Meanwhile, Mary Sue's stepson had filed a petition in Riverside, California, for the trusteeship of his father's estate, claiming that Hubbard was either dead or mentally incompetent. Nibs, who was then working as the manager of an apartment block in Carson City, Nevada, and taking home $650 a month, estimated the estate was worth $100 million, which was an indication of how little anyone knew of how much the Commodore was making out of the Church of Scientology - during 1982 alone, Hubbard raked in at least $40 million from various Scientology corporations.[8]
The petition claimed Hubbard 'has lived a life characterized by severe mental illness . . . consistent failure . . . and the use of false and fraudulent, oftentime criminal means, to cover up these failures and to acquire wealth, fame and power in order to destroy his perceived "enemies".' DeWolf further alleged that the church leaders were stealing millions of dollars' worth of gems and cash from his father's estate.[9] Attorneys acting on Mary Sue's behalf filed a counterpetition asserting that Nibs was 'simply trying to get his hands on his Dad's money'.
This intriguing litigation generated a flurry of media speculation about the fate of the founder of Scientology, but the question of whether Hubbard was dead or alive was quickly settled when the church produced a signed declaration with the Commodore's fingerprints on every page, authenticated by independent experts. Hubbard described his son's allegations as malicious, false and ill-founded. 'With respect to Ronald DeWolf,' he wrote, 'I consider him neither a friend nor a family member in the true sense of the word. Although biologically he is my son, his hostility and animosity to me are apparent and have been for years . . . I am not a missing person. I am in seclusion for my own choosing. My privacy is important to me, and I do not wish it or my affairs invaded in the manner permitted by this action. As Thoreau secluded himself by Walden Pond, so I have chosen to do in my own fashion.'
The court accepted the documents as proof that Hubbard was still alive and dismissed DeWolf's suit, but in his determination to blacken Hubbard's name, Nibs had clearly inherited something of his father's perseverance.
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