Mother of Hillblom daughter complains of ‘controlled’ life

A mother of Larry Hillblom’s daughter disclosed yesterday that she and her family were forced to stay in Cayman Islands where the multi-million dollars her child got from the Hillblom estate are kept in a bank.

Julie Cuartero, mother of 13-year-old Jellian Cuartero, told Saipan Tribune that when the Hillbom estate was closed in 1999, they moved to Grand Cayman where the child’s money was deposited, upon the instruction of their lawyers and “protectors.”

“I don’t like it there! But they forced us to stay there [Grand Cayman]. We just followed what they wanted us to do,” said Julie, who is now based in Hawaii.

Cayman Islands lie 480 miles south of Miami and is nestled in the western Caribbean. Grand Cayman is the largest and most populous of the three islands.

Julie identified her daughter’s “protectors” as David Moncrieff, David Axelrod, the William Schwabe law firm, and Rhoda Smith.

“They [‘protectors’] are controlling my life. I can’t make a decision and I am very tired of it,” she said in Tagalog.

Julie said her daughter received a $50 million share from the Hillblom estate, but $23 million went to attorney Randall Fennell and other lawyers.

“I have so many crazy lawyers in my life!” said Julie who has been living in Hawaii since 2007 with Jellian, her husband Mike Majors, and their three children.

Julie said that although the “protectors” and the Trust provide direct financial support for her daughter’s education, they would give her (Julie) only $800 bi-weekly.

She said the $800 is not enough because she has no job and Majors is still looking for work.

Julie said she and her family were able to leave Cayman Islands in 2004 after they pretended that they would attend a conference meeting in San Francisco.

The family did not go back to Cayman. They instead went to Saipan then last year proceeded to Hawaii, where they are still staying.

She said the “protectors” want her to go back to the Philippines, but that some of her family members, including Jellian, should stay in Cayman Islands, purportedly “for the child’s situation.”

In Hawaii, she said, she wanted to work but is not allowed to do so because of her status.

Julie said she is upset because the “protectors” already stopped giving her money, apparently because she incurred some expenses.

She said they had a conference meeting in Hawaii that cost her $10,000.

“I did not invite them, why should I pay their tickets and other expenses. I don’t have money!” she said.

In fact, Julie said, during the meeting the “protectors” discussed ousting her as guardian of the child. She disclosed that the “protectors” are pushing for a hearing in Cayman for her ouster.

Julie said she believes the hearing should be on Saipan where the whole Hillblom case started.

Under the heirship settlement agreement, four children—Mercedita Feliciano, Nguyen Be Lory, Junior Larry Hillbroom, and Jellian Cuartero—were declared qualified as heir claimants and entitled to a distribution of a share of the Hillblom estate assets.

The four children and the Foundation divided the estate’s assets.

Hillblom was the founder of DHL, the world’s largest courier delivery service. He was the H in DHL. He died during a plane crash off Anatahan waters on May 21, 1995. He left an estimated $600 million to $700 million assets.

A total of eight women had claimed to have children from Hillblom.