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Questions Answered by Theressa Hollis
1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: -My husband passed away on June 29th. He was an independent contractor with a communication company here in Oregon.

He was paid monthly on a contract with a client that he had negotiated with. When I didn't receive his monthly check, I called and the company told me that they stopped paying him upon his death even though they had received payments from his customer. Are they able to just stop paying upon... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Sep 8, 2023

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your instinct to view the contract is a good one. I can't imagine that their "internal decision" will control what happens with the remainder of the contract payments. You may need to file a probate to collect the remainder of the contract. I... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: My wife passed away this month. Do I need to go through probate if we have joint accounts in the banks.

The only thing separate is her IRA. We had a will made over 30 years ago.

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Aug 29, 2023

I am sorry for your loss. If she had named a beneficiary on her IRA and all of her other accounts were joint with you then you should not need a probate (assuming she didn't own any property in her name alone). Wait a couple of months after her death and then you can present her Death... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Real Estate Law for Oregon on
Q: Does joint tendency on property on a joint deed apply to a second property owned by just one of the tenants ?
Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Aug 22, 2023

No. Not unless the second property's legal description was on the first Deed (which is unusual). Most of the time each property has its own Deed.

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: What can I file if my deceased significant others personal representative won't acknowledge his will and omitted it.

The personal representative filed small estate with out including the will, is with holding my inheritance and won't communicate with me or release property left to me.

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Aug 7, 2023

You should be able to file the Will with an Amended Small Estate Affidavit. I recommend you hire a probate attorney to assist you with this.

1 Answer | Asked in Banking and Probate for Oregon on
Q: My mother passed away. She had a pay on death statement on one account from many years ago .

She listed my sister as the beneficiary on that account with a pay on death statement. She has had multiple accounts since, re married, and never listed a survivor, or a beneficiary on any of the other accounts. When my mother passed my sister took the old POD from the first account and cleared all... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jul 25, 2023

I am very sorry for your loss. It is possible that the Payable on Death (POD) designation that your mother signed with her bank could have covered all of her accounts with that bank. It just depends on the language in what she signed. There isn't any sort of time limit on a POD designation.... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: I am fighting cancer and my brother filed an affidavit 7 months ago for my moms estate and never disclosed me as an heir

He has been telling me her estate is not settled but I had an investigator find the affadavit where he didn't disclose me as an heir. He has been lying to me and took everything. I am going to hospice and have large medical bills I told him I needed help How do I get my portion of my... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jul 7, 2023

I'm sorry to hear you are having to deal with so much. Is it possible that your mother had signed a Will? Even if the answer is "Yes" you should have been included on the Small Estate Affidavit and received a copy of it in the mail from your brother. I recommend you hire a probate... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law, Foreclosure and Elder Law for Oregon on
Q: I am looking into getting stuff together, like a POA, Trust, Will for my 81 year old mother. Also looking to defer taxes

My sister and I live with mom and we are all on disability. I don't know what all we need to do for all of this and we can't afford and attorney. We need property taxes to keep from going into foreclosure. Any help will be appreciated.

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 30, 2023

Go to this website and follow the steps to help your mother defer her Oregon property taxes:

https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/property/pages/senior-and-disabled-property-tax-deferral-program.aspx

If your mother lives in Multnomah County she may be eligible for free legal...
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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: Is the trustee obligated to account to beneficiaries for funds held in reserve?

We think the trustee has just taken reserve funds for himself. For example attorney reserve the courts allowed be held. The trustee refuses to send us bank statements for the trust accounts so that we can verify the funds that are supposed to be there are still there. Says he doesn't have to,... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 26, 2023

You are correct. The trustee must account for how all of the trust monies are spent. I recommend contacting the trustee's attorney instead of the trustee directly.

You are also correct that it's the Court case that is closed, not the trust. The trust is not terminated until all...
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1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy, Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Tax Law for Oregon on
Q: What is the law around amending revocable trust, adding child to house title or deed?

He wants to add me to the house title or deed and give it to me through a trust. He owes @$20,000 in property taxes and $60,000 on the mortgage. I believe he has a revocable trust now that needs only to be amended. However, we are unsure about possible issues that may arise due to the deferred... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 20, 2023

I recommend that your father return to his estate planning attorney to discuss the pros and cons of adding someone to the title of his house. With few exceptions, at his death the mortgage will very likely need to be paid off and the property taxes will need to be paid. If the mortgage company... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: Im in Oregon and my mother passed away with a notorized will in which I am the beneficiary of her manufactured home

(She owned free and clear but paid rent to the MH park where it's located ), her Car (I paid off her car loan a week after her death and the bank said I simply needed to fill out the affidavit of inheritance form, that they provided along with THEIR own notary('s) stamp/signature, and... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 19, 2023

I am sorry for your loss. If there are no other assets that are in your mother's name alone then Oregon has two forms you can fill out to transfer her vehicle and her manufactured home without a probate.

