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Mark Consuelos is looking to keep things all in the family — but that doesn’t necessarily mean his kids.
On Live with Kelly and Mark on Friday, Consuelos and Kelly Ripa discussed whether your pets can “inherit your estate,” something Ripa believed to be possible.
Consuelos read, “You know pet bequests have been known to be challenged in court, sometimes successfully.”
After Ripa cited the example of the late hotel heiress Leona Helmsley — who left $12 million to her dog, Trouble, upon her passing — Consuelos continued reading, though he got stumped while parsing the story.
“And since pets are considered in all U.S. states property, you can’t actually leave — wait,” he said.
Ripa quipped, “Yes, it’s important to read the article before you —”
Consuelos got back on track, reiterating, “Pets bequests have known to be challenged sometimes successfully by disinherited heirs. And since pets are considered in all U.S. states property, you can’t leave them money.”
Ripa added, “You can’t leave your property to property.”
Nonetheless, Consuelos declared, “I’m leaving everything to Lena,” referring to his and Ripa’s dog.
“Because you know you want to skip the kids. What is that? Generational skipping?” he explained. “Save all the taxes? Generational skipping?”
Consuelos claimed that “Lena will appreciate it,” in fact, “much more than our kids will appreciate it.”
Ripa joked that her husband and co-host’s proposal is a “great plan.”
“I love that plan. I can’t wait. You know what? Let’s just cut to the court battle,” she teased. “Let’s hire the attorneys now.”
Ripa and Consuelos said goodbye to their eldest dog Chewie in February, a loss that Consuelos described at the time as “probably one of the toughest things that we’ve had to do as a married couple.”
Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.
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