San Bruno, CA asked in Contracts, Probate and Estate Planning for California

Q: (California) Can a Step son be liable for the non-payment of a contract signed by a dead Step Father?

Essentially what happened was before I left for the Navy we (Me, my mother, and step father) had cable internet from the only cable place in the city which was in my step father's name though I was still on the lease for the aparetment. I left for the navy for like 3 years and then came back. Found out that my step father missed payments and owed 500 dollars in order to have it turned on again.Needless to say I didn't get cable internet again but soon after my step father died. Am I still liable to pay off his debt even though hes dead and I wasn't living here when he started missing payments?

1 Lawyer Answer
Richard Samuel Price
Richard Samuel Price
Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Redlands, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: If you are not liable on the utility account, then you are not personally liable for the debt. That is a debt of your step-father's estate. In general, the utility company has one year from the date of death to initiate a lawsuit on the debt.

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