A Manhattan doorman at an upscale apartment building on the Upper East Side is suing a former resident's estate, claiming the man promised him a third of his savings in thanks for the doorman's care over 28 years.
According to a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Jose Rafael Padilla, the morning doorman at Midtown East’s tony 14 Sutton Place, said he was promised a portion of James Clayton Larmett's estate after caring for him for 28 years. The allocation was not made in Larmett's will, however.
The 62-year-old met Larmett, 69, and his wife, Linda, after helping them move into the building in 1993, and claims the three 'became close' throughout the last three decades.
Padilla often cared for Larmett's pet cats, 'which had been the prime object of (Larmett’s) affection,' the suit states.
The longtime Manhattan doorman alleges that Larmett loved his pets so much that he 'provided for pet focused charities in his will.'
Jose Rafael Padilla, the morning doorman at Midtown East’s tony 14 Sutton Place (pictured) says he was promised a portion of James Larmett's estate after caring for him for 28 years
Larmett died in February, while his wife died in 2016.
However, before Linda Larmett, 69, died, Padilla claims he promised her he would continue caring for her husband, according to court filings.
'Sometime before [Linda] died she had expressed concern regarding the care of her husband and she asked me to look after him once she [was] no longer there,' the suit alleges.
'I promised her I would and, indeed, Mr. Larmett entrusted me with his health care proxy and with a power of attorney to enable me to further help him with his needs.'
After her death, Larmett's own health began
