My Brothers Estate

   / My Brothers Estate #91  
Focus on the good times. It gets better over time. And if you can be left with a smile on your brother, then that is a good thing. :)
 
   / My Brothers Estate #92  
My brother is still alive and in ICU, but his lungs and heart are on a machine that is keeping him alive.................

I know nothing about the intestate/inheritance law where you live, but I do have more than a little knowledge in several countries and since they are all similar I cannot see them being much different in the basics.

I have only read the first three pages, so may have missed later posts. The normal situation is that the next of kin have to take charge if there is no will. Unfortunatley, in this case it is your parents and not you. That is not insurmountable if your parents are agreeable to you taking over their responsibility (also any brothers and sisters you have must agree to this).

I was placed in a similar situation a few years ago. My eldest brother died in Australia and I was living in Portugal. All other living relatives (sister and nephew/neice) lived in the UK.

Somebody had to sort it out. I had the knowldege and experience of doing estate work for lawyers when younger so, with everyone's agreement did what was necessary. It took a long time and was not easy.

My advice is, regrettably, you need a lawyer to tell you what needs to be done. It will cost money, but if you do something you should not, then the personal cost could be a great deal more than your brother's estate pays the lawyer.
 
   / My Brothers Estate #93  
Sorry for your loss Eddie. I wish I had some good advice for you, but can only echo the advice given. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family.
 
   / My Brothers Estate #94  
Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my younger brother to a heart attack about 8 years ago. We fought like cats and dogs while he was alive, because we were too much alike. It's funny how all of the fights fade away, now what I remember is the good times.
 
   / My Brothers Estate #95  
Eddie, sorry for the loss of your brother, I hope you were able to talk to him before he died.

Go talk to a good, trusted lawyer. Hard part is finding one. No way would I pay a percentage of the estate, though it sounds like in this case, that might be a loosing proposition for the lawyer. We have talked to numerous lawyers of the years asking for advice, and even after asking for a bill, we have only been charged a couple of times. Go figure. The few times we have been billed, the price was fair, and only one time did I think we paid more than the advice was worth.

From the lawyer find out what you can do, should do, and what you should NOT do. We are having to deal with nasty family issues that TBNers would not believe but talking to lawyers has made sure we held the higher ground. Handling an estate is one of those areas to get things done right.

As a previous poster said, you might find a bunch of people oozing out of the slime to come after your brother's estate. When a close family member died, a distant relative I had never heard of, came out of the ooze claiming money from the estate. Just sick, both the slimy relative and their lawyer.

Later,
Dan
 
   / My Brothers Estate #96  
One thing that comes up sometimes is that people think the word 'intestate' is some dirty word or derogatory and give you an odd look if you speak it. Some, probably most, haven't ever heard the word before.

Intestate just means someone that passed away without a will. That's all. Nothing bad. Just a word. However, I never use it unless forced. I just say, "They didn't have a will." Avoids the odd looks.
 
   / My Brothers Estate #98  
When my dad died, our attorney told us the standard fee is 6% of the estate that goes through probate. Seemed excessive to me, but OTOH, his advice saved me more than his fee in taxes. YMMV.
Going thru this right now with my Dads estate and no will. The amounts and laws vary state to state. In California, the State sets the rates on a sliding scale. The Probate Lawyer does not set the rate.
 
   / My Brothers Estate
  • Thread Starter
#99  
My parents met with their priest at the hospital and said Last Rights to my brother at 1pm yesterday. At 3pm, after my parents had left, they disconcerted Todd from the machines keeping him alive. He passed away at 6:42pm.

A person that asked us to donate body parts called at 9pm. We didn't expect that, and it somehow made it all more final. That's when I really cried for the first time. We agreed and hopefully somebody will benefit from my brothers passing.

The funeral home will pick up his body some time today, then notify us when they have his ashes.

Today, my Mom and my wife will come with me to his place to go through his processions. Mom is worried about his food, and she wants to bring home all his clothing and wash it. I'm going to work on his watering system for his ducks and pheasants, and look anything of value. We're still looking for documents. This afternoon, friends will come by to get his dog. They have an Australian Shepard that should be a good playmate for his Kelpie. I'm also going to start contacting people that he sold ducks and pheasant to, with the hope that I can put together some kind of a deal to sell all of them all at once. I'm guessing that he has over 300 mallards. He was licensed to raise wild birds, and it was a decent business that he had built up.

Next week, I'll start the process of going to the bank, post office, and talking to lawyers. We haven't decided what to do with the land or cattle yet. My wife and I would really like to have them, but we don't have the fencing done yet. They are fine at his place for awhile, but I'll probably have to start hauling hay there to keep them fed over the winter. I'm not sure if that's something that I want to deal with, or if it even makes any sense. We're still dealing with our emotions too, so what we think is a good idea today, might prove to be a bad idea pretty soon.

I posted this on my FB page,

120.JPG

My brother, Todd Walker, passed away yesterday at age 55. Last Sunday, his heart stopped for 15 minutes from a leaking valve. This put him in a coma that he never recovered from.

He was able to obtain his dream of having a successful farm in Mabank Texas. He raised Poll Herefords, and he was a licensed wild bird breeder for mallard ducks and pheasants.

Todd lived his life on his terms, and in many ways, he was bigger than life. If you met him, you remembered him. If he was your friend, he was a friend for life. If you had a beer with him, you had a great time. There was nobody better to spend the day in the duck blind with, than my brother Todd.

Rest in Peace Todd, you will always be loved and remembered.
 

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