Broomfield, CO asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Colorado

Q: A check for unclaimed funds made payable to me on behalf of heirs of my dad. Am I able to deposit this in my own acct?

Hi, my father passed away about 16 years ago. I visited https://colorado.findyourunclaimedproperty.com/ to search for unclaimed assets, and I found some in his name. He did not leave a will, and there wasn't an obituary. I was executor and sole heir of his estate because I am his only child. I had my mom and half-sister and half-brother who have a different father write letters attesting to the fact that I am my dad's only heir. I finally received a check for the unclaimed funds, and it is made payable to "[my name] on behalf of heirs of [my dad's name]". Am I able to just deposit this in my own personal checking account, or do I need to reopen an estate account? Thank you for your assistance.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Nina Whitehurst
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Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Crossville, TN
  • Licensed in Colorado

A: Yes, the state made the check payable that way to impress upon you the obligation to share the funds with your dad's other theoretical heirs, but as there are none, you can safely deposit the funds in your bank account and you need not worry about having to share it with other heirs.

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