Q: My mother passed away with no will. As her daughter, am I now responsible for her mobile home?
It is located in a seasonal campground where she paid a monthly lot rent. The trailer was never registered in her name, but she signed a lease in 2012. The owner is taking me to small claims court for the rent and cleanup fees. She says my mother added my name to the rental agreement, but I've never signed anything nor seen one. I have continued to pay after threatening phone calls because my mother's belongings were there. I cleaned it out in May and have not paid since. Am I responsible for this trailer with no title?
A:
No, you shouldn't be responsible for your mother's debts because you are her heir. And if you didn't sign a lease and never occupied the property, then you shouldn't be responsible for the lease either. If you paid rent for a while, that doesn't necessarily mean you became obligated to continue paying. You may wish to have an attorney help you remove the small claims case to district court, so the attorney can help you present a defense.
As always, you get what you pay for. Be sure to talk to an attorney about your specific situation before choosing to rely on any information you get from internet discussion boards, such as this one.
Kenneth V Zichi agrees with this answer
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