All four children of Loretta Rogers have formally challenged the $11-million compensation claimed by the trustees of their mother’s $250-million estate, according to legal documents filed in Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Edward Rogers and Lisa Rogers filed formal notices of objection in court, while Melinda Rogers and Martha Rogers served their challenges directly to the trustees, citing privacy concerns for not filing in court, as noted in an endorsement by Justice Bernadette Dietrich following a court conference in Toronto on Wednesday morning.
The trustees—Lawrence Tanenbaum, Mary Filippelli and Jim Reid—have argued that Melinda and Martha should be required to file their objections in court, according to the judge’s endorsement.
The children contend the $11-million in fees is neither fair nor reasonable, a position first articulated by Edward Rogers in his March objection, in which he argued the compensation was excessive given the estate’s administration.
According to executor timesheets, the trustees spent more than 2,650 combined hours administering the estate between 2022 and 2024 and billed approximately $11 million in fees.
Loretta Rogers, who died in 2022, was the longest-serving director of Rogers Communications, the telecom and media conglomerate she co-founded with her late husband, Ted Rogers, who passed away in 2008.
The trustees were appointed by Loretta Rogers to manage her estate, which includes extensive real estate, physical assets, and significant financial holdings, and have not yet completed administration of the $250-million fortune.
The parties attempted mediation to resolve the dispute but were unable to reach an agreement, as the selected mediator was not able to mediate, according to the judge’s endorsement.
They have agreed to seek an alternative mediator by the end of May, or return to court for further guidance, with a subsequent mediation deadline set for September 18.