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Henry Ford Museum denies a deal over Rosa Parks memorabilia

In March, the lawyers who control the valuable memorabilia collection of Rosa Parks, told attorneys involved with her estate that the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn was being given a 120-day grace period to line up financing for the late civil rights icon's archive.

During that time, no other offers would be considered or presented for the collection once valued at up to $10 million.

But there was no such deal, a museum official said Thursday.

"I think there was some miscommunication," said museum Vice President Christian Overland. "We made a bid a couple of years ago that we thought was appropriate for the collection because we wanted to bring it to Detroit, as we did with the Rosa Parks bus.

"But the bid was denied," Overland added. "Our bid is still out there. We'd love to see the collection, but there's no activity going on on our end."

The Henry Ford bid $1.2 million, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The episode came to light this week after Steven Cohen, a lawyer for the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, made a filing to the Michigan Supreme Court. It contends that Wayne County Probate Judge Freddie Burton Jr. allowed lawyers John Chase Jr. and Melvin Jefferson Jr. to pile up $243,000 in fees for unnecessary work that has drained two-thirds of Parks' estate.

Cohen's filing also contends Chase and Jefferson, who were not involved in Parks' estate settlement, persuaded Burton to order the institute to forfeit her vast memorabilia collection and the rights to license her name. Parks had given those rights and her collection to her namesake institute as part of a living trust long before she died.

After Guernsey's Auctioneers in New York sells the collection, Burton plans to give the institute's share of the proceeds to a charity with a similar mission. The rest will go to Parks' relatives who challenged her will.

Chase and Jefferson didn't return calls Thursday.

The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld Burton's rulings in 2009 and 2011, saying Chase and Jefferson performed valuable work for the estate. That prompted Cohen to ask the Supreme Court to review the case.

Probate experts predicted Thursday that the high court would reject the request.

"I doubt that the current appeal has legs to stand on," said Grand Rapids probate lawyer Robert Brower.

But he and Bloomfield Hills probate lawyer James LoPrete said the high court might take the case because it involves a prominent historical figure and charges of misconduct.

Ford Van Approved for NYC Taxi Fleet | Yellow Cab NYC

New York City approved Ford’s Transit Connect models for use among the city’s roughly 13,000-strong yellow cab fleet.

The nod came after Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration in May picked Japanese automaker Nissan over Ford for its Taxi of Tomorrow competition. Nissan had submitted a version of the NV200, a small van previously unavailable in the U.S.

The first Nissan cabs aren’t expected to hit the road until the end of 2013, but the choice was still controversial. Owners of big taxi fleets have said they don’t want to be stuck using only one model, so the city is meanwhile approving other cars that meet its interim specifications.

The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission on Thursday approved the Transit Connect, which is already in use in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, along with Ford’s better-known Taurus model.

“With the phase-out of the Crown Victoria, another vehicle needs to fill the gap…between now and then,” said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg, referring to Ford’s iconic older model. “That doesn’t mean all the other cabs have to be junked” when the new standards come into effect, he added.

Ford has so far sold more than 100 Transit Connect models, which the company dubs “the Taxi of Today,” after its first shipment to Boston last December.

“For decades, Ford has been synonymous with New York City taxis, and we are pleased residents and tourists now will benefit from our next-generation vehicle,” Ford Americas President Mark Fields said.

The automaker also offers engine prep packages that allow owners to modify the cars to run on natural gas or compressed propane.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg just announced a $50 million gift to charity. Forbes lists Bloomberg wealth far beyond $60 billion up to $300 billion. $60 billion is 60,000 times $1 million, $300 billion is 300,000 times $1 million. The proportionate gift to charity is 50 dollars out of a $300,000 dollar annual salary. Not so large. But on the other hand, do not look a gift horse in the MOUTH!!!

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