TAMPA, FL. – A Hillsborough County criminal court judge has filed a lawsuit against his brother, alleging that he swindled him of his family inheritance through undue influence on their infirm parents before they died.
Judge Nick Nazaretian, 60, filed his legal complaint against sibling Christian Nazaretian on June 30.
It describes the declining health of the brothers’ father and mother, which led to their deaths, and how Christian allegedly searched for a lawyer who would make him the near-sole heir of the family estate.
Peter Gene Nazaretian, the brothers’ father, was a former executive of Gulfeagle Supply which was founded in Tampa and boasts 80 nationwide locations.
According to the lawsuit, he was assumed to suffer from dementia, as well as macular degeneration and alcohol abuse combined with opioid pain treatments. It is noted his behavior was often erratic, including contacting his former employer making demands for money although he was retired from the company. He passed away on June 29, 2019.
Margaret Ellen “Peggy” Nazaretian, the brothers’ mother, was a retired real estate agent alleged to suffer from throat and lung cancer and other age-related ailments, including memory loss. She became fully dependent on a wheelchair and died on March 2, 2021.
The lawsuit states that from 2007 to 2017, Judge Nazaretian was the parents’ primary caregiver while Christian resided in Las Vegas, Nevada. Research into Christian’s past reveals legal troubles over DUIs and alleged domestic violence charges filed by a former spouse.
When Christian returned to Tampa around 2017, he moved into the parents’ home and began to assume the role as his parents’ caregiver, which, the lawsuit states frequently included denying brother Nick visitations.
Christian drove the parents to all their destinations, including taking them to an attorney to revise the father’s estate planning documents around June 2019. The lawsuit claims Christian contacted several attorneys beforehand, including the family’s long-time estate attorney to arrange changes to his father’s will. No attorney would participate until Christian allegedly found assistance with Tampa lawyer, Albert Cazin.
Christian allegedly transported his parents to Cazin’s office where on June 19, Peter Nazaretian wrote Nick out of his will. The lawsuit claims the original last will benefited both sons equally. Eight days later, Peter died.
Judge Nazaretian wished to provide formal home health services for his ill mother, but Christian insisted he could handle all her affairs.
Less than 30 days after Peter’s death, Christian drove his mother back to Albert Cazin’s law office. On July 26, 2019, a “fee simple deed” was signed by Christian and Nick’s mother, Margaret, that gave Christian eventual ownership of the house.
The lawsuit states Christian also obtained payable-upon-death and transfer-upon-death designations in his favor for some of Margaret’s banking and investment accounts.
But Judge Nazaretian received a desperate call from his mother shortly after these financial changes were made. The lawsuit states, “Shortly before her death, the mother contacted Nick in a frantic state and claimed that Christian was transporting her to strange buildings and that he was stealing her money and her house.”
Judge Nazaretian seeks reversals of the fee simple deed on his mother’s home and transfers of various banking and investment accounts favoring Christian.
Judge Nazaretian’s attorneys are Greene and Greene of St. Petersburg.
Inquiry was made to the law office regarding the case, but Raleigh W. “Billy” Greene responded that, “Unfortunately, as a matter of policy, our firm cannot comment on pending matters.”
Attempts were made to secure Christian Nazaretian’s side of the story, but there was no response.
Judge Nazaretian is, or was, an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College, and serves in an unknown capacity at the Cooley Law School in Riverview, Florida.
According to the Florida Bar Lawyer Directory, attorney Albert Cazin has been prohibited from practicing law in the State of Florida due to delinquent fees.
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