CANADA Canada - Billionaire Couple Barry & Honey Sherman Murdered at Home, Toronto, 15 Dec 2017 #22

[ldlager]

Apparently we need Ann B to pull the court file for us. Until we see the pleadings it is hard to determine what the case is about.

Also, from the looks of what @Lexiintoronto shared, MS is the applicant in her capacity as trustee of the Shechtman trust, not in her personal capacity. Not sure why she, as trustee, is claiming against her kids and Honey’s estate. But I’d like to see the court file to find out.

The case in question relates to the Florida condo occupied by MS I believe, and I believe that I read about this case a few months ago in searching for info on the Florida condo online.

I believe that some or all of the reported 19 or so properties in the Toronto area reportedly owned by “Mary” are in fact owned by the Schechtman Trust. I have long suspected that there is a dispute over the ownership these properties, as it seems that HS and MS may have been Trustees, and I don’t know what happens in the Trust documents if one of the Trustees dies, and whether the Trustees of HS estate have moved to appoint a new Trustee to replace HS. I also don’t know who the beneficiaries are, although it seems Noah may be arguing arguing the Schechtman kids are.

In any event, it would appear to be an ugly mess, and there seemingly is no love lost between the Sherman children and Noah on one hand, and MS on the other hand. Ms afaik is still living in a multimillion dollar house in Toronto, so her claims about having little or no money ring hollow IMO. MOO

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Apparently we need Ann B to pull the court file for us. Until we see the pleadings it is hard to determine what the case is about.

Also, from the looks of what @Lexiintoronto shared, MS is the applicant in her capacity as trustee of the Shechtman trust, not in her personal capacity. Not sure why she, as trustee, is claiming against her kids and Honey’s estate. But I’d like to see the court file to find out.

We can request the files, but wouldn’t be able to post them here because we cannot provide a link to the content. So, you’re right, we need AB or KD or someone.

The CBC touched on the topic (note: I fixed some of the typos):

“KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: Honey didn't just support her sister's family emotionally. She supported them financially. But when Honey and Barry died, another family was about to be ripped apart over their money.

SOUNDCLIP
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: Wonder if we're going to get a copy of a court file that is active is this, do we have to fill anything out?
UNNAMED: Yes. What year is the file?
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: What year is 2021? Producer Michelle Shephard and I are at a courthouse in Toronto where civil cases are filed.
MICHELLE SHEPHERD: So we wrote the number statement of claim defense in my email. That's all you need?
UNNAMED: Yes. Yes. Then I can email them to you.
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: Okay, great. Thank you. Thanks for your time.
UNNAMED: They're responding.
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: As soon as we walk off the elevator and back on the street, an email from the clerk arrives. I can't believe that they sent that to us so quickly.

SOUNDCLIP
MICHELLE SHEPHERD: We're just out of the building.
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: Yeah, that was very fast.
MICHELLE SHEPHERD: Honestly, court records never so quickly.
KATHLEEN GOLDHAR: We sit on the steps of a nearby building and open up the file. Two files, actually a statement of claim and one of defense. It was filed in June 2021, and it's ugly involving Mary, her husband Alan, and their son, Noah.

'Honey Sherman created the trust as a tax effective means for Mary to accumulate wealth'. In January 2000, Honey set up a fund for her sister's kids. They called it the Shechtman Children Family Trust. Mary and Honey were incredibly close as sisters and best friends throughout Honey's life. Honey and Barry contributed funds to the trust. However, Mary and Alan were responsible for managing the trust and utilizing its assets to build wealth.

The trust is made up of numerous properties in Toronto, worth millions of dollars. Noah argues that his mother and father hurt him when they transferred 15 of the properties to either themselves or their two other children. Noah seems to have gotten nothing. Honey intended that Mary could take advantage of the capital and Honey and Barry could contribute. Grow the trust assets and in turn benefit as Mary saw fit and the value so created.

Honey intended that Mary and Allen would have the final say in how the wealth Mary accumulated was distributed, Mary, her husband, Allen and Noah's siblings countered, and that they hadn't breached any agreement. In other words, the defense argues that Honey didn't specify how her sister could distribute the money.

The tensions between Noah and his mother are laid out in the court documents. In them, Noah states that his relationship with the trustees, particularly his mother, Mary, has been fractious for many years and that quote, 'Mary has displayed an open animus and hostility towards Noah'. The Shechtman family uses the same words to describe Noah that, quote ‘Noah has displayed an open animus and hostility towards Mary’. So they're seeking 40 million. Wow. Breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust. Once again, the Sherman's money is tearing families apart, just like it does in the TV show Succession. That much money is not good for any family.

