A judge today approved the sale of a Canoga Park condominium owned by the late actor Kristoff St. John for $290,000.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deborah Christian directed that after escrow closes, the funds should be held in a trust account of David Esquibias, the attorney of St. John’s 27-year-old daughter, Paris, until the heirs are determined and the funds money can be disbursed.
The actor’s mother lived in the condominium. St. John resided in a separate rental property.
The judge also extended the authority of St. John’s father, Christopher, and Paris to continue acting as temporary special co-administrators of the actor’s estate through May 29. A permanent administrator will be selected later.
Neither Christopher St. John nor Paris St. John — who was born while the actor was married to boxer Mia St. John from 1991-95 — attended the hearing.
However, the actor’s second wife, Allana Nadal, the mother of the actor’s 16-year-old daughter, Lola, was present. Through her attorney, David
Shapiro, Nadal asked for a monthly family allowance of $8,160 in estate funds to support her daughter’s tuition, food and housing expenses. Nadal, who was married to St. John from 2001-07, also is seeking thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees.
The judge did not rule on the petition, deciding instead to appoint a lawyer on behalf of the teen to review her financial needs and provide a report to the court.
Shapiro urged the judge to take action today, saying the girl’s needs were immediate. The judge set another hearing for Jan. 28 on various issues in the case, but said Shapiro could file an emergency petition for an earlier court session on the girl’s financial issues if necessary.
In his court papers, Esquibias says Nadal has a duty as Lola’s mother to support her daughter. He also said that paying the amounts requested would deplete the estate of its funds to the detriment of Paris St. John.
Esquibias further states in his court papers that Christopher and Paris St. John are working together to try and mediate a dispute over a will the elder St. John alleges was handwritten by the actor before he died. The will states that the actor wanted his personal savings and money to be shared between Paris and Lola St. John at a split of 25% and 75%, respectively.
Dated Aug. 12, 2017, the will requests that the actor’s father be made executor of the estate.
In June, Paris St. John filed a petition challenging the validity of the will. She has also maintained a neutral third party should administer the estate.
The judge has not decided on the will’s validity.
St. John, who played Neil Winters on “The Young and the Restless” for almost 30 years, died at age 52 of hypertrophic heart failure on Feb. 3, 2018, at his Woodland Hills home.
