Lehman to pay over $2 million

PANAMA. The case of the American millionaire, Wilson Charles Lucom, who left $50 million to the poor children of Panama, has taken another twist.

The executor of Lucom’s will, Richard S. Lehman was ordered by a Florida court to pay over $2 million in damages and court fees to the estate of the deceased millionaire.

Lucom’s will has been in dispute since he died in June 2006 and Lehman declared himself as the sole executor of the millionaire properties in Panama, although the last will and testament clearly appointed, Hilda Piza Lucom, the wife of the deceased and Christopher Rudy as co-executors.

According to the Palm Beach court, Florida, Lehman failed to give notice to the interested parties of the Panama proceedings and as a consequence he was appointed sole executor on July 5, 2006.

That decision was appealed by Hilda Lucom on July 18, 2006 and according to the court, that appointment was automatically null and void. Furthermore Lehman was not serving properly as executor of the Panama estate.

The U.S. court got involved in the case after Piza Lucom asked the court to declare void Lehman’s appointment as sole executor.

Lehman had been declared sole executor in Florida and obtained letters of administration, where Lucom had money and property.

The judgment of the court added that Lehman used those letters to withdraw and spend most of the money ($655,241.23) that Lucom had in a Florida bank, abusing his authority, although he was required to account for such assets. He tried to do the same in Panama, but was denied access and the tribunals in the country told him that he was not entitled to administer any money of properties belonging to Lucom. Lehman spent $608,665.58 of Lucom’s estate in legal fees fighting Piza Lucom.

The lawyer will have to pay over $2 million to Lucom’s estate and the Palm Beach verdict could have an adverse effect in the probate case in Panama, currently awaiting a Supreme Court hearing.