Relationships between parents and their grown children are complicated enough. Add in millions and millions of dollars and you can see how distrust and animosity can take over and tear any family apart. It certainly makes for good TV, but in real life, it's tragic. I wonder who the Shermans and their families would have been if Barry had not been so successful.”

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/the-no-good-terribly-kind-wonderful-lives-and-tragic-deaths-of-barry-and-honey-sherman-ep-4-transcript-1.6793336

ETA: I went down the Shechtman lawsuit rabbit hole, but it started with me looking for the lawsuit involving Mulazim Hussain, the Apotex employee that was fired and charged with stealing intellectual property from Apotex. I couldn’t find that lawsuit.

 

[AddyFinch]

We can request the files, but wouldn’t be able to post them here because we cannot provide a link to the content. So, you’re right, we need AB or KD or someone.

The CBC touched on the topic (note: I fixed some of the typos):




ETA: I went down the Shechtman lawsuit rabbit hole, but it started with me looking for the lawsuit involving Mulazim Hussain, the Apotex employee that was fired and charged with stealing intellectual property from Apotex. I couldn’t find that lawsuit.

Darn those rabbit holes!! But it’s often a fascinating ride.
Great sleuthing all!

 

[AndrewM71]

I’ve seen some of the lawsuit documents, it relates to way more than the Florida condo. That’s a separate single asset trust and not that important in the big picture.

When Mary was asked to provide an accounting of the trust for the 21 year rule, she liquidated the assets, which doesn’t scream prudent and thoughtful management.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I’ve seen some of the lawsuit documents, it relates to way more than the Florida condo. That’s a separate single asset trust and not that important in the big picture.

When Mary was asked to provide an accounting of the trust for the 21 year rule, she liquidated the assets, which doesn’t scream prudent and thoughtful management.

You read part of the current lawsuit? What can you tell us about it? (If anything.)

She sold off the properties? 15 seem to have been dispursed or sold. I had wondered why she hadn’t sold off one home if she felt she was in a financial bind, but I don’t understand why she didn’t simply downsize like most people.

 

[dotr]

Thanks! I think I understand why Honey’s estate has been brought into it now. Honey was a co-trustee. From Ann Brocklehurst’s substack, the 2014 lawsuit against the Shechtman trust:
View attachment 449148

Honey testified that the proceeds of the fund went straight into one of Mary’s bank accounts, and Honey didn’t have access or know the details about the account activity.

View attachment 449150
View attachment 449151
View attachment 449152
Honey’s testimony starts on page 73 from this part of the court transcripts:

View attachment 449153

So Noah is now claiming that Mary misused the trust’s funds. Honey’s estate has now been named because she was a co-trustee (and either the main or sole benefactor), imo. And Mary is claiming Honey didn’t specify how the trust was to be distributed. Maybe Honey’s trustees will have to answer that, if they are able to.

This part of the Bloomberg article may be relevant to the above, imo:

“But the children ended up severing links with Shechtman, their mother’s closest confidant. Money was one of the main causes of the estrangement. Soon after the murders, according to people with knowledge of the matter and correspondence seen by Businessweek, Shechtman began claiming that Honey had intended to leave her hundreds of millions of dollars—much or even all the money Sherman had been moving to transfer to his wife. Shechtman repeated the claim over the following months and also requested other assets, including jewelry and real estate. Honey “wanted me and my children to get everything of hers,” Shechtman wrote in one email. “She knew the value of her entire estate would be minimal compared to what you and your siblings would inherit and none of you would need it financially.” (A representative for Shechtman declined to comment.)

Even if the transfer to Honey had occurred, she appears not to have had a will; none has been located. The money Shechtman said she was due was part of what the children were inheriting. Not surprisingly, they declined to give it to her.”

Mary doesn’t have reasonable grounds to sue Honey’s estate if no will was found, there’s no basis for her to claim she was entitled to anything, imo. I’m wondering if the lawsuit over the trust may become a cold war battleground between her and the Sherman trustees.

Lexi thank you for all the awesome links and information, gobbled it up even though it exposes a disgusting level of greed of many orbiting in the Sherman circle, imo, speculation.

 

[AndrewM71]

You read part of the current lawsuit? What can you tell us about it? (If anything.)

She sold off the properties? 15 seem to have been dispursed or sold. I had wondered why she hadn’t sold off one home if she felt she was in a financial bind, but I don’t understand why she didn’t simply downsize like most people.

Downsizing doesn’t really apply for rental properties.

She sold them off because the trust was facing the 21 year deemed disposition rule and she didn’t want to deal with it. The litigant son had been pressing for a formal accounting and documentation and she couldn’t/didn’t want to cope with it.

