BOC member embroiled in family estate lawsuit

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BOC member embroiled in family estate lawsuit

Posted by

Mike Buffington

in County Government Archives, Top Stories & Breaking News

Wednesday, January 11. 2012

Comments (19)

A protracted legal battle over the $3 million estate of a late chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners wound up before the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday. The only child of Eddie Elder, who died unexpectedly and without a will in 2004, has been embroiled with his widow, Eva Elder, in a legal battle that began three years after his death. Eva Elder currently serves on the BOC.

Susan Elder Crowe already has lost in every arena – in Barrow County Probate Court and twice in both Barrow County Superior Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals – but the state’s highest court in an unusual move agreed to hear the case.

The legal fight began in 2004 when Eva Elder petitioned the probate court for a widow’s year of support. That typically is a year’s allowance from an estate to support a widow and her minor children while a will is being probated.

But Elder’s petition was for the entire $3 million estate and Crowe reportedly went along with it to protect the estate from taxes.

Three years later, however, Crowe filed a motion asking the probate judge to set aside the award, alleging that her stepmother “had fraudulently induced her to go along with it by promising to divide the estate equally among Elder, Crowe and Crowe’s three sons,” according to a Supreme Court summary of the case.

For the full story, see the Jan. 11 issue of the Barrow Journal.

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#1 my two cents on 01/11/12 at 07:14 PM [Reply]

I read this wondering why no insight is given as to the relationship between the deceased and his daughter,,, I have no idea,,,, BUT the stepmom sure seems like a GREEDY old woman and apparently underhanded as well,,,Anyone know any more about this than has been revealed in the papers?

#2 Anonymous on 01/11/12 at 07:20 PM [Reply]

It's amazing what some people will do for money. A good lawyer could easily win for the man's actual daughter and against the second wife.

#2.1 Anonymous on 01/12/12 at 06:58 AM [Reply]

Have you read any of the documents pertaining to the estate? Have you read the various courts' opinions ruling against the daughter? I suspect not. Yet you bloviate about how a "good lawyer" could "easily win." I suggest that you send your brilliant strategy to the plaintiff's attorney.

#3 Know Eva on 01/11/12 at 07:31 PM [Reply]

I've known Elder for years. I can say she has always been a back stabber and unable to believe anything she says. The fued probably stems from when Eva broke up the marriage of the daughters mother and Eddie.

#3.1 Friend of Eddies on 01/11/12 at 09:27 PM [Reply]

She can't even run her own life but yet we let her run the county.

#4 Anonymous on 01/11/12 at 11:32 PM [Reply]

As always, there is more to the story than the papers can report.

For instance, can you think of any other reasons why a child, no matter what age, should not be entrusted with a large estate?

In addition, Elder may be acting to the wishes of Mr. Elder. We don't know what he wanted. There may be reasons why he would not want his daughter entrusted with a bulk of his estate. But then it could also be the contrary.

Nonetheless, Crowe executed a legal document of some kind waiving her rights. There may have been a reason for that beyond any tax considerations.

I'm just speculating..but stay open-minded and you'll see that things are not always what they seem.

#4.1 Anonymous on 01/12/12 at 07:01 AM [Reply]

Did you NOT read the part about there being no will? If the daughter layed claim to the money at the time of her fathers death, she would have had to pay inhertance tax on that portion. By allowing Evil Elder to put it all under the widows support, or surviving spouse, they dodged the tax.

Do we REALLY want someone without morals to be a part of our county government?

#4.1.1 Anonymous on 01/12/12 at 09:53 AM [Reply]

"Dodging" inheritance tax is not immoral. Inheritance tax is, in fact, nothing but old-fashioned communism. Ralph Nader supports it, since it is designed to prevent the passing of wealth from one generation to another.
The death tax should be abolished altogether. It's a socialistic leftist tool, pure & simple.

#5 Anonymous on 01/12/12 at 06:52 AM [Reply]

A man with a $3 million estate who died intestate was an idiot. His wig must have choked his brain. His bible-thumping cost the county a hundred thousand bucks. Additionally, he should have been drummed from office for lying about who hung the Top 10. He knew and admitted as much when he stopped short of committing perjury in federal court. In the instant case, the daughter should never have signed the document. All the lower courts have held her to that standard. The law cares little for buyer's remorse when it comes to probate matters.

#6 Anonymous on 01/12/12 at 07:17 AM [Reply]

A a bible thumper, tyrant and a tax fraud ... How is that working for you Barrow?

#7 Fortitude on 01/12/12 at 09:56 AM [Reply]

I didnt like Eddie nor Eva as they were and are crooks and destryoed this county, why is she elected.

But, I will say this, if any of you had an opportunity to keep what your family had earned wouldnt you try and not pay taxes again on the money ? I bet most, if not all, would do what you could to keep as much money for yourself and not watch it be given to the government. I dont fault them for trying to keep what is theirs, unless they stole it

#7.1 Just another BOC Fraud... on 01/12/12 at 11:31 AM [Reply]

Takes the food out of his daughter's mouth...

Has NO problem taking the food out of the County Property holder's mouth...

The BOC's vote was 4-2, with commissioners Larry Joe Wilburn and Isaiah Berry voting no.

http://www.barrowjournal.com/archives/5671-BOC-adopts-tentative-mill-rate-after-error-fixed-in-calculations.html

She is not keeping what is her's... More like taking what is NOT

#7.1.1 fortitude on 01/13/12 at 12:14 AM [Reply]

I should have clarified as I was referring to another posters comment about not paying taxes on it. I agree that the money was not her's, but he should have had a will with that much at stake. $3m is alot, hope the daughter gets her share, if not, Eva is not a young chicken, those nursing homes will come in handy around here

#7.1.1.1 Anonymous on 01/13/12 at 05:23 AM [Reply]

So you think it's okay to fraud the government just because you disagree with them or their policy?

You think it's okay to not pay taxes due even if you disagree with them?

If though there was no will, there are LEGAL, LEGIT ways to get around inheritance taxes.

This IS NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WE NEED SITTING ON THE BOC

#8 Andy on 01/12/12 at 02:25 PM [Reply]

ohhhh , what a tangled web we weave, umh umh umh

#9 Anon on 01/13/12 at 06:18 AM [Reply]

Absolutely Sad. The Elders should give that 3 million back to county and kick her to the curb so can't steal it from us again. Any money the Elder's have, came from Barrow County to begin with. I have an idea, lets just make her the county manager. This county is a JOKE.

#9.1 Anonymous on 01/13/12 at 07:54 AM [Reply]

Not to defend Eva, I think she is a scoundrel from the highest order, but Eddid was a friend of mine.
Eddie worked at the office supply business for years. Stayed downtown when everybody else was bailing out. Of course he inherited some of Mr. Hill's estate to gain the wealth that he did but over the years he had farm land that belonged to his father and inherited that along with his brother. They made some decent financial decisions. That 3 million is not all in cash...most of it is in assets like land and other property. Probably not worth the 3 mill today due to the land values dropping so much...anyway, I wanted to defend Eddie and not his gold digging second wife. I hope the daughter gets her share of her fathers estate.

#9.1.1 Anonymous on 01/13/12 at 08:19 AM [Reply]

Eddie Elder was a jerk, and his daughter shouldn't have signed away her share of the estate and then changed her mind three years later. She has lost, over & over, in multiple different courts, but she has a shyster who apparently does not understand the meaning of res judicata.

#10 observer on 01/13/12 at 08:19 AM [Reply]

For the record, the Ten Commandments escapade cost the taxpayers $150,000, not $100,000.

It's time to move on from the Elders, Yearwoods, and Wilburns to more capable people.

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