Q: My father died in Maryland without a will.He has credit card debt. A home worth 53000 where my mom lives.
Do we have to sell the house to pay 4000 in credit card debt? My mom and I would like to take over the house. Brother doesn't want anything and all my dad had was the house. He took my mom's name off of the deed in 2001. We don't know why. We don't want to loose our home.
A: Discuss this with a lawyer. One option: Wait 6 months after date of death before opening the estate, and do not talk to the credit card companies or volunteer that he died, just stop making payments and ignore their calls. After 6 months open the estate and if the credit card companies file claims they’ll be too late and you deny them all (creditors cannot file a claim more than 6 months after the date of death of the decedent, and they can’t file a claim without an estate open). This is a bit unconventional, but it’ll work.
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.
