Troubles between the family and the management

[Geoffrey]

dar wrote:
>If Kory betrayed LC after his death to line his and his children's pockets it is the height of betrayal.

most certainly, dar - and yet perhaps there is also an upside to this 'betrayal'. despite the negative nature of this sorry affair, leonard's name is being kept unintentionally alive by appearing in media headlines. of course the quality of his work will ensure that he will long be remembered and revered, but having him turning up in the international news due to no fault of his own can only be a bonus. remember, judas' betrayal of jesus was also motivated by money, and the upshot of it all was the launch of a new religion - although maybe that is a bad example

so anyway, it is sad in some ways, as several people here have pointed out - but maybe not completely. history confirms that fate sometimes acts in a strange way. i am not applauding people who behave despicably, but if leonard's earlier manager had not stolen from him he would unlikely have toured again, and we would have been cheated of many superb concerts.

there are two sides to every story, but being the naive person that i am tend to believe each side that is told to me. leonard never gave the impression of being a vengeful person - and i cannot imagine he would wish ill will on anyone. so let us not be afraid to voice our opinions, while at the same time hope that the upcoming court case arrives at a friendly conclusion on which the parties involved can agree. some kind of compromise must surely be possible.

good of you to write, dar. always lovely to be in touch with you - and thank you for the items that you sent me xxx

[its4inthemorning]

and yet perhaps there is also an upside to this 'betrayal'

G, back in early 2000 I posted a 2-part essay on the "Along the Way" thread about "The Inadvertent Gifts" that Kelly Lynch's betrayal of Leonard bestowed on his fans. All of Leonard's later concerts were a large component of those gifts, and in writing that essay I came up with a remarkable fact: Leonard performed 868 concerts over his career, and 371 of them (42%) were performed after he attained age 73 and would never have occurred had Kelly Lynch not caused him to come out of retirement.

4

[lizzytysh]

I've just read through all of this thread. Not too long before the trial begins, unless it gets settled out of court. For when we saw Leonard in Vegas, I chose Kory for my personal letter of appreciation and gratitude. I haven't read any of the documents and I'm not inclined to. Reading the comments of those here who have is enough. It's truly unbelievable to me that Kory would have forged Leonard's signature for his own purposes. Praying I'm right in that. If I'm wrong, karma has a way of exacting its own revenge. Innocent until proven guilty is my stance for now.

[RainDog1980]

If it is true, it’s particularly sad because I remember LC’s trepidation and Kory’s enthusiasm about representing him.

I’m glad Adam and Lorca are at least keeping their eye on things.

[Geoffrey]

lizzytysh wrote:
>It's truly unbelievable to me that Kory would have forged Leonard's signature for his own purposes.

agree with you, lizzy. we'll have to wait until the precise details are revealed.
having said that, it's not really right to forge someone's signature under any circumstances, whether for one's own purposes or otherwise.

[HugoD]

let's hope this unsavory business is over soon. There is a signal to that effect. See on the website of the relevant court that the informal hearing that was scheduled for the 10th has been canceled at the request of 1 of the parties. The formal hearing is scheduled for the 22nd, if that is also canceled in the next few days I think a settlement has been made. But perhaps the wish is father to the thought....

[Geoffrey]

let's hope this unsavory business is over soon. There is a signal to that effect.

yes, it would be nice if this could be resolved in a good, constructive way and they didn't end up hating each other.

[lizzytysh]

My position, until I have more concrete and reliable information, remains IF Kory forged Leonard's signature.

Allegations are still only allegations.

As people age, and become in failing health, the declines *often* register in people's signatures. I remember being shocked by the changes in my mother's handwriting.

[Geoffrey]

My position, until I have more concrete and reliable information, remains IF Kory forged Leonard's signature.

Allegations are still only allegations.