Go to: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/forms/dmv/516fill.pdf for the vehicle. All of...
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1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: Do you have to go though probate if your name is on a deed but not on the mortgage? Person that had loan is deceased.

We want to eventually pay off the house but have it under mine and my sister"s name. Is probate avoidable? Our mother recently passed. I know she has debt and I don't want to rock the boat. The mortgage co. said we can keep paying, but what happens in the long run? It can't continue... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 16, 2023

If your name is on the Deed with your mother you should have an attorney review the Deed. There are two ways for people to own Oregon properties. One with survivorship and one without. If you have survivorship then the house is yours and all you need to do to clear the title is record your... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Oregon on
Q: how important is it for the realitor to disclose information such as property tax laws to a senior citizen and easments

I bought a property in Toledo OR last March and a water line broke, I understand that it is my responsibility to fix the damage because the water meter is on my property. It is located across the street on a hill. I was not told by escrow or my realitor that I actually owned the road in front of... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Jun 7, 2023

Despite the fact that you are a senior this isn't actually an elder law question. You may do better posting this in the topic of real estate. As far as I know the realtor had no duty to warn you that your property taxes were likely to increase in the future. You would have been able to see... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: My father died, and my sister made herself pers. Rep. Of his estate, and took his money from his bank, and didn't report

Dad died, sister made herself pers rep. Of his estate, I was never notified or got any notice. She got an attorney for herself. She never showed me any legal documents of accounting or his bank accounts, she gave me 600$ and said that's all dad had in his bank. Come to find out he had over... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on May 9, 2023

I am very sorry for your loss. You will need to hire a probate litigator to assist you. If you communicate with your sister or her attorney I recommend you do so in writing (letter or email) so you have proof of the conversation.

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: Do I need to honor a writ of garnishment during probate in Oregon if I received the writ after the statue of limitations

Is a writ treated the same as a claim during the probate process that can be denied based on statue of limitations? I am the affiant/claiming successor in a small estate where I filed probate in January. State of Oregon sent me a writ to garnish money (any inheritance) for an heir listed in the... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on May 1, 2023

Is the garnishment for one of the probate devisees/heirs? If the answer is "Yes" and you hold money for this person then I think you have to abide by the garnishment. You don't deny a garnishment. If you no longer hold money for this person then you can answer the garnisher with... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: I need to fill out a court fee waiver form of a small estate probate form. I'm the petitioner. Who is the respondent?
Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Apr 19, 2023

The form isn't really designed for probate cases. I guess you could put, "Estate of ____________."

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: How can I sue a PR who was negligent in his duties and was deceptive when filing petitions in probate court.

I do have documents with deceptive wording..and time lines when events occurred. His neglect and avoidance of court orders cost me my house. He is not bonded , and I believe he should have been however I was without means to object until just recently. Now I am in desperate need of an atty in my... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Apr 17, 2023

You will need to hire a probate litigator to assist you. Hopefully the estate is still open and has not yet been distributed.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: Is it legal for a conservator to have there name added to the conservatees bank account and upon conservatees death the

There was ,$90000.00 in my mother's bank account when she died but my sister the conservator had her name added to my mom's account and upon her death it was reported that that money doesn't belong to the estate it belongs to my sister how is that possible

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Apr 17, 2023

Having your name on someone's bank account as their Conservator does not give the money in that account to the Conservator at the person's death. Is it possible that your mother named your sister as "Payable On Death" on that account before she became financially incapable... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Oregon on
Q: Can a probate judge in Oregon overturn a non-judicial foreclosure auction sale if PR was ordered to stop it?

PR was ordered to do all in his power to allow widow to make cash purchase within days of scheduled non-judicial foreclosure. PR took two days and did not notify lender until hours after auction sale concluded

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Apr 17, 2023

To get an accurate answer to your specific question an attorney will need to review all paperwork. I don't know for sure but my guess is that the foreclosure (assuming it was done properly within the law) will stand.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Oregon on
Q: Can I filed a small estate affidavit as an heir if I am not inheriting anything listed within the affidavit?

My mother passed away without a will and has a couple things that did not have a beneficiary listed (some stocks and an IRA). She was married to my father so he is the one who will receive those items. I want to file a small estate affidavit but am unsure if I can since I will not be benefitting... View More

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Mar 28, 2023

In an intestate estate (when someone dies without a Will) the people who can file the small estate affidavit are the heirs (your father, in this case) and any creditor. This means that if you pay one of your mother's bills or pay for her burial/cremation, for example, you will become a... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Health Care Law and Real Estate Law for Oregon on
Q: Can Oregon take my home if my mother left it to me and she signed a waiver to the state for home health care. She is dec

Eased and I am disabled

Theressa Hollis
Theressa Hollis
answered on Mar 27, 2023

If you can prove to the state that you are disabled then you may be able to qualify to have Estate Recovery stop collecting. I recommend you hire an experienced Medicaid attorney to assist you.

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