Danny Tate Battles for His Estate Taken Under the Guise of "Protection"

Nashville songwriter Danny Tate won back control of his life and finances last year — or what was left of them.

Now Tate is petitioning a Tennessee appeals court for the return of hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees that were paid out of his bank account during the drawn-out court battle over whether Tate was legally competent to control his own finances.

Stripped of his legal rights by a court that ruled that his use of crack cocaine had left him incapable of managing the $600,000 in his account, Tate battled the ruling for almost three years.

In May 2010, he was found competent and the conservatorship of his estate was lifted. But by then, there wasn’t much of an estate left. The money he once had in the bank was all but gone, his credit rating was in tatters and the 2010 Nashville flood had swamped his home.

“If every musician who’s ever struggled with drugs needed a conservatorship, you’d have to lock up 70 percent of Music Row,” Tate said.

“Once they clean you out, you have no ability to seek legal recourse.”

A quirk in Tennessee conservatorship laws meant attorneys on both sides of the case drew on Tate’s estate to pay their legal fees. Attorney Michael Hoskins, who represents Tate, said he is asking the appellate court for at least $176,000 in reimbursement for legal fees, although that figure could rise.

Tate estimates his estate could be billed another $250,000 to $300,000 in outstanding legal fees. The appeals court ruling could come any time in the next six to 18 months, Hoskins said.

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Nashville Musician Danny Tate Pursues Funds Lost in Court