My Brothers Estate

[dstig1]

Oh yeah on the number of death certificates. People told us to get a lot, but very few required an original in our experience. Most places either photocopied the one we gave them and gave it back, or had us fax or scan and email a copy. We may have actually used 2 or 3 originals and had a ton left over. One more thing to look into (how much they cost, how to get them, etc) before you get a ton. The funeral home will offer to get you a bunch. Be aware this is yet another profit center for them. I have a very low opinion of the funeral industry...

 

[WM75Guy]

For the ducks call the game warden for that county where the farm is located. Could be Kaufman, Henderson, or Van Zandt since Mabank is at the corner where they all come together. They may have some options, such as relocating them to the lake at Purtis Creek State Park.

 

[duffer]

So very sorry to hear of your brother's situation. Prayers to you and your family.

Agree with the poster who said very few original death certs are required now. Most will take a scanned/faxed copy. Insurance company and maybe a bank would want an original. If the bank wants an original, take the original in and ask them to make a copy for their records and return original to you.

If your brother didn't have a will, the state has a will as a default. It's called dying "intestate" (meaning no will). You can get a copy (probably on line) or thru the county office where your brother is located. You might have to contact Austin, but I doubt it. The state's will, will likely say something to the effect that all property is split evenly between immediate family. (property does not include debt). The remaining estate will be responsible for any debts outstanding. All are negotiable.

I realize you might have a sense of urgency to settle the estate, and get it over with, but please take your time. You have over a year in many states to settle things. So there is no rush, and you can do more research to see what your options are for disposing of any assets you don't want, and draw out negotiations with debtors. But more importantly, it gives you more time to discover assets that are not readily visible.

Adjacent land owners are a good option for the sale of the real estate. I wouldn't tear down the house just yet. It might serve a purpose for animals for the new owner, and have value to him.

See if you can find a couple of your brother's tax returns. That would indicate any place where interest was paid to him (multiple banks, etc). Agree with the poster who suggested contacting the county for property tax info, which will disclose any liens on the land/house.

I bet with a little thought you can probably guess the password for his laptop. Pet's name, date of birth, "password", 1234, street address, girl friends name, old sweetheart, probably something simple. (maybe even your name)

And keep an eye open for the back up key for the safe. They usually look kind of funky.

Good luck, and God Bless your brother, you, and your family.

 

[airbiscuit]

Eddie, I am sorry about everything in your situation. I'm not an expert, but I would ask a competent computer consultant about the password situation for the laptop. They may know of administrative functions to get in and/or copy files. I woud contact a locksmith about the gun safe. Watching the mail/bills/statements that come in over the next couple of months should provide a good bit of financial information.

If he was employed, he may have life insurance and a 401k.

 

[Ken45101]

he attorneys were another deal. They told us they get paid from the estate, but yet when they set it up, they listed it as working for my wife (executor). As noted, there was bupkis for money in the estate but they wanted us to pay them for what I felt was excessive fees for doing very little. We negotiated a settlement for roughly half what they said we owed which still felt like too much but was better than a protracted fight. So make sure to ask who they work for and who is on the hook to pay them.

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.

 

[hslogger]

No matter what the status of his property and possessions are... you need to secure all assets. When people are dying, these things have a way of disappearing.
My experiences in the past were to have certified copies of the death certificate. Most banks have an individual available to sign and stamp., ie Notary Public.

If it takes moving assets to another location, so be it. Lock changing, survalance , what ever it takes. As you are taking notes from all of our entries...... Get a notebook NOW and write every thing, every thing you do in relation to this issue down. Date each entry. Keep precise documentation of all your activities. PRECISE.
good luck in dealing with emotional trauma. Keep a cool tool through this.

Finally, look into an elder care attorney. You do not want to use your friend's lawyer who says he will do it for cheap. It may seem like Mayberry but it aint'.

 

[dougtrr2]

When you are dealing with the lawyers, make sure you know at all times who is waiting on who, and for what. Settling our mom's estate dragged out because there were times we thought we were waiting for the lawyer to take some action, when he was actually waiting for us to provide an input.

Doug in SW IA

 

[Rustyiron]

I was thinking 20, but now that I've been through some of his papers, 25 copies sounds better.

When someone asks for a certificate, offer them a copy. I've found that with my parents very few requests for an original even with the things that I expected to be strict like the IRS and stocks & investments. I didn't need a dozen for mom or dad.
Get that gun safe over to your garage asap.
Good luck with everything Eddie.

 

[ultrarunner]

Neighbor passed with 3 locked safes and it was straightforward for safe smith to drill and open.

One was full of gold and silver coins, another fire arms and another family documents going back forever.

Would it be too hard to gather the safe and other items for keeping at your place?

As long as the family is in agreement meaning your parents mostly in this case I would be active like you.

Had a friend wait not knowing what to do and a lot a stuff disappeared... some had claim like a horse trailer that was borrowed but other things like shop tools never to be seen...

There are things that require immediate attention and others like selling land that can wait...

I wish you and your parents strength and when it gets overwhelming remember one day at a time...

 

[YanmarFever]

When someone asks for a certificate, offer them a copy. I've found that with my parents very few requests for an original even with the things that I expected to be strict like the IRS and stocks & investments. I didn't need a dozen for mom or dad.
Get that gun safe over to your garage asap.
Good luck with everything Eddie.

^^^^^^ Eddie get that gun safe out of his house NOW! while he is still alive, the state will want to see inside if he passes, along with a list of all the contents.

Inside the safe might be a lot of the info that you seek, papers notes, titles.
It will be a pain in the butt to get that safe out, but it might contain what you need.
Also don't post all over the internet that he is in the hospital, the next time you visit his house, everything might be gone...
I'm sorry to hear about your brother, hopefully a miracle will happen.