Friday, April 10, 2009

Plunged Into Debt

The historic building, Bedford-Stuyvesant's Slave Theater, once a hub for black activism, is for sale - and will likely go to a retail developer, unless a community group makes an offer in the next few weeks.

Relatives of Judge John Phillips, who owned the theater until his death in 2008, were forced to put the Fulton St. building on the market a month ago to pay off more than $1.5 million in taxes and other debts owed by the estate.

Phillips was plunged into debt after he was declared mentally incompetent in 2001, and a series of court-appointed guardians allegedly squandered his assets and failed to pay taxes.

One guardian, Emani Taylor, was ordered by a court last summer to repay the estate $403,000 she took from the judge's accounts, but she is appealing the decision. Boykin said the family has seen "not a dime."

Full Article and Source:
Brooklyn retailers eye Bed-Stuy theater: 'Slave' being sold to pay $1.5M in debt

See also:
Attorney Ordered to Repay

The Kung-Fu Judge

8 comments:

StandUp said...

I am glad to see the Judge John Phillips case back in the news, altho not for this reason.

$1.5 million in taxes? The man lost over $10 mil to guardianship and the guardian didn't even pay his taxes?

Emani Taylor should be in prison as well as the other guardians in the Phillips case. And the judges who approved off all the exhorbitant fees.

wisernow said...

This is the USA????

Judge John Phillips and his heirs were prey for these evil, greedy predators.

Guardian, Emani Taylor, is going against the judges orders with an appeal so she could keep $403,000.00 that she "took"?

The heirs, the estate was left with owing more than $1.5 MILLION in taxes?

What were the court appointed bevy of guardians doing other than embezzling money?

Is the IRS reviewing all of the embezzlers tax returns to see if these crooks declared this lotto jackpot as earned or unearned income?

I certainly hope the IRS and state taxing agencies have their magnifying glasses in hand.

These greedy thieving people belong in prison post haste!

Anonymous said...

Is this the American way?

Anonymous said...

Judge Phillips was declared mentally incompetent, but was he?

I think he was guardianized to get him out of a political race.

Anonymous said...

LOL. The 'unscrupulous' attorneys stealing from their own 'brethren'! LOL
Ummmm. A Judge with a TEN million dollar estate! WOW,
I didn't realize they were paid that much (on the books, anyway!). Every Judge knows 'intimately
how corrupt their Legal Profession really is: I have no pitty for a politically appoint, politically approved and politically influenced Judge who gets raked over the coals by his own 'brethen'. Judge John Phillips, is guilty of at least 'looking the other way' to the corruption in the INjustice System If you ask me, he got his 'just desserts'! LOL

Anonymous said...

I just don't get it all of the stealing going on case after case article after article for years yet the illegal activities conitinue in the sunlight where is some meaningful action to put and end to this? Is anybody doing their jobs?

Anonymous said...

Anon has a point with a twist. What better example of the vultures in the guardianship probate racket hovering above one of their own - a judge?

Anonymous said...

I agree Anona, it's a twist to see a judge get what judges hand out. It's not a good twist, as nobody deserves that, but it's notable that a judge was victimized.

I do not believe Phillips has ever been a probate judge tho.