If Miss Ellie And Clayton Gave Southfork To Bobby, How Did She Will Off Half To John Ross

[Billy Wall]

I could be wrong, but Bobby hit the deed to Southfork near the end of the last season, but on Dallas TNT , Miss Ellie left John Ross half of Southfork in her will.

Continuity error or there’s more to it?

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

I could be wrong, but Bobby hit the deed to Southfork near the end of the last season, but on Dallas TNT , Miss Ellie left John Ross half of Southfork in her will.

Continuity error or there’s more to it?

Dallas TNT!!

Cidre just loved retconning anything and everything from the Lorimar Dallas, so of course it's a continuity error.

Would Miss Ellie seriously have left half of Southfork to John Ross? Of course not! She gave the ranch to Bobby, Southfork is his.

 

[Pamela_E]

What happened to all of Jock's money he willed the grandchildren?

Did it go with Ewing Oil?

 

[the-lost-son]

"We don't shoot crap with Southfork. Is that plain?"

Southfork is the iconic center of the story. You can't change, nor put it in danger constantly (because at one time you have to follow through).

In Dallas TNT it was a continuity error to hand 50% of Southfork to John Ross. Let alone the legal standpoint, it was unnecessary. Let Bobby get a letter of JR asking him for it, and Bobby does it voluntarily (character, not plot_driven, you all know).

The Asian oil leases threatening Southfork, was the only time it truly worked. Otherwise Southfork should stay as the home of the family (with some secrets maybe like Hutch McKinney's body found).

I loath the ranch war when the Ewings are chased off during cattling. How could Ray ever sell the piece of land Jock fave him to some strangers for a few bucks? It's totally out of character for me.

The problem when you put your series's home in jeapardy all the time is you have to follow through at one point, like Falcon Crest burning down their mansion to the ground, Krystle & Black being kicked out of theirs.
But you have them back at their most recognizable home, so it doesn't have an effect in the long run.

JohnRoss's plans to add another wing (in Dallas TNT) did not irritate Bobby only, but probably most of the audience.

 

[CeeCee72]

What happened to all of Jock's money he willed the grandchildren?

Did it go with Ewing Oil?

I vaguely recall that some characters were willed a specific amount of money (I think Lucy got a million dollars) but I assume most of Jock's wealth was tied up in the company.

 

[Pamela_E]

I vaguely recall that some characters were willed a specific amount of money (I think Lucy got a million dollars) but I assume most of Jock's wealth was tied up in the company.

Lucy got 5 million and I think Gary and Ray 10 million, but Gary had to have the interest only for 4 years or something.

Gary was really unhappy about it, but in Jock's original will Gary got nothing at all.

But I think I now recall the other money wasn't tied up in Ewing Oil, I thought it was a trust fund. So both boys should have been pretty wealthy.

 

[Jabari Lamar]

Yes, there was a trust fund that gave J.R., Bobby, Ray, and Gary 10 million each, and Lucy $5 million, Funds immediately accessible to each except for Gary, who was restricted to the interest for 4 years. It made sense in-character, that Jock would be worried that the sudden influx of money would lead to Gary wasting it, possibly due to alcohol, so this was his way of trying to save him for his own good. Perhaps hoping that the 4 year limit would give Gary time to, I guess, get used to the idea that he was going to be rich. But I'm also thinking this was mostly done as not to disrupt the current status quo on Knots Landing, as the writers weren't planning for Gary to suddenly have all that money, so this way it kept things "normal" for a while?

It was mentioned that there was a separate trust fund for other grandchildren, but it didn't say how much money was in the fund, Just that it would be divisible equally by however many grandchildren there were at the time and they'd each get their share when they turned 21. At the time that was just John Ross and Christopher, but by the time they show ended that would have included at least Margaret and Lucas (with the dream season split, we don't know if Gary had children, J.R.'s son with Cally wouldn't be included since he kept his existence secret, but I believe James could have had a legal claim on some of that inheritance if he'd chosen to go after it).


So we know they got something when they turned 21, but not how much. Christopher is the one who, if we go by the original series, should have independently wealthy by the time Dallas TNT began, as he would have inherited Pam's shares in Wentworth Industries in addition to whatever he got from Jock.

 

[stevew]

There is a lot we don’t know and specifics we were never told and original story issues that break with reality all of which make CC’s story plausible.

Miss Ellie just can’t give a billion dollar asset to Bobby and with the oil underneath the asset is with tens of billions. The gift tax would have forced Bobby to drill in order to pay it. So we have to assume the deed given was in trust and as such it is possible to then give half to John Ross.

Would she? Knowing the character I’d say yes. I’d also assume on Bobby’s death John Ross would get the other 1/2. She was determined to protect the ranch but she also stuck by tradition. Case in point she was willing to give the ranch to his brother when he showed up. She had to believe that JR was the rightful heir and that meant John Ross followed his father. So I have no trouble believing it. In fact I’d have found it more believable then what we saw on the original series.

The reality is the oil was split from the land and Miss Ellie knew it - that was trust number 1. Miss Ellie held that to her death and we never saw the paper so it could have said anything. It could have even forbad drilling and knowing her it would have. I’m also certain the house would have been separated from the land and business as well. For me to believe this was true to character:

1. In the original all Miss Ellie deeds to Bobby is the house. He was wealthy enough to pay that gift tax and then no the house wouldn’t suddenly go 1/2 to John Ross. But maybe what we didn’t see is she gave it, “the deed” to him in trust and then yes 1/2 could suddenly go to John Ross and yes I do believe that would be in character for her based on reasons stated above.

2. She would have sold the cattle company to Bobby in a deal that allowed the transfer and avoided gift taxes and included a $1 a year lease of the land. I can believe that happened unseen at the same time we saw him him get “the deed” to the house only. I can also believe this was also in trust so again 1/2 could have gone to John Ross.

3. She would have set up a foundation to give the land to in order to protect it, working out an agreement with the county to strip it if it’s development rights (not sure of the particulars of Texas law). This is the only story I’d believe of the original knowing both Miss Ellie and Clayton’s characters as smart and capable and how they felt about the land. And yes this could have been unseen as part of the original “deed” transfer - the details not spoken on screen. The foundation would hold the land and mineral rights as well as her and Clayton’s money to protect the land among other worthwhile causes - it would all be tied up. Hence a good explanation as to what happened to all that money.

Now the big question should have been who controls the foundation.

As for Christopher being rich, his inheritance from Pam would have been massive and no way Bobby sat back and let Cliff keep that from his son. Even if Pam put it in trust until Christoper was an old man and Cliff got to control it, Christoper would at least have been getting some pretty big checks.

I do believe with out a will and declared dead, Cliff could have taken control of Katherine’s estate.

I even believe that with trusts set up by Rebecca and both sisters declared dead what we saw in TNT of the Wentworth fortune could have happened as long as Chris was getting his cut of the income.