The inheritance battle over Austrian master builder Richard Lugner’s estate has intensified as widow Simone Lugner faces eviction and files to remove the private foundation’s board. Accusing the foundation of neglecting its duties, Simone is taking the fight to court in a legal showdown that blends personal drama, property rights, and high-profile intrigue.
The widow is facing eviction procedures. The builder’s last living family have yet to get their inheritance. Will Simone Lugner win the inheritance dispute?
The acrimonious debate over master builder Richard Lugner’s (91) legacy has entered a new phase. For a year, widow Simone Lugner and the private foundation have been wrangling over rights and claims; now, the battle is increasing anew.
According to oe24, Simone Lugner has filed a motion with the Commercial Register Court to abolish the foundation’s board of directors.
She accuses the board of neglecting to perform “essential duties” and denying her the rights to which she is entitled as a beneficiary, despite many written warnings. “We tried a different approach, but this is our response now,” Lugner said about the legal escalation. Her lawyer, Florian Höllwarth, declined to speak publicly.
Tensions between the widow and the foundation have lately escalated: the foundation had threatened Simone Lugner with eviction procedures, which have now been filed.
According to attorney Florian Höllwarth, the first court hearings are not planned until October or November. However, he perceives the situation as reasonably calm. The private foundation’s charges are baseless.
Simone Lugner has previously expressed a hostile attitude, saying, “They try to starve me out. But it will not happen. The sooner we can put this behind us, the better.” It’s unclear if she’ll be able to legally enforce her claims. The only thing that is certain is that she does not intend to give up.
The struggle over the Lugner inheritance has long ago developed from a legal issue to a public drama about loyalty, rights, and duty, with no clear end for the widow or the foundation.
Richard Lugner would undoubtedly have wanted his survivors to achieve an amicable arrangement. Associates such as Christian Mucha and Heribert Kasper agree on this.
