Fight Over Auction of Lucille Ball’s Stuff

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (CN) - Lucille Ball's daughter has some 'splainin' to do. Plaintiff Susie Morton says she married Ball's second husband, the late Gary Morton, after Ball divorced Desi Arnaz. Morton claims that Lucy Arnaz Luckinbill, the daughter of Ball and Arnaz, is threatening to interfere with an auction that includes some of Lucille Ball's personal belongings.

Morton, of Riverside County, sued Luckinbill, of Weston, Ct., and Texas-based Heritage Auctions, in Riverside Superior Court. Morton says Lucille Ball married Gary Morton after her divorce from Arnaz, and was still married to him when Ball died in April 1989.

Morton claims that Lucille Ball willed her residential real property in Palm Springs, "along with the furniture, furnishings, household equipment and appliances located therein" to Gary Morton. The property included "jewelry, furs, clothing and personal effects," artwork and autographed photographs, according to the complaint.

Susie Morton says she married Gary Morton, and was married to him until he died in March 1999. She claims she inherited his personal property upon his death - including the property he had inherited from Lucille Ball.

Susie Morton says she hired Heritage Auction to auction off some of the property on July 17 in Beverly Hills. She says that Luckinbill claimed, through an attorney, "that the items of Morton personal property were Lucille Ball's 'personal effects' and should have been distributed to her [Luckinbill]."

Morton seeks declaratory judgment, a restraining order and injunction, so she can auction off the items. She is represented by Stephen Raucher with Reuben, Raucher & Blum of Los Angeles.

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