 

[MerlinFalcon]

You read part of the current lawsuit? What can you tell us about it? (If anything.)

She sold off the properties? 15 seem to have been dispursed or sold. I had wondered why she hadn’t sold off one home if she felt she was in a financial bind, but I don’t understand why she didn’t simply downsize like most people.

You and I and most people think rationally about downsizing but someone like MS who has been given so much wouldn't think that way. Rich people don't think like most of us.

 

[RHR]

Wasn't BS going to FL in order to start his new pet project which was that drug production lab in Miramar?

Ask KD?

I looked back and it is his hand. I looked at other photos of his hands.

 

[Bobbi Pearl]

I feel certain that that call from Doug Hendler was supposed to be a conference call between B and H and DH. That is probably why Honey told Barry that he had to be home early. DH'S call coming in on Barry's cell at one minute after 9pm just seems so perfect for getting stuff done before they left for Florida.

But why did HS ask BS to be home early that particular night And why did BS oblige and come home early?

I expect that BS did many conference calls or 3 way cell phone calls on his Blackberry, or his office line, why did he need to physically be home for a phone call?

With HS request to BS and the timing of the call, it is curious to me.

 

[RHR]

But why did HS ask BS to be home early that particular night And why did BS oblige and come home early?

I expect that BS did many conference calls or 3 way cell phone calls on his Blackberry, or his office line, why did he need to physically be home for a phone call?

With HS request to BS and the timing of the call, it is curious to me.

Maybe because they were making changes HS want to make sure they were in the same room to discuss with him. It's a big deal to make changes to wills etc. I would want to be in the same room as my spouse when finalizing something like that.

 

[AndrewM71]

But why did HS ask BS to be home early that particular night And why did BS oblige and come home early?

I expect that BS did many conference calls or 3 way cell phone calls on his Blackberry, or his office line, why did he need to physically be home for a phone call?

With HS request to BS and the timing of the call, it is curious to me.

Maybe because they were making changes HS want to make sure they were in the same room to discuss with him. It's a big deal to make changes to wills etc. I would want to be in the same room as my spouse when finalizing something like that.

I’m also not so certain that those three people could reliably set up a conference call without assistance, and 9 pm is well past business hours.

 

[RHR]

Thanks Lexi. Excellent sleuthing.
MS is certainly something else!

Thanks! I think I understand why Honey’s estate has been brought into it now. Honey was a co-trustee. From Ann Brocklehurst’s substack, the 2014 lawsuit against the Shechtman trust:
View attachment 449148

Honey testified that the proceeds of the fund went straight into one of Mary’s bank accounts, and Honey didn’t have access or know the details about the account activity.

View attachment 449150
View attachment 449151
View attachment 449152
Honey’s testimony starts on page 73 from this part of the court transcripts:

View attachment 449153

So Noah is now claiming that Mary misused the trust’s funds. Honey’s estate has now been named because she was a co-trustee (and either the main or sole benefactor), imo. And Mary is claiming Honey didn’t specify how the trust was to be distributed. Maybe Honey’s trustees will have to answer that, if they are able to.

This part of the Bloomberg article may be relevant to the above, imo:

“But the children ended up severing links with Shechtman, their mother’s closest confidant. Money was one of the main causes of the estrangement. Soon after the murders, according to people with knowledge of the matter and correspondence seen by Businessweek, Shechtman began claiming that Honey had intended to leave her hundreds of millions of dollars—much or even all the money Sherman had been moving to transfer to his wife. Shechtman repeated the claim over the following months and also requested other assets, including jewelry and real estate. Honey “wanted me and my children to get everything of hers,” Shechtman wrote in one email. “She knew the value of her entire estate would be minimal compared to what you and your siblings would inherit and none of you would need it financially.” (A representative for Shechtman declined to comment.)

Even if the transfer to Honey had occurred, she appears not to have had a will; none has been located. The money Shechtman said she was due was part of what the children were inheriting. Not surprisingly, they declined to give it to her.”

Mary doesn’t have reasonable grounds to sue Honey’s estate if no will was found, there’s no basis for her to claim she was entitled to anything, imo. I’m wondering if the lawsuit over the trust may become a cold war battleground between her and the Sherman trustees.

i have an account and can see the cases and dates etc but how do i find the details?

 

[FromGermany1]

Lexi thank you for all the awesome links and information, gobbled it up even though it exposes a disgusting level of greed of many orbiting in the Sherman circle, imo, speculation.

