Jimmy Buffett‘s widow Jane is appealing to a court to remove co-trustee Richard Mozenter from her late husband’s trust, amid an ongoing and increasingly contentious legal battle.
Jane first filed to remove Mozenter from the trust in early June, claiming that he had been openly “hostile and adversarial” towards her since Buffett’s 2023 death, and claiming that he provided her with a shockingly low projection of what the trust would yield her each month.
That suit claimed Buffett’s trust was worth approximately $275 million.
Jane and Mozenter are in dueling lawsuits, in both Florida and California, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Each accuse the other of mismanaging the trust. They also each requested that courts remove the other as co-trustee.
Now, in lawsuits dated Monday (July 21) and obtained by People, Jane is accusing Mozenter of “wasting” the money in Buffett’s estate as he pursues “retaliatory” litigation.
The documents claim he has shown “little interest in sparing Marital Trust assets from the high cost of litigating three separate actions,” in an alleged “tactic” of draining the resources he was originally contracted to protect.
Jane’s filings also claim that Mozenter did seek approval from her as his co-trustee before using funds from the trust to pursue litigation.
Read More: Jimmy Buffett’s Widow Sues to Remove Co-Trustee From His $275 Million Estate
The Palm Beach Post reports that Mozenter’s lawsuit, which was filed shortly before Jane’s original suit, claimed that she had taken actions that cost the trust unnecessarily, and that she refused to work with Mozenter on topics such as “financial analysis, tax returns, and managing her husband’s business interests.”
But in her newest filing, Jane says that rather than respond to Mozenter’s litigation efforts, she’s asking a court to remove him from his position.
“Jane will not play into Mr. Mozenter’s hands by litigating this dispute in two separate courts across the country, which would drain the very trust money that Jimmy specifically set aside for her care,” her lawyer, Matt Porpora, says in a statement to People.
“Instead, Jane is bringing the fight to Florida, where she and Jimmy called home,” Porpora’s statement continues.
Read More: Jimmy Buffett’s Staggering Net Worth Revealed
“Jane is confident she will prevail regardless of where her claims are heard, and her decision to move her claims from California to Florida illustrates that she is the only co-trustee looking to conserve — not waste — trust assets,” Porpora adds.
Speaking to People, an unnamed source close to the situation says it’s “incredibly frustrating to see someone try to take advantage of Jane.”
“All she wants is to live the life Jimmy meant for her after he passed,” the source continues.
Who Took Control of Jimmy Buffett’s Estate After His Death?
Jimmy Buffett died on Sept. 1, 2023 at the age of 76. His cause of death was subsequently reported as skin cancer that turned into lymphoma.
Variety reports that the singer’s estate plan, most recently updated in 2023, left his wife as the sole beneficiary. Mozenter became co-trustee of the estate after his death.
The new filing indicates that Jane Buffett met with Mozenter a month after her husband died, when she asked him to provide “an analyzed projection of her future income from the trust.”
According to the documents, Mozenter didn’t return the information for 16 months, and he allegedly spent those months “stonewalling” and “making excuses.”
Buffett says that in February 2025, Mozenter gave her a projection stating that the estate would earn her under $2 million annually. Variety reports that that was a major surprise, since Margaritaville has generated $14 million over the last 18 months alone.
How Did Jane Buffett Respond?
Buffett says that prior to filing her lawsuit, she sent Mozenter a 13-page letter detailing her concerns about his role. She says she requested access to projected Margaritaville earnings, but that Mozenter only directed her to the estate’s tax return.
She also says that Mozenter warned her he had retained legal counsel to represent him in his response to her letter.
Elsewhere, Buffett’s legal documents say that Mozenter had billed the estate for $1.75 million for his services in the year before.
See Inside Jimmy Buffett’s Staggering $6.9 Million Palm Beach Mansion
The interior centers around a combined dining and living room with eye-popping vaulted ceilings topped off by skylights, while a massive wall of mahogany-framed sliding glass doors looks out over the pool area outside. The kitchen is decorated in gleaming white, and each of the bedrooms has its own attached bathroom, while the massive master suite also has sliding glass doors that open to both the pool and a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a high-end resort.
The exterior of the house is just as striking, centered around a sparkling pool of deep cobalt blue. The pool area features plenty of lounging, and a loggia just outside the living room offers open-air dining. There are lush gardens, brick paths that walk through elaborate pergolas and a fountain. The property also features a two-car garage with a guest suite overhead, and it offers deeded access to the beach nearby.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
