Q: Our father died intestate in Pennsylvania. How do we claim remaining assets?
He required round the clock nursing care so was in a nursing home. My sister had POA and we had to liquidate his assets to pay medical bills. One investment firm, Putnam, refused to recognize the POA while he lived, and even though our father passed in 2009, they still hold onto this one remaining asset.
A: As a group you and your siblings are eligible to be granted letters of administration and open an estate. May be easier for one of you to apply for letters of administration and the rest to renounce. You can then open an estate account and collect your fathers assets and pay outstanding bills, taxes, etc
A:
I agree with the prior answer by counsel, with a caveats.
When someone, e.g., a bank, a custodian of accounts, refuses to honor a POA, the time to resolve that issue is while the grantor under the POA is still alive. Powers of attorney, even the "durable" sort, expire at death of the grantor, at least to those who know of the death.
Your question, like most, leaves much unsaid. Speak to an experienced attorney licensed in PA about your issues, who will examine your full plate of issues, for the best answers.
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.
