Asked in Estate Planning for Florida

Q: My grandfather charlie cotton owned many properties in Osceola county! In 1934 he opened up the pinky villa, the first

Night club in Osceola county, when he died he made a trust and my father Ronald phillips was executer over the entire estate. When my father passed away three years ago me being the only child with his last name everything was passed down to me, my aunt and uncle manipulated and lied to me to get me to sign everything over into my uncles name. Since then they have sold properties such as the pawn shop me and my father worked at and a few others where they split everything between them two and left me completely out of everything. I have been threatened to move into the room at the end of the house my father and I lived in and my aunt has taken over the entire home and makes verbal threats to me on a daily basis as to why I’m not part of the trust ect. They take trips and buy each other gifts and treat me like I’m nobody now

Please help me ! I need some advice on what to do!

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: You will need to get a copy of the Trust and or any other probate/estate documents and the documents that you signed and have them reviewed by a Florida Probate Attorney. Of particular concern is the fact that you have waited 3 years to take any action in order to start to address this matter and these issues. The Trust documents should be very clear on who receives what and when, again, the documents you signed will be important. I would further add, it is important to get copies of any deeds related to these properties or have an attorney look them up, as the deeds themselves will have a big impact on what can, could or cannot be done. Your father's estate should have passed in accordance with his Will/Trust, the fact that they have been able to sell all or many of the properties is truly an ominous sign of the rights and ownership that you may have signed away and given up rights to related to your father's estate.

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