Q: My parents lived in Chicago and owned a home in Puerto Rico. They both passed away within the last year and half.
My parents lived in Chicago and owned a home in Puerto Rico. They both passed away within the last year and half. My brother and I (we live in Chicago) would like to sell the house in Puerto Rico. My mother did not have a will. My father signed a will but it was not notarized. The signature was witnessed by one person and the signing was video recorded. What do we have to do in order to sell the house in Puerto Rico.
A: You'll probably have to have an attorney open an estate in the name of whichever parent died second. The estate should be opened in the county and state in which that parent lived at the time of death. The attorney who opens the estate will probably need to find an attorney in Puerto Rico to open what is called an ancillary estate there. The two attorneys will coordinate whatever is necessary to sell the house, both in the courts and otherwise.
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