No wonder, they all with patience left BS being an extremely intelligent nerd (pharmacy or litigations or both), with looong workings hours, a bit socially akward, as he brought giant wealth to all his "followers", and he did it with all his heart and all the time, he breathed. Except JK, it seems, that all the beneficiaries fleeced BS without ceasing (and even tried cupping each other). IMO

 

[Bobbi Pearl]

I think this makes her a little more suspicious in everything. Alex talks about JS and AP being money hungry but they aren't alone. I expect Dennis Curry will be all over this but I would prefer KD as he is really good at digging

We also read in past posts and articles that Noah had asked HS for $$ to buy clothes and MS was angry as she already said no and that he had thousands of dollars in shoes he never wore in his room.

IMO Mary is not acting suspicious I think she lost her best friends and does not know how to live without them. I think MS was frugal like her sister and Barry, I think the kids are not so thoughtful in what or how they spend Barry’s money.

I also think Mary and her husband being so close to Honey and Barry BEFORE Barry was so wealthy, we’re treated very well as he grew his fortune, they would have been his supporters as he built APOTEX.

IMO none of the children helped or supported Barry to get where he was, but Honey, Mary and her husband did. They may have deserved more than us outsiders think.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Downsizing doesn’t really apply for rental properties.

She sold them off because the trust was facing the 21 year deemed disposition rule and she didn’t want to deal with it. The litigant son had been pressing for a formal accounting and documentation and she couldn’t/didn’t want to cope with it.

I was thinking of her downsizing her family’s Forest Hill home.

I hadn’t heard of the 21 deemed disposition rule before, that’s interesting.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

i have an account and can see the cases and dates etc but how do i find the details?

From googling it, it looks like you have to contact the records office:

Requests to view court files can be initiated as follows:

1. In-person or through an agent at the Records Office public counter (located on the Concourse Level of Osgoode Hall)
2. By phone: 416-327-6658
3. By e-mail: E-file@ontario.ca
4. By fax: 416-327-2213

Court of Appeal for Ontario Records Office - Court of Appeal for Ontario

Notice Regarding Viewing Court Files in the Records Office Effective September 21, 2020, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has...

www.ontariocourts.ca

 

[Bobbi Pearl]

Maybe because they were making changes HS want to make sure they were in the same room to discuss with him. It's a big deal to make changes to wills etc. I would want to be in the same room as my spouse when finalizing something like that.

I would too, but IMO Barry lead and Honey followed his decision. If she wanted her own will she did not need Barry to be involved.

Now if the discussion was to change BS will that included Honey and her new assets that is different .

looking at the bio of Douglas Hendler on Blaney.com site, he covers corporate & Commercial, corporate finance & Securities and Real Estate. His strength is as a business advisor, structuring business deals I don’t think he does wills Persay, but the last sentence is a WOW for me:

from the Blaney website

Doug represents a number of entrepreneurial clients. His practice is corporate/commercial in nature and transaction-oriented. It includes drafting and negotiating many types of complex documents and agreements; the structuring of business transactions; corporate reorganizations of businesses; assisting and advising with respect to domestic, cross-border and multi-jurisdiction transactions, planning issues and succession planning; the purchase, sale and financing of businesses; the acquisition, leasing, financing and sale of commercial and residential real estate developments and properties; the development of condominium projects; the registration of condominiums and the sale or leasing of the condominium units, as well as advising and assisting with respect to the ongoing operations of condominium corporations.
Doug also acts with respect to the negotiation and completion of complex real estate and commercial financing transactions on behalf of both institutional and private lenders and borrowers, both domestic and cross-border.


My Holy Cow ……. In addition, he acts as an advisor for and lawyer to individuals and families in the planning of their personal and business affairs, including succession and estate planning.



Www.blaney.com/lawyers/douglas-hendler

 

[FPoulet]

I would too, but IMO Barry lead and Honey followed his decision. If she wanted her own will she did not need Barry to be involved.

I think in families of immense wealth like this, it is standard for wills and estate planning to be done as a family/couple. I do not see Honey “not needing” Barry to be involved. MOO.

There is no doubt that the timing of all of this is intriguing, to say the least.

I just wish we knew how much, if anything, Hendler has shared. And also: how much is evidenced by the emails the police possess from Honey and Barry vs the emails that were deep-sixed in the context of review for privilege.

 

[AndrewM71]

I said this before - I would imagine that Honey would need Barry to delineate the legal and beneficial ownership of their assets and whether they were owned personally/jointly, via shares in a closely held corporation, or a trust. He could also clarify that in the event he predeceased Honey, she would not actually inherit from his estate as it would form a testamentary trust with her as the sole beneficiary.

I don’t get the wow for the last sentence of a bio - he helps with succession planning and that’s what he was doing.