Anton Yelchin had no will
Anton Yelchin died without leaving a will.
The ‘Star Trek Beyond’ actor was killed in a freak accident in June when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards and crushed him against a security gate, and as he didn’t leave any documents stating how he wanted his possessions to be divided after his death, his parents Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin are seeking to take over his estate.
According to TMZ, the couple filed probate documents in Los Angeles County Court on Monday (01.08.16), with the paperwork stating the 27-year-old star had $641,000 in cash and personal property, as well as $731,000 in equity on his Sherman Oaks home.
Anton had no children or spouse. His parents have requested the court appoint them to be administrators of his estate.
The filing comes after it emerged Irina and Viktor are planning to sue Fiat Chrysler, which make the car, manufacturer ZF North America and car retailer chain AutoNation, for punitive damages "for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects" in the vehicle.
Their action comes weeks after a class action lawsuit was filed by owners of similar cars, who claimed they had been betrayed and suffered financial loss in the wake of Anton’s death.
The suit alleged Fiat Chrysler had been aware for at least two years that there was a defect in a shifting device on the vehicle, meaning drivers were unwittingly leaving their cars in neutral but thinking it was in park, but concealed the information.
A variety of damages were being sought in the lawsuit, including the loss in value of the vehicle as a result of the publicity surrounding the actor’s death.
The 2015 Cherokee models had previously been recalled because the e-shift transmission lacked the grooves found in other older models that allowed drivers to feel the different gears.
A recall notice stated the shift provided "poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver," which would make unintended gear selection more likely.
The 2016 models reverted to the older shifter.
