Family battle over Mickey Rooney’s estate finally ends

A judge Thursday admitted the late Mickey Rooney’s will to probate after the last of his biological children dropped her objections.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan also appointed Rooney’s former conservator, attorney Michael Augustine, as the administrator of the estate.

Rooney died in April 2014 at age 93. Lawyer Scott Ayers, who represented several of Rooney’s biological children, filed court papers last year stating that his clients were concerned the that all of the actor’s belongings were left to one of his stepsons, Mark Aber, who resided with the diminutive former screen star in Studio City when he died.

The amount of assets listed in the will was at $18,000. However, lawyer Richard Petty, who represented Rooney before he died, said the actor’s estate also will receive royalties from his movie career and that he also owned Hollywood memorabilia.

Petty said he was pleased that Kelly Rooney, the final biological child of the actor to hold out and object to the will, was no longer challenging the document. He said some of the royalties sent to Rooney’s estate are being used to pay tax debts of the late actor.

However, Janice Rooney, who was married, but living apart from the former child star when he died, told the judge she still wants an accounting done of Rooney’s property to make sure she is not denied any share of her community property.

“It has to be done, it’s serious,” Janice Rooney said.

The 76-year-old woman said outside the courtroom that she also wants the acting award memorabilia Rooney received during his career. She said she and Rooney never legally separated and that the actor expressed through mutual acquaintances that he wanted to see her more often during his final days.

Petty said all of the issues being raised now by Janice Rooney were previously covered in her settlement agreement with her late husband.

Another Rooney stepson, Christopher Aber, also appeared in court Thursday, but did not address the judge. He is the son of Janice Rooney and the  brother of Mark Aber.

Christopher Aber and his wife, Christine, agreed to pay $2.8 million to settle an elder abuse lawsuit brought against them on Rooney’s behalf. But in a separate lawsuit, the couple’s insurance company has denied any obligation to pay the amount.

— Wire reports