Derzon heirs collect $100,000, sword, jewelry
The heirs to the David Derzon fortune collected $100,000, a Civil War sword and jewelry from one of the women who ran the family coin business for four years, until a judge ordered her out.
The payment by Diane Mehalko ends her role in the bitter four-year battle over the estate of Rebecca Derzon, the second wife of David Derzon.
Mehalko and Lori Laatsch, a half-sister of Rebecca Derzon, were ordered out of the Derzon Coin store in West Allis last year after Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jane Carroll ruled that they had no right to the business that they ran for about four years.
Carroll ruled that Laatsch improperly pressured Rebecca Derzon into rewriting her will five months before her death in 2008 at age 59. Laatsch had gone years at a time without seeing her half-sister, though she befriended her shortly before David Derzon died in 2007 at age 83. Rebecca Derzon's new will cut out David Derzon's two adult sons and limited the award to her half-brother. Instead, it left left 75% of the coin store to Laatsch, and Mehalko received 25% of the business that is worth more than $1 million.
The judge reinstated an earlier will that gave all of Rebecca Dezon's approximately $3 million in assets, including the business, to David Derzon's two adult sons and Derzon's half-brother.
Since then, the heirs have been demanding that Laatsch, of Hartland, return at least $1.4 million and that Mehalko, of Racine County, give back more than $640,000. Most of the money was paid to the women from 2009 to 2012 as salary, dividends or to cover the costs of the luxury cars provided to them by the business, the motion said.
Mehalko agreed to pay $100,000 because that's all she could afford without tapping her retirement funds, the settlement states. Lee Valent, Mehalko's attorney, however, argued that some of the funds paid to his client were deserved for her role in running the business and to pay some of the taxes she incurred as a shareholder of the company.
The sword and jewelry were returned in order to reduce the amount owed by Mehalko by about $10,000, Valent said. He said Mehalko had purchased the items from the business.
The Derzon heirs are continuing to try to collect from Laatsch and the law firm of Cramer, Multhauf & Hammes, which represented her during the dispute and prepared the will that was thrown out. The heirs are attempting to collect up to $4 million from Laatsch or the lawyers for Laatsch's salary plus the costs the heirs incurred during the court fight.
The payment by Diane Mehalko ends her role in the bitter four-year battle over the estate of Rebecca Derzon, the second wife of David Derzon.
Mehalko and Lori Laatsch, a half-sister of Rebecca Derzon, were ordered out of the Derzon Coin store in West Allis last year after Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jane Carroll ruled that they had no right to the business that they ran for about four years.
Carroll ruled that Laatsch improperly pressured Rebecca Derzon into rewriting her will five months before her death in 2008 at age 59. Laatsch had gone years at a time without seeing her half-sister, though she befriended her shortly before David Derzon died in 2007 at age 83. Rebecca Derzon's new will cut out David Derzon's two adult sons and limited the award to her half-brother. Instead, it left left 75% of the coin store to Laatsch, and Mehalko received 25% of the business that is worth more than $1 million.
The judge reinstated an earlier will that gave all of Rebecca Dezon's approximately $3 million in assets, including the business, to David Derzon's two adult sons and Derzon's half-brother.
Since then, the heirs have been demanding that Laatsch, of Hartland, return at least $1.4 million and that Mehalko, of Racine County, give back more than $640,000. Most of the money was paid to the women from 2009 to 2012 as salary, dividends or to cover the costs of the luxury cars provided to them by the business, the motion said.
Mehalko agreed to pay $100,000 because that's all she could afford without tapping her retirement funds, the settlement states. Lee Valent, Mehalko's attorney, however, argued that some of the funds paid to his client were deserved for her role in running the business and to pay some of the taxes she incurred as a shareholder of the company.
The sword and jewelry were returned in order to reduce the amount owed by Mehalko by about $10,000, Valent said. He said Mehalko had purchased the items from the business.
The Derzon heirs are continuing to try to collect from Laatsch and the law firm of Cramer, Multhauf & Hammes, which represented her during the dispute and prepared the will that was thrown out. The heirs are attempting to collect up to $4 million from Laatsch or the lawyers for Laatsch's salary plus the costs the heirs incurred during the court fight.
