Your father-in-law became the sole owner of the property when his wife died (assuming, as is normal, he owned the house as "Tenants by the Entireties" with his wife). When he died, ownership of the house immediately vested in the estate, meaning the only person authorized to close on the... View More

It's going to take a bit of time, particularly if the property is in PG County. The quarantine has hit the Recorder of Deeds fairly hard, and the backlog seems to be a couple months on recording. The Register of Wills Offices across the state are closed and documents are being filed by remote.... View More

A gift tax return should be filed by Person B for the gift of their interest in the property to person A, but at person B's option, no estimated gift tax need be paid at this time, since the amount will be added back into Person B's gross estate when Person B dies for purposes of... View More

Sorry, your question is far too confusing as to specific facts (and punctuation, which is creating a lot of ambiguity). A lawyer will need to know the order of death for each person who has died, as well as a better description of the terms of your grandparents' wills (specifically, whether... View More

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answered on Oct 24, 2020

You should schedule an appointment with an elder law attorney. There is more than one way to do this. There is no one-size-fits all solution. A personal consultation is needed.

You are legally allowed to direct a gift or inheritance into a special needs trust, without receiving it directly yourself. You can have such a trust created when the time comes to receive the inheritance, or if one already exists, you can direct the funds into the existing special needs trust. Not... View More

It is not clear to me from your description exactly what the issue is, and you will need to discuss this with a Maryland lawyer. I assume what you are saying is that the estate consists of this older property, plus other cash assets. You initially ask if you can perform mold remediation before... View More

You may want to post the question under California, not Maryland and/or reach out to a California barred attorney. Real estate law varies from state to state and a Maryland attorney cannot answer the question about a transfer of California property. Presumably California like most states... View More

You need a lawyer in the state where your mother resides (you list Charlotte, NC, in the posting). So long as your mother is mentally competent, then she can execute a new Will. However, a Will does not act as or grant someone the authority to act as someone's attorney-in-fact like a power... View More

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... View More

Without seeing the trust agreement, I can only answer based on the facts you have provided. Usually the trust agreement will advise you as to how to resign as the trustee. If it's silent, then I suggest you talk to the sister about passing the torch and then following up your resignation in... View More

There isn't a form on the Register of Wills' website that would accomplish this. You should reach out to a local attorney to inquire about he/she assisting you with preparation of a proper disclaimer. It need not be anything fancy but it would be worth it to consult with an attorney about... View More

It surely sounds like your fiancé needs to talk to a lawyer who will review whatever documents her uncle has and the probate file. If she is the sole heir of an intestate estate, it is difficult to imagine why the $1.8M isn't in her hands after two years unless some conservatorship was... View More

Unfortunately, this is a matter of fact that must be determined by the court. You should contact an attorney in your area/county/city to determine whether there is a case for a presumption of death.

So, you are paying half value, which means the two minor heirs receive half their inheritance. Meanwhile, you get a house worth twice what you paid for it. The minor heirs lose half their inheritance. To you. I’m not seeing how this benefits them. Are they living in the house? Deed the house to... View More

Did he have a will? Has anyone opened an estate? That has to be done first. The person appointed personal representative of the estate will then have authority to find these things out, and access his papers, financial accounts, etc., for purposes of management until the estate may be distributed... View More

"QUIETING TITLE" means settling any dispute on the ownership of particular property. The condition of the property is usually irrelevant. Someone can only quiet title to property they either have a recorded interest in (meaning something like a deed recorded in the Land Records) OR... View More

It's sometimes difficult to know how to handle delicate estate situations. As a beneficiary of a trust, you have the right to review the trust itself and receive periodic accountings. I would start there and see what information you get. Hopefully, you will not need to involve the courts in... View More

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answered on Jul 6, 2020

It is hard to say how that $30,000 will be divided without knowing what ELSE was included in your dad's estate. In general, because your dad died without a will, his surviving spouse would receive $15,000 plus half of everything else in his estate. His children would receive the amounts not... View More

Well, if it was signed by your grandfather, in the presence of two witnesses, who also signed the will in their and his presence, then the signature requirements of the law are satisfied for making a valid will. Whether the document as a whole makes a valid will cannot be determined by the facts... View More