Prince had no will, Minnesota court filing confirms
CHASKA, Minn. (KMSP) - Six documents were filed in Carver County probate court Tuesday morning pertaining to the estate of Prince. The documents list 6 living heirs -- Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson and 5 half-siblings. Tyka Nelson says Prince had no known will.
"I do not know of the existence of a Will and have no reason to believe that the Decedent executed testamentary documents in any form," reads part of the filing from Tyka Nelson.
Wednesday morning, a probate court hearing was held via conference call, confirming Bremer Trust as special administrator of Prince’s estate. The hearing confirmed Prince had no will and set a next court date of Monday, May 2.
As special administrator, Bremer Trust has the authority to manage and supervise Prince’s assets, and to determine the identity of the heirs. The probate court documents identify Prince’s siblings as the following:
Tyka Nelson, sister
John Nelson, half brother
Norrine Nelson, half sister
Sharon Nelson, half sister
Alfred Jackson, half brother
Omar Baker, half brother
Lorna Nelson, half sister (deceased)
Tyka Nelson has retained the legal representation of attorneys Matthew Shea and Brian Dillon of Gray Plant Mooty in Minneapolis. The appointment of a special administrator was determined to be necessary because:
No personal representative has been appointed in Minnesota or elsewhere.
Prince had substantial assets consisting of personal and real property that requires protection.
Prince owned and controlled business interests that require ongoing management and supervision.
Prince has heirs whose identities and addresses need to be determined.
The death of Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, died Thursday, April 21 at his home at Paisley Park. He was last seen alive at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20. He did not respond to calls on Thursday morning, which prompted his friends and staff to call in a welfare check around 9:30 a.m. on April 21. Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park, according to the Carver County Sheriff's office. Deputies attempted CPR, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Prince's property
Paisley Park has an assessed value of $6.7 million, but property records obtained by Fox 9 show Prince owned 15 properties in Carver County worth nearly $30 million. The properties were held under Paisley Park, Inc. READ MORE
Music vault
Prince had recently signed a big deal with the music streaming service Tidal and reached a settlement with Warner Brothers that gave him ownership of his back catalogue. Among the treasures inside Paisley Park is the so-called vault in the basement, where Prince reportedly kept the master recordings to hundreds of unpublished songs and at least two complete albums. IN-DEPTH: Future of Prince's estate up in air
“There will be a spike in income [when] people of that ilk pass away, especially in [their] 50s,” said entertainment attorney Lee Phillip, who became Prince's lawyer when he was just 18 and represented him for more than a decade.
READ THIS NEXT - Why the City of Red Wing, MN painted over a Prince tribute