Neill requests assets from Danner estate

Gary Neill, a former partner of Raymond Danner, has filed a claim in probate court against the late Shoney's founder's estate seeking to recover $640,000 worth of assets.

The claim asks for funds from a contemplated transfer of stock from Danner Restaurants Inc., WENCO of Shelbyville Inc. and Graham Pallet Company Inc., all subsidiaries of The Danner Co. of Nashville.

This filing comes as the latest in a long line of legal happenings aimed at reconciling the empire of the late Nashville entrepreneur.

In November of last year, Neill was named, along with Danner and Randy Morton, in a lawsuit filed by Michael Sandler over the proposed sale of companies valued at some $10 million. At the time, with Neill exercising Danner's power of attorney, the three men agreed to sell Danner's shares in those companies to Morton and Neill.

Additionally, they sought to limit Sandler's participation in governance of the companies, and approved moving forward on the sale of the group's Toyota dealership in Murfreesboro.

The lawsuit called into question the Shoney's owner's mental state at the time and sought to enjoin the men from disposing of the assets.

Danner died in late August.

Called for comment on Tuesday's filing, Danner Co. representative Francis Guess said he was unaware of it. Neill, he said, "had essentially left" the company before Danner passed away. Neill could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.