4 Clients Whose Estates Enriched James D. Gunderson : Martin L. Fisher

The Sully case was not the only time that Gunderson inherited a major share of an estate at the expense of blood heirs. Probate records reveal that in 1977 the lawyer received 99% of a $427,000 estate belonging to Martin L. Fisher, another Leisure World resident. (Fisher was among 30 Leisure World residents who died in a fiery plane crash in Spain’s Canary Islands in 1977 when two 747 airliners collided on the runway--the worst disaster in aviation history.)

Fisher’s will, which was prepared by Gunderson, left $2,000 to a friend, Gwen Griffin of Leisure World, and another $2,000 to Fisher’s only surviving relative, Richard B. Fisher of Forth Worth.

The will bequeathed the residue to Gunderson. It included a 316-acre farm in Fresno County, then valued at $280,000; a $75,000 certificate of deposit, and a $67,500 Leisure World condominium.

Outraged over the size of Gunderson’s gift, Richard Fisher hired a Texas lawyer to investigate, according to Margaret Buris, Fisher’s stepdaughter.

But the Texas lawyer told Fisher that he could lose his meager $2,000 inheritance if he contested the will, because a clause in the document left only $1 to anyone who challenged it and lost, Buris said.

Richard Fisher died in 1987. He had worked as an office clerk long after his retirement to pay his and his ailing wife’s medical bills, Buris said.

Her stepfather was distraught because he could not afford to attend his brother’s funeral in Laguna Hills, she said.

“It grieved (Richard Fisher) deeply and it hurt him when he learned that Martin left all his possessions to Mr. Gunderson, an outsider,” Buris said. “Pa was never the same afterwards; he knew Martin had a lawyer, but he did not know they were so close as to warrant Martin leaving his entire estate to Gunderson. . . . Pa would have liked to have some of Martin’s personal things, but he got nothing.”

Receipts filed in court by Gunderson showed that the lawyer received all of Fisher’s personal items. They included a lady’s 14-carat gold cocktail ring, a small gold pansy pin and 20 pieces of costume jewelry, all which was valued at $35.

Gunderson has denied that he did anything improper to inherit almost the entire Fisher estate. In an interview with The Times, Gunderson described Fisher as a friend whom he had assisted. Gunderson said he helped Fisher buy a condominium in the Towers, a high-rise Leisure World facility that provides meals and nursing services to frail residents.

Gunderson said that “under the circumstances” he did not think that being written in as the major beneficiary in Fisher’s will was improper “because at that time he owed me quite a bit.”

Gunderson said he had loaned Fisher money to purchase a Leisure World home. But probate court records list Fisher as the sole owner of his condominium. The records also list a handful of Fisher’s creditors.

Gunderson is not among them.