Tauck V. Tauck: No End In Sight

Nancy Tauck


Peter Tauck

July 1, 2007: Rancor And Riches

Tauck V. Tauck: No End In Sight

In Record-Long Divorce Case, Wife Is Told To Complete Four-Week Alcohol Treatment Program

By LYNNE TUOHY | Courant Staff Writer
July 21, 2007

After three additional days of hearings this week in the record-length Tauck v. Tauck divorce case, the question of the "reasonableness" of $11 million spent to date on attorneys and expert witnesses is no closer to being resolved.

But Peter Tauck prevailed on several key custody and financial issues.

Superior Court Judge Holly Abery-Wetstone Friday severely limited Nancy Tauck's access to her children until she completes a four-week, inpatient alcohol treatment program. If Nancy Tauck refuses treatment, she will only be able to see the couple's four minor children - all between the ages of 5 and 10 - for one hour a week, in a visit supervised by parenting professionals.

Evidence showed Nancy Tauck failed an alcohol test administered June 26, the day after the marathon, 82-day divorce trial ended. This week's three-day hearing has further cemented the case's status as the lengthiest divorce trial in state history. Matrimonial law experts believe it has set a national record as well.

The length of the trial is due in large part to Nancy Tauck's allegations two years ago that Peter Tauck had child pornography on his laptop computer, and that he had molested two of their children. There was no substantiation of the second claim. More startling, as the trial unfolded, was the admission of considerable evidence suggesting Nancy Tauck "set up" her husband by downloading the images onto the laptop while he was in Tahiti. She filed for divorce two days after his return from that May 2005 trip.

Based on the severity of the original allegations and Nancy Tauck's contention that her husband was a flight risk because he faced a potential federal indictment and prison time, a judge in 2005 issued a prejudgment remedy freezing up to $20 million of Peter Tauck's assets to pay for attorneys' fees and other expenses. Abery-Wetstone, who has stated during the case that Peter Tauck could not have downloaded the questionable images, Thursday dissolved that prejudgment order and restored his access to those remaining assets, which now amount to about $4.5 million.

The couple had been operating under a "bird nesting" custody arrangement, in which the children remain in the family's Westport home and each parent cycles in and out of the home on an equal-time basis. A standing court order stated that if either party failed an alcohol test, that parent had to vacate the home and stay away from the children until further order of the court.

Nancy Tauck, 47, has been out of the home since the positive alcohol test results were received on July 9. Abery-Wetstone's ruling was in response to Nancy Tauck's motion to restore access to her children, and a motion filed by Peter Tauck's lawyers to hold her in contempt for both the test results and her failure to obey a court order to supply the attorney for the minor children, Gaetano Ferro, with verification of her attendance at AA meetings.

Ferro, who was appointed by the court to represent the children, described as "incredible" and "absurd" Nancy Tauck's insistence that she had nothing to drink on June 26 and that she had faxed AA verifications to his office on a regular basis.

"It's very frustrating dealing with someone like this," Ferro argued Friday. He cited reports by parenting supervisors who oversee Nancy Tauck's contact with her children that she doesn't put her children to bed at night and doesn't wake them up in the morning, delegating those and other activities to the supervisors.

"I think you reinstate some access," Ferro told Abery-Wetstone. "I don't think you reinstate full access. I don't think you give overnight access."

Abery-Wetstone said Nancy Tauck had also violated the court's orders by not attending a sufficient number of AA meetings and by having the children sleep in her bed.

"Your children need a mother who is physically and mentally well," the judge told her. "That's not the case right now. You need to get better."

Nancy Tauck wept as the hearing wrapped up with briefing schedules and the next hearing set for Aug. 13. Peter Tauck, 50, was not present for the judge's ruling. He had been given permission to leave after the morning session to drive the oldest son to overnight camp.

The August hearing on attorneys' fees is expected to be equally contentious.

Nearly $50 million in assets is at stake in the case, most of it rooted in Peter Tauck's stock in his family's luxury travel business, Tauck Tours.

Attorney Tom Colin, representing Peter Tauck, claims Nancy Tauck "and her agents of destruction" set up Peter Tauck. Colin claims that her lawyers' fees for plying that allegation should not be paid by his client - "the victim" - and that she should be held liable for any fees Peter Tauck incurred defending himself against those allegations.

Nancy Tauck's lawyer, Reuben Midler, at the outset of the hearing on Wednesday asked for a mistrial or a continuance, based on his perception that Peter Tauck's lawyers had directed claims of "litigation misconduct" against him and his co-counsel.

"This is an out-and-out attack on counsel," Midler argued.

Abery-Wetstone refused to declare a mistrial or continue the case, but said she wasn't going to factor claims of misconduct by lawyers on either side in her determination of whether fees and expenses were reasonable. Her efforts to accomplish that this week were thwarted by the 41 motions, filed since June 26, that awaited her at the outset of the hearing.

At one point during an argument about evidence, Midler said, "This case is not over until Your Honor writes a decision."

Abery-Wetstone's comeback: "I can't write a decision until you all stop filing motions."

Contact Lynne Tuohy at ltuohy@courant.com.

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[click here] for my Nov. 12, 2009, OpEdNews.com post called:
Mentality of Lawyers charging 20 mil for a divorce

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[click here] for:
Excerpt:
Adultery, Acrimony And Millions In Spoils
March 25, 2005
By KENNETH R. GOSSELIN, Hartford Courant Staff Writer

In one of Fairfield's wealthiest enclaves, the bitter divorce of a business executive has ended with his jet-setting wife walking away with nearly $50 million in cash, homes, cars, jewelry and artwork.

The 25-year marriage ended with Howard Sosin, a one-time insurance executive, branding his wife, Susan, an adulteress. Susan Sosin said she suffered the loneliness of a golf widow.

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Connecticut is a free for all for lawyers. It is a feeding trough. Lawyers are elected and then make sure they make more money, have less accountability, and that the pubic, mainly children and families are further abused for their gain.

Connecticut is "Beyond Ridiculous", more on Connecticut's legal gauntlet [click here]

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Couldn't have said it better myself

[stock photo with nothing to do with the Courant thread]

When I have time, I check out the threads on the Hartford Courant Online. This one caught my eye:

[Handle]

Black CSP Trooper

United States

The Governor's standard comment that she is confident that Commissioner Danaher will take the appropriate steps in the investigation, is the same thing she said for Commissioner Boyle. Look how those losers Lynch and Boyle screwed us up. This incident, just like the investigation in the New York Report will yield no action being taken. Danaher has already lied about easing miniorities fears about racism in CSP. How did you do that Commissioner Danaher? All of these incidents are brewing and heating up. When is a legislature, Commissioner, or Colonel going to get it. The leadership in the CSP is inadequate, disfunctional and incompetent. Get rid of some people by demoting them, or firing them. And then maybe some of this hap hazard fly by the seat of your pants leadership will stop and also this malicious retaliation that is going on in the department when troopers step up to protect themselves and others.

The above found [here]

The Hartford Courant story containing the thread, text [click here]

The Connecticut State Police, Police State [click here]

My YouTube.com videos [click here]

My email: stevengerickson@yahoo.com

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