• 15
  • November
    2010

Probate court doesn't usually involve people going to jail, but it can if you take money from an estate and don't return it and don't explain your actions to the probate judge. Elizabeth Benedetto has found that out. According to her arrest warrant she owes tens of thousands of dollars to her aunt's estate and has willfully refused to pay. The probate court would like to know why she feels entitled to steal her relatives' inheritance.

In April of 2007, Benedetto's aunt, Elizabeth Kennedy, died and left her estate to Benedetto and three other relatives. The other three have never received their share of the estate.

Now Elizabeth Benedetto, 49, has been charged with grand theft and contempt of court for not responding to a probate judge's order to repay the money and then missing a court hearing to explain why. She is in jail, being held without bail.

Another of Kennedy's nieces, Cecelia, was married to George Leicht. Even though they divorced, both Leicht and Cecelia were entitled to a quarter each of Kennedy's estate.

Leicht helped Kennedy with her finances on a regular basis when Kennedy retired to Florida. They were the only two family members in Florida. Leicht took Kennedy to doctor appointments and helped her keep up her house in Lutz.

In early 2007, Kennedy got sick with a respiratory illness and never fully recovered. She died on April 1st in a nursing home.

Benedetto petitioned to be appointed the estate's representative. In her petition, she named the other beneficiaries, including her sister Cecelia, and George Leicht.

In March of 2008 Benedetto sold Kennedy's house for $120,000. That June, Circuit Judge Walter Schafer ordered her to deposit $107,000 into a trust account. When she didn't, he ordered her to appear in court to explain herself. She did not.

As a result, the judge signed an order to put Benedetto in jail.

Leicht says he is still surprised that Benedetto would act on her own and then attempt to keep all of the estate for herself. He said simply, "I didn't think she would do something like that."

Source: Tampabay.com "Woman jailed in refusal to pay back late aunt's estate" 11/12/2010