It is not possible for any attorney to predict what someone might inherit in the future from a now living former mother-in-law because that person could change their estate planning anytime until they die.

In the event that any property is at some point disbursed in the name of your late... View More

In a word, Yes. Probate is required whenever someone dies in Maryland owning property in their name. If not in a trust or with someone else on title to inherit the property, a house and any proceeds from its sale would belong to the probate estate.

The court will grant the personal... View More

A tax sale certificate is generally good for 2 years after the tax sale auction until the property owner redeems (a certificate owner would know this because they'd get paid back any money they put up at the tax sale) but you can also check the relevant county / city to check on status of... View More

To obtain vacant property one would contact the owner and make an offer to purchase.

In some cases, where the record owner stops paying property taxes, one might be able to purchase at tax sale.

While not legal advice I hope that this general information helps.

It only takes a few days to open an estate assuming no one contests the Personal Representative who files to open the estate. The law gives an order of Priority for people to serve as Personal Representative and if other people have higher priority (for example, children) it may be wise to get... View More

Very generally, material facts are those that relate to the property and would impact a decision to buy. Maryland law also requires that sellers expressly disclose all hidden (or "latent") material defects in a residence up for sale.

That said, Maryland law excludes by statute... View More

Assuming there are no specific orders or agreements at play Maryland law doesn't dictate where someone may live or how long. Someone could in theory stay at a hotel / motel for months or even years as long as they pay (though it probably would not be financially wise to do so).

New... View More

The District Courts of Maryland have exclusive jurisdiction over landlord/tenant matters and concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts for other civil matters up to $30,000.

Generally, the District Courts do not have jurisdiction to determine ownership in real property except as... View More

If the estate is a "small estate" (i.e., one with total assets under $50,000 if no surviving spouse) the process is greatly simplified. In many cases Personal Representatives can handle a small estate without formal attorney representation. Even with a small estate you may find it... View More

People are free to designate whomever they want as their health care power of attorney, regardless of their marital status, and legally the named agent has authority to communicate with doctors, etc. Obviously it could be very awkward if a wife (or husband) names a paramour while still married,... View More

Employees are free to work 5, 25 or 100+ miles from their place of employment (or any other distance), so the question isn't clear. The law doesn't mandate how far someone lives from their job and it is purely up to each person to decide what kind of commute they're comfortable... View More

There are not enough facts here. Anytime someone isn't paid for a job they were hired to do they could in theory sue. A lot of labor would fall under that category. However, the law has a theory that someone who is themselves in the wrong usually can't get the law to provide them... View More

If a signature was procured by fraud / misrepresentation that would be a defense. However, it may become a matter of he said / she said and a battle of conflicting testimony if someone presents a signed "contract" and the signer says they were falsely induced to sign it without... View More

Since the question deals with VA property, you'll want to post this to someone in Virginia.

An attorney cannot realistically answer this question without seeing the estate paperwork.

To get an ITIN one needs to fill out IRS Form w-7. The form can be found at the IRS website (irs.gov) An attorney may not be needed since this is mostly a matter of gathering your key documents (e.g., passport, birth certificate) and bringing or sending them to the IRS.

That form requires... View More

You may want to post the question under California, not Maryland and/or reach out to a California barred attorney. Real estate law varies from state to state and a Maryland attorney cannot answer the question about a transfer of California property. Presumably California like most states... View More

The question "am I at fault" in a dog bite (or nibble) case depends heavily on the facts, including what a dog owner knew about their pet (e.g., had it bitten before or was this the first time).

If an adult knowingly goes towards an animal (or their bone) after the owner warns... View More

The prevalence of addiction sadly leaves many families trying to figure out the best ways to support and help their loved ones. Maryland law has long recognized that chronic drunkenness or addiction to drugs can render someone unable to manage their own affairs and allows for adult guardianship in... View More

Transferring by making sure everything has a beneficiary on title usually saves significant time, effort and expense so it is a great idea to explore. While Maryland probate fees are not terribly high, it is not uncommon for estate expenses to eat up 4-5% or more of the assets with expenses like... View More