Frank Fritz estate battle heads to trial. Who will get his millions?

Courtney Crowder, Des Moines RegisterThu, November 12, 2026 at 11:14 AM UTC

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More than two years after Iowan Frank Fritz’s death, squabbles over the “American Pickers” star’s estate may finally be coming to an end.

A probate trial has been scheduled to begin Monday, Nov. 16, in Scott County, according to Annette Oberlander Willows, Fritz’s close friend and one of the few companions who are named beneficiaries in the will that was contested by Fritz’s biological father, Bill.

Multiple mediation sessions have failed to bring an agreement, Oberlander said, leaving the court to determine what should be done with the estate.

The probate case, including the will, has been completely sealed by an Iowa judge, so details of Fritz’s assets — which some estimates value at nearly $6 million — other filings and even the case number are not publicly available.

“I'm feeling very confident about the trial,” Oberlander said, declining to discuss specifics, citing the lawsuit. “I’m very confident that Frank's last wishes will be upheld in the court of law.”

At issue in the case is, first, whether Fritz was in sufficient command of his faculties to understand and sign a will after he had a stroke — one which was debilitating enough that the court initially placed him under guardianship.

And, second, who was closest to Fritz and would have understood his last wishes best: his father or his best friends?

Each side believes they are the right arbiter.

But, unless a settlement is reached in the next few days, the final decision now lies with an Iowa jury.

Curiosity, street smarts and a full tank of gas: Frank Fritz thrust into the spotlight

Fritz — known for his dark beard, quick smile and deep passion for vintage motorcycles — rocketed to fame with his friend and fellow Iowan, Mike Wolfe, when their antique-hunting show “American Pickers” premiered on the History Channel in 2010.

The show diverted from the classic “Antiques Roadshow” format of shooting on a controlled set and featuring expert commentators in tailored suits.

Instead, Wolfe and Fritz leaned on their streetwise knowledge and razor-sharp gut instincts as they traveled backroads and small-town Main Streets looking for stories in equal measure to "picks,” as fans call the objects they buy.

“Before the show, we would take off together to places we never knew existed with no destination in mind and just the shared passion to discover something interesting and historic,” Wolfe wrote in an Instagram post honoring Fritz just after his death.

“Who would have ever dreamed we would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in our adventures.”

Their folksy chemistry created reality show gold, turning the two friends into celebrities with the thrifting and DIY sets and “Pickers” into a ratings and rerun juggernaut.

The pair were truly unexpected stars when the show hit, plunked from obscurity along the Mississippi River. But Fritz was the same on-camera as he was off, Wolfe wrote. Nothing put-on, ever. Nothing inauthentic.

“Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself,” Wolfe wrote.

A nagging back injury and debilitating Crohn's disease forced Fritz to leave the show just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

His exit marked the beginning of a series of physical and medical issues that would eventually lead to his death at age 60 in September 2024.

Competency core to contest over Frank Fritz’s will

Whether Fritz was competent enough to understand the complexities of crafting a will stems from a July 2022 incident, when he was found unresponsive on the floor of his Davenport home.

Later, doctors determined he’d had a stroke, and his recovery was rocky in the following months, including hospitalizations for seizures, high blood pressure and pneumonia-like symptoms, as reported in  911 tapes published by a British tabloid.

While Fritz recuperated, a guardian “is necessary to avoid immediate harm,” according to a petition for emergency guardianship filed in August 2022.

“Because of his stroke, Mr. Fritz’s decision-making capacity is so impaired that he is unable to care for his own safety, or to provide for necessities such as food, shelter, clothing or medical care,” the petition states.

He is also “unable to make, communicate or carry out important decisions concerning his own financial affairs.”

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More: Frank Fritz's friends to dedicate bar, theater in the late 'American Pickers' star's honor

A judge granted the guardianship, citing a letter from Fritz’s doctor “indicating he is unable to make decisions for himself.”

Many documents in the guardianship case, including the doctor’s letter, are sealed. However, a public care plan filed a few weeks later indicated that Fritz did not have a living will.

About two years later, Fritz was listed as having a will in his guardian's final report after his death.

In the intervening time, friends previously told the Register, Fritz had recovered and was in control of his faculties and thoughts. He had been well enough to enjoy a visit from Wolfe ― the pair’s first meetup in three years ― as well as a night out with friends just before the holidays.

But a judge’s finding that Fritz “does not have the capacity to execute any legal documents on his own behalf” is key evidence that the will — which was put together in 2023, about eight months after guardianship went into place — should be set aside, Bill Fritz’s lawyer, Cory Gourley, previously told the Register.

If that will is deemed to be invalid, the estate would flow through a strict hierarchy of blood relatives.

And for Fritz, an only child, unmarried and childless, that almost certainly means all the assets would transfer to directly to Bill.

Gourley did not respond to a request for updates on the case.

Who knew Frank Fritz best? His father or his friends?

To mark the second anniversary of Fritz’s death recently, Oberlander visited the nursing home where he spent many of his last days and reminisced with the staff. She’s there regularly, she says, volunteering her skills as a stylist to cut residents’ hair.

The rest of the day, she spent quietly at home, watching some favorite episodes of “American Pickers.”

Fritz was a big personality, to put it mildly, she says. And he liked living life like an ever-vibrating Vegas neon sign, which made him exciting to be around — always. But she’ll always miss the more muted side of Fritz.

Day-to-day conversations. Lunches. Watching TV, which they did a lot of in Fritz’s hospital room.

Both sides characterize Fritz’s inner circle differently. Gourley says Bill and Frank had a great relationship, vacationing together and trading visits, Bill to Iowa and Frank to Texas.

But when the guardianship was put into place, the defendants “cut off all access to Frank,” Gourley says.

Oberlander says Fritz's life was instead populated by deep friendships, including acquaintances in the Quad Cities area who took on the roles of caretakers after his stroke.

Outside of his beloved mother, who died in 2013, Fritz didn't have consistent or strong relationships with anyone connected to his biological family, she says.

And court documents filed in his guardianship case echo that he has “no living relatives he maintains contact with.”

While the will is worked out, Fritz’s celebration of life has been on hold. His friends have each found small ways to honor him personally, and they hosted a public tribute for the star in May, which saw acquaintances from as early as grade school and on up through the many eras of Fritz’s life converge on Savanna, Illinois.

But, she says, mourning has been difficult without the ritual of his final send-off.

“I want to be able to give him the celebration of life that he desired,” Oberlander says. “I want his friends and fans to be able to celebrate his passing once and for all. That's what's most important to me.”

“I want Frank to be at peace.”

Courtney Crowder is a senior writer. You can contact her at ccrowder@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Frank Fritz estate battle heads to trial. Who will get his millions?

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