Alaskan Bush People’s Ami Brown appeals ruling in case against Billy Brown’s estate

There is a big lawsuit filed against Billy Brown’s estate — and his widow Ami Brown has been left to fight it.

The lawsuit is for $500,000 and centers on money that investor Dr. Robert Maughon claims Billy owed him before his death.

Ami motioned to have the lawsuit moved from federal court to the state courts, but a judge denied the request.

Ami is now appealing that ruling.

Ami Brown appeals judge’s decision on lawsuit

When investor Robert Maughon sued Billy Brown’s estate and his company, Alaskan Wilderness Family Productions, for $500,000 for breach of contract in April 2021, his claims were that Billy did not pay him profits allegedly owed to him from the show.

Ami filed to dismiss the lawsuit based on the “lack of subject matter jurisdiction.” This was because the suit was filed in federal court, and she felt that the court had no authority to hear a probate case.

However, a Washington judge denied the request, and the case has moved forward.

In court papers, the judge determined that “Federal Courts have jurisdiction to entertain suits to determine the rights of creditors, legatees, heir, and other claimants against a decedent’s estate, so long as the federal court does not interfere with the probate proceedings.”

According to The Sun, on April 27, Billy’s estate filed to appeal the judge’s decision. Ami has managed Billy’s estate as its representative since his passing.

One major problem with the lawsuit for Ami is there was no will found after Billy’s death. She listed his assets as $439,000, including $415,000 in real property for four parcels of land. He had $2,000 in a Wells Fargo bank account. 

The grounds of the lawsuit

The Robert Maughon lawsuit claimed the money owed was from Alaskan Bush People’s television success and the success of the books based on the show.

Maughon is said to have had a contract with Billy, which allegedly shows he invested $20,000 in 2009 with Alaska Wilderness Family Productions.

He also said he had a second contract with Brown where he invested $10,000. Maughon supplied both contracts to the court when filing the lawsuit — both reportedly notarized and with Billy Brown’s signature.

Maughon claims accounting would need to be done to know the total amount that Billy’s books made, but in the lawsuit, he is demanding $500,000 and a trial.

Alaskan Bush People is on hiatus. The show has not yet been renewed, but if it is, it should return sometime in 2022.