FYI

 

1. I am sorry for your loss. I went through that last year - except my Mom didn’t make anyone from the family an executor and we had to fight to get rid of the lawyer and the poa guy - just to get the estate going (which is about to be finished - only 18 months later). My Mom - however had nothing but antique furniture (auctioned off) and personal family pictures and papers - which are in my house & a storage unit.

   Take it easy - and for your sake and your wife’s - I hope this ‘afterwords’ goes much more smoothly for you than it did for me.

   Posted by wardmama4       07/13/2011  at  07:19 AM  



2. Sounds like your Mom didn’t have a will? Anyway, my wife is the oldest surviving child, and Edith left a will divvying up her estate AND rental properties.

   (actually, all Edith’s children survived ‘til adulthood. Sad, I’d have drowned David, the youngest brother. He’s my age and never held a job. NEVER! Don’t know what he’s gonna do now that Mom won’t be there for him. Not even sure he’s aware that she died. He’s been drunk for the last month.)

   I wouldn’t be worried except for all those rental properties. Most have no signed leases. If they don’t pay, we have to go through all the hoops to evict them. Meanwhile, they live at Edith’s our expense.

   Posted by Christopher       07/13/2011  at  09:23 AM  



3. My condolences. It’s never an easy time.

   Even with a will and a cooperative family being executor is a rotten job. As for the leases, if it were me I’d be talking to a lawyer. Without a legal lease those people might be no more than guests. Or squatters. Of course, without a lease the rental money could be under the table as well. Very tricksy. Good luck with that.

   Posted by Drew458       07/13/2011  at  10:21 AM  



4. Yes, I suspect there’s been much ‘under the table’. ‘Mom’ had some long-time renters that she cut corners for. That’s word-of-mouth. We’ve no documentation. I suspect some of them are, by definition, squatters.

   My wife left pissed at me: I was being mean to one of her cats. Seems I dislike a cat on food prep table. All I was doing was kicking the cat out of the kitchen. I prefer to knead bread dough sans cat hairs.

   Posted by Christopher       07/13/2011  at  10:33 AM  



5. My Mom had a will - just she used to get po’d at family which is why the last two MEN she asked would not accept the job - as she would hound them to death, apparently she went to her Minister b*tching and crying that no one in the family cares about her. She had my sister until she died in 2008 - she was angry with me as I would not go to the ‘memorial luncheon’ - no body, no grave, no religious service - why should I drive 2+ hours for someone whose last words to me were basically ‘go to hell’ - for some reason - which I never knew. So I too was too gun shy to step up - and say come live with me (struggled for that last year with that one, but knew she wouldn’t as I’ve offered in the past - to her it was a sign of her ‘wealth’ to live on her own) or offer to do the exec thing. Her will was stupid in a sense - and just made it able for these lawyers to make it worse than it need be. Hopefully, since the lawyer just sent out a we have X left and it will make only a percentage of the bequests - Do you know of any other accounts or money - means it will be settled soon.

   Rental property that have no leases - how in the heck did she ever get away with that - One of the reasons we really want whatever job my hubby is offered to NOT be in OH is the stupid laws around here - never in my life have I jumped through such outrageous hoops to buy a home - and my ex & I bought one in California.

   On the cats - double sided tape - lay that around the edges - won’t happen much more after that. But I fondly remember the days I used to decorate cakes and one of the cats actually sat on a chair next to me and opened his mouth for a squirt of frosting from the decorating bag! We had real fun the night a friend gave us some fish - they were all (3) in the kitchen but then refused to eat the cooked fish. Go figure!

   As I said good luck.

   Posted by wardmama4       07/13/2011  at  02:34 PM  



6. BTW, I was angry as I am the youngest surviving child - the two other surviving children who are # 2 & 3 - didn’t even come to the funeral. But they sure were calling me with what they ‘wanted’ and could I, would I. Stopped my sister cold with the receipts my Mom kept that she had shipped BACK all the silver my sister left in her home. My brother ended up having to buy the painting from the auction.

   Meanwhile I was the one who was in her apartment all day and after the moving guys left carrying bag after bag of garbage to the dumpster and cleaning the damn place.

   But after this ‘estate’ stuff - I hate lawyers most.

   Posted by wardmama4       07/13/2011  at  02:38 PM  

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