In April 2025, I interviewed Mike Flint, Guy Flint, and Cheri O’Laverty about the near collapse of the Flint trust.
That trust was created by Mike and Guy’s parents, Joyce and Mitchell Flint. It was to be their legacy and leave their two sons with a vast fortune.
Approximately six years later, the trust is on the brink of collapse, according to the new trustee, Jason Rubin, who replaced O’Laverty, over Mike and Guy’s objection.
In that April interview, we primarily went over a declaration filed by Rubin in March of 2025, where he described a trust in dire straits.
Rubin described several loans, both executed and suggested, in this declaration.
One loan which Rubin did not mention in his declaration was a $47,000 loan which Jose Escobedo granted the trust last summer.
One reason for this oversight may be that Rubin isn’t planning on honoring the loan.
Jose told me in an interview that he gave the loan because he’d known the Flint family since he was a child.
He gave the loan at a time when the underlying property was near foreclosure. Without the loan, Jose told me, the property would have gone into foreclosure.
Jose said the timing proved problematic for him now.
O’Laverty was removed as trustee, and no new trustee had been appointed. Jose said he couldn’t wait and loaned the trust money.
Now, Rubin, through his attorneys, is claiming that because Cheri did not have authorization to make the deal it may be null and void.
Had he waited until a new trustee was appointed, Jose told me, the property would have been foreclosed on.
I reached out to Rubin, and his attorney, Justin Gold, responded.
Mr. Volpe, I will respond briefly on behalf of Mr. Rubin:
Attached is a Court Order invalidating any potential agreement between Mr. Escobedo-Sosa and the prior Trustee, Ms. O’Laverty. The Agreement was entered into when she was no longer Trustee, and she had zero authority to bind the Trust.
This Order expressly holds back sales proceeds from being used for any payment to Mr. Escobedo-Sosa until further order of the Court.
Mr. Escobedo-Sosa was present in Court at this hearing and agreed to this.
As for his claim for money, no Trust property has even closed escrow.
Jose said that while Mr. Gold‘s statement is accurate, it also left out significant context.
First, he said that the judge, Judge Erin Rowe, also made it clear that Jose should be paid as long as he can show the loan was made.
He has since sent the copy of the check to Gold.
Also, Jose said the plan was to provide the property a financial lifeline, fix it up, and sell it for everyone to make a profit.
Instead, he said that Rubin has acted as a hindrance and chosen to sell it as is.
Finally, by challenging the validity of the contact, Jose said that Rubin has made it clear he will fight to keep Jose from being paid.
When I asked Gold if his client would oppose Jose getting the money once the property is sold, he provided a lawyerly answer.
We have the Court Order to abide by, and we will abide by any further Order of the Court on the issue. As is apparent from the Order I just sent you though, he cannot be paid without further Order of the Court. It is likely we will file a Petition to address the proceeds, including money claimed by Mr. Escobedo-Sosa, sometime after the property closes escrow.
Justin Gold is not the only lawyer employed by Rubin. Rubin also employs Michael Brooks.
Brooks, according to emails, attempted to remove the lien he put on the property, even contacting the clerk of court’s office.
I spoke with a representative from your office today and she suggested I reach out to you to resolve this important issue. The attached UCC-1 was unlawfully filed by Jose Escobedo (Jose is copied on this e-mail). We have asked Jose to terminate this filing but he is not cooperating or responding to out requests.
The Flint Family Trust (“Trust”) is identified as the debtor in the attached UCC-1. Jason Rubin is the current trustee of the Trust (copied here) and I am Jason’s outside real estate counsel and Justin Gold is the Jason’s trusts and estates counsel (also copied here).
The Clerk of Courts Office refused to remove the lien. Brooks further threatened to sue Jose if the lien wasn’t removed.
The Trust had no knowledge of the existence of the Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) until we were provided with a copy of it on October 30th. As you should have been made aware before you signed the MOA, Cheri O’Laverty was suspended from her duties as trustee of the Flint Family Trust (“Trust”) on August 9, 2024. This was prior to the date that you and Ms. O’Laverty signed the MOA. Only authorized trustees may sign contracts on behalf of trusts for the contract to be enforceable against the trust. Accordingly, because Ms. O’Laverty lacked authority to bind the Trust to the terms of the MOA, the MOA is not enforceable against the Trust. Any individual that signs a contract without authority to sign may be personally liable for the contract.
Jose refused to budge, and Brooks didn’t respond to my email for comment.
These machinations are not altruistic by Rubin. Despite claiming the trust has “zero liquidity”, he asked to get paid $55,000 for four months’ worth of work.
Rubin continues to rack up billable hours, and if he can stiff Jose, that frees up nearly $50,000 to put into his and other lawyers’ pockets.
Mike Flint said his family’s trust has been “raped”, and that rape continues. For more background on this case, check out the interview with Mike Flint from last year.
Post-script
Check out the fundraiser for Orange County.
Here are the previous articles in the series. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8. Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25. Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38, Part 39, Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45, Part 46, Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53, Part 54, Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, and Part 58.
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