, and aft taxes, connected mean would person astir $60,000.
