Leona Helmsley, "The Queen of Mean", has been in the news.  In case you did not know she passed away recently.  As the news reported she left most of her money to charity, a few million to some of her grandchildren.  It was newsworthy and the talk around the water cooler that some of her grandchildren got nothing, and her dog was bequeathed $12 million dollars.  Also stipulated in the will is that when the dog passes away, it is to be buried with her and her husband in their mausoleum in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  Of course that is worthy of gossip in itself.  BUT there is ANOTHER story, the rest of the story, that few people know....

It is well known that few people worked with Mrs. Helmsley, she was a 'difficult' person to work with.  People worked for her.  You have to keep in mind that she did not have a simple will, she had to set up a trust for the dog, and other legal entities to carry on the parts of the will.  She had a team of lawyers working for her.  Now here is one last key fact:  it is illegal to bury an animal in a human cemetery in New York State.

From here on in is some interesting conjecture.

Suppose you are on the team of lawyers drafting the will for Mrs. Helmsley.  You are probably a very good lawyer and know NY state law.  At least ONE of the lawyers must have known that the dog could not be buried with them.  The big question is, are you going to be the one to tell her that that cannot be done?  The lawyers, as everyone else was, were afraid of her!

I can just imagine them now.  "Hey Joe, you tell her it can't be done."  "No way, you tell her."  "How about neither of us tell her.  By the time anyone reads the will, she won't be in a position to cause us a problem."

So now, and I can't validate this, there is an alternative floating to carry on the intent of the will.  Bury the dog in a pet cemetery, cremate the Helmsleys, and move the Helmsleys there to be with the dog.  In the pet cemetery! It is legal in NYS for cremated human remains to be buried in a pet cemetery because cremation is considered to be the final internment. 

... and that is the rest of the story!.