Q: My sister passed away and her things are at her boyfriend's house but he won't give them to me voluntarily.
They are not married and he has pawned several things already and she did not leave a will. She also has a husband who is incarcerated but gave me power of attorney of her and her property.
A: The power of attorney expired when your sister died. You now need to go to court to be appointed as executor of her estate. As executor you will have the power of the court behind you when you demand that the boyfriend turn over her property, and you can also sue him for the value of the property that he sold. You can also recover from the pawn shop any property of hers that they have not already sold, because it was stolen property.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