As people age, and become in failing health, the declines *often* register in people's signatures. I remember being shocked by the changes in my mother's handwriting.

so true, lizzy. this digital age has also contributed to a deterioration in people's handwriting.
mr kory and leonard were good friends, by all accounts. i am sure this matter will soon be cleared up and those involved can give each other a big hug

[lizzytysh]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm hoping for... what you've just said. Even if not a hug, at least a genuinely cordial atmosphere between them that may help facilitate a rebuilding of trust.

[WillAnderson]

My position, until I have more concrete and reliable information, remains IF Kory forged Leonard's signature.

Allegations are still only allegations.

As people age, and become in failing health, the declines *often* register in people's signatures. I remember being shocked by the changes in my mother's handwriting.

There is no question that the documents were forged. Kory's attorney admitted this under oath in deposition. The only question is how culpable Kory is personally for the forgery. Kory's attorney is the person who physically forged the documents; Kory claims he was unaware of what his attorney was doing.

This is from the deposition; the Cohens' attorney is the questioner and Kory's (now former) attorney Reeve Chudd is the answerer:

Q. Now, Leonard Cohen did not sign this version of the restatement of the Leonard Cohen Family Trust; correct?

A. That is correct.

Q. And if you take a look at the next page, PET 1-28, you see your notarization of Leonard Cohen’s signatures, right?

A. Yes.

Q. You did not notarize Leonard Cohen’s signatures to this version of the restatement of the Leonard Cohen Family Trust, right?

A. Yes. It was a horrible mistake on my part to create this document.

Q. Obviously, Leonard Cohen never knew about the existence of Exhibit 1; correct?

A. Correct.

Q. Because you created this document after Leonard Cohen’s death; correct?

A. That is correct.

Q. How did you physically create this document?

A. I substituted pages in the original document.

Q. Which pages did you substitute?

A. I’m not sure but obviously the one containing 3.2.

Q. Did you draft the page with paragraph 3.2 that we just looked at in Exhibit 1 after Leonard Cohen’s death?

A. Yes, I did.

[Geoffrey]

WillAnderson wrote:
>The only question is how culpable Kory is personally for the forgery. Kory's attorney is the person who physically forged the documents; Kory claims he was unaware of what his attorney was doing.

it is a little unclear, but i could not see anywhere that mr kory's attorney admitted to forging documents or a signature, only that he mistakenly notarised (endorsed) them. this all seems a little foggy, so would hesitate to point a finger in any specific direction. it's an interesting case, to be sure.

[lizzytysh]

Clearly, that's new information for me, as I have not read the documents. Nothing is clear.

[WillAnderson]

it is a little unclear, but i could not see anywhere that mr kory's attorney admitted to forging documents or a signature, only that he mistakenly notarised (endorsed) them. this all seems a little foggy, so would hesitate to point a finger in any specific direction. it's an interesting case, to be sure.

Chudd "created" a document naming Kory as the primary trustee of the estate, which he then "substituted" into the original document—as in, he removed a page and replaced it with the document he created naming Kory the primary trustee. Even Kory has said that Chudd "modified the document unbeknownst to anybody."

It's a textbook case of forgery, and Chudd is in deep trouble. It's just a matter of whether he goes down alone or Kory goes down with him.

[Geoffrey]

WillAnderson wrote:
>Chudd "created" a document naming Kory as the primary trustee of the estate, which he then "substituted" into the original document—as in, he removed a page and replaced it with the document he created naming Kory the primary trustee. Even Kory has said that Chudd "modified the document unbeknownst to anybody."
>
>It's a textbook case of forgery, and Chudd is in deep trouble. It's just a matter of whether he goes down alone or Kory goes down with him.

thank you for this. it does not state anywhere why a qualified and competent attorney such as mr chudd would do such a thing - unless it was merely to receive a handsome payment for his service. if it can be proven that he was following mr kory's instructions, then they are both complicit. these are apparently two gentlemen well versed in the intricacies of law and the importance of reading through legal documents, not bungling amateurs, so one can disregard poor excuses such as mistakes or misunderstandings. what a carry on!