The wife of one of the city's most prominent entrepreneurs, Don Barden, has obtained a temporary restraining order to freeze family assets and wants him declared incompetent on claims that cancer treatments have made him incoherent.Bella Marshall, 60, Barden's wife and the chief operating officer of the Wayne County government, obtained an order from Wayne County Probate Court preserving the "financial status quo" of the marital estate.
She also asked for the appointment of a conservator to take over her 67-year-old husband's far-flung businesses. Barden's companies have held interests in cable television, real estate development and casinos.
Marshall said she anticipated her husband's release in the new year from inpatient treatment at Karmanos Cancer Institute and arranged for 24-hour home nursing care, according to one of her lawyers. But Barden never showed up.
"It's sad and pathetic," said attorney Lisa Ritchie Neilson. "She was considering making a missing person report and resisted taking any action in court. But she doesn't know where he is, who he is with or who is influencing him."
Darci McConnell, Barden's spokeswoman, denied he is incapacitated.
"Mr. Barden is both physically and mentally capable of managing his affairs, and continues to do so," McConnell said. "As this now involves a potential legal matter, as well as a personal one, we have no further comment."
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Wife Seeks to Have Detroit Businessman Don Barden Declared Incompetent
I saw the later article where the guy is fighting back. Good for him! Wife sounds like a wicked witch!
ReplyDeleteBlindly and annonymously labeling the wife a "wicked witch" belies the lack of integrity of the previous poster and the bias of the blog's author for allowing it to stand. The fact is Bella Marshall was devoted & faithful to her husband for 22 years, so only if the same can be said for his level of commitment should her actions be viewed harshly; it cannot however.
ReplyDeleteIn Oct 2008 an employee of Don Barden reported her lap-top stolen. A week later e-mails were sent to Barden Company Headquarters alleging the diary of the employee showed she was having a 5 year affair with Barden & was his paid mistress. The Bardens never commented on it publicly, but shortly after getting the e-mails his wife Bella Marshall, who had been running for mayor, quietly dropped out of the race without offering an explanation.
ReplyDeleteHard to know what is going on behind the scenes, but one thing is for sure, keeping them from communicating with each other face to face is a surefire lose-lose for every1 except those with billable hours.
ReplyDeleteThis is a shame. It sounds like the wife is protecting the money and not her husband. But, we don't know what's truly behind it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing for sure, this will be a another feast for the lawyers.
Chacterizing her as a witch might indeed be harsh GreektownDave. But I think if you've had any dealings with guardianship, you'd not be so defensive. It's not about her faithfulness or unfaithfulness to him or vice versa. Guardianship is like throwing him to the wolves.
ReplyDeleteIf they're having marital problems, that should be settled by mediation and/or divorce. Not guardianship.
This is complicated if he has a brain tumor.
ReplyDeleteThe exploitation can come from either side ........... doctors and his attorneys or vic versa ........if he is not totally capable of making decisions due to either Chemo Fog or a tumor in his brain the exploitation can come from many sources ..........
Does he have a power of attorney and healthcare proxy if so the least restrictive method should be followed ......... all the lawyers are mislead if Don Barden is intermittently incapacitated due to illness..........
Brain Cancer can make individuals not predictable.
Chemo Fog can also.
Guardianship predators love to make decisions without taking the time to understand the medical basis for the request ..........
Remember Dennis Hooper wanted to divorce his wife when he was sick........Remember Sara and Gary Harvey, Sara was the villian not, but the county made her one.
Don Barden is doing the right thing by staying away from his soon to be ex wife and anyone associated with her. She is connected to the county like steel lock jaws on a wolf. And the county attys know damn well how to pursue a fraudulent conservatorship. Every state in this country is guilty corrupt conservatorships. Don Barden will be damned if he says anything and will be damned if he does not.
ReplyDeleteThreat of a conservatorship should NEVER be taken lightly. Especially since they are in the throws of a divorce. She has thrown the gauntlet, and it was full of gasoline and gun powder.
I have personally been dealt the blow of a conservatorship during a multi million dollar divorce. The corrupt county and judges and attys cost me literally millions. As soon as the divorce was over and I had lost my civil and property rights and millions of dollars, the conservatorship was terminated. My story is one of many. Danny Tate in Tennessee is another. Conservatorships on mentally stable people and good citizens with any money is becoming a lucrative business for corrupt judges, attorneys and DAs, and now ex spouses.
If Don Barden is smart, and he obviously is, he will settle with his wife asap, or file a defamation of character suit against her.
She is using the most corrupt vehicle of this decade, a conservatorship, for money. She is indeed a wicked, and evil woman.
Don Barden needs her out of his life because she is toxic and corrupt.
Good luck to you Don.
Been there, and been done over,
Susan DeMuro