Dispute over music legend's estate moves forward

VISTA ---- The potentially arduous process of resolving disputes about the estate of music legend Ike Turner moved a step forward at a hearing Friday morning.

Superior Court Judge Richard Cline granted court-appointed administrators of the estate slightly more powers with some limitations. No assets may be sold without court approval and no contracts may be entered into without first notifying others who are challenging the estate so they have an opportunity to object, Cline ruled.

James Clayton, Turner's one-time attorney, and Colin Fort, an independent trustee with no stake in the outcome of the case, will continue to serve as co-administrators of the estate, Cline ruled.

The writer of the song widely cited as the first rock 'n' roll record ---- "Rocket 88," recorded in 1951 ---- Turner died Dec. 12, 2007, in the San Marcos home he rented. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office concluded that a cocaine overdose claimed the life of the 76-year-old musician.

A dispute over Turner's estate, the full value of which has not been determined, involves Turner's three sons, three daughters and two former wives.

Questions also remain about conflicting wills purportedly written by Turner.

Records filed with the court have estimated the estate's value at roughly $200,000. During Friday's hearing, John Ronge, an attorney for one of Turner's former wives, referred to a $675,000 estimate of the estate's value, but he called that amount "overstated."

Determining the extent of the assets Turner had, including intellectual property, is among the main responsibilities of the estate administrators.

"The proper, efficient marshaling of the assets is in the best interest of everybody," Cline said.

Dawn Cauthen, an attorney for the estate, said during the hearing that her law firm is working on intellectual property issues to maximize the estate's value and recently learned that neither Turner's name nor the name of his band had ever been trademarked.

Clayton and Fort also were given the ability Friday to begin the process of identifying and notifying potential creditors who may have a financial claim to some of the estate's assets.

Cline told the attorneys in the case Friday that his protocol is to get them to a point as soon as possible where they can participate in an alternative dispute resolution process to try to reach agreements to settle some issues.

The judge also noted during the hearing, however, that resolving the conflict over Turner's estate may take a long time.

As the hearing began Friday morning, Cline referred to "obvious hostility" among the parties involved in the case. Near the conclusion of the hearing, Cline said, "Something tells me this is going to go on for a while."