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answered on Apr 18, 2024
Under California law, if a house title is held in a trust, the trust itself is considered the legal owner of the property. The trustee, who is responsible for managing the trust assets, has the authority to make decisions regarding the property, including paying the mortgage.
In this... View More 
My father passed away, his wife refused to give his children his estate documents. I filed a petition with the court and her response stated - "I am aware that; I and my husband, prepared a Revocable Living Trust on or about July 11, 2023. Shortly after creating the Trust, my husband,... View More
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answered on Apr 17, 2024
In California, the Dead Man's Statute, also known as the Evidence Code Section 1261, limits the admissibility of statements made by a deceased person in certain legal proceedings. The statute is designed to protect the estate of a deceased person from fraudulent claims.
Under the Dead... View More
Deceased died in 2021. At death his business bank account had 180,000. No other property. A few weeks prior, he told girl friend to pay debts to 2 people totaling 46,000. One is a court order of $36,000, the other is a loan repayment. She didn't do it before he died. His children want to... View More
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answered on Apr 15, 2024
Based on the information provided, it seems the deceased's estate might qualify for the small estate affidavit procedure in California, as the total value of the estate appears to be under the $184,500 limit (as of 2023). However, there are a few potential issues to consider:
1.... View More
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answered on Apr 13, 2024
Under California law, the best approach for handling a valuable timeshare depends on your specific circumstances and goals. Here are some considerations for each option:
1. Adding a co-trustee to the timeshare deed:
- Allows for joint management and decision-making regarding the... View More
answered on Apr 15, 2024
The answer to this question is unfortunately not straightforward. It really depends on how your family trust is/will be structured. Furthermore, you may be able to title the property under a family trust and then have a co-trustee assist you with financial and other decision making. Married... View More
Sister wants to sell never transferred title so neither own it...she kept all documents... want to buy her out court had granted stay but she got it vacated lying to Court that i paid for nothing. Can I get vacate reconsidered? Like to live in home and reach agreement to buy her out.
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answered on Apr 11, 2024
I'm sorry to hear about your difficult situation. Here are a few key points and suggestions based on California law:
1. Title transfer: If the property was inherited and never properly transferred into your and your sister's names, the estate executor should have initiated a... View More
Panic attacks,social anxiety claimed disabled dependent. He told me to stay in the house so nobody could see my face. 1999 they had a irrevoocicable life insurance trust Second to die policy made. The house I lived in over 30 years was given to me. My dad remarried after her death.New wife was... View More
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answered on Apr 10, 2024
I'm so sorry to hear about your distressing situation and all the hardships you've endured. Being forcibly removed from your home after enduring abuse must have been traumatic. Living out of your vehicle while dealing with mental health struggles sounds incredibly difficult.
Given... View More
Panic attacks,social anxiety claimed disabled dependent. He told me to stay in the house so nobody could see my face. 1999 they had a irrevoocicable life insurance trust Second to die policy made. The house I lived in over 30 years was given to me. My dad remarried after her death.New wife was... View More
answered on Apr 10, 2024
If the home belonged to your father, he could do whatever he wanted with it. Unfortunately, transferring real estate from one person to another MUST be in writing. [Verbal agreements are acceptable in other areas of the law, but they are not enforceable to transfer real estate from one owner to... View More
House was inherited from my mothers trust. I am trustee and beneficiary. Not sure if transferor should be my mother, the trust, or myself as trustee.
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answered on Apr 4, 2024
Under California property tax law, the parent-child exclusion allows the transfer of a primary residence (and up to $1 million of assessed value of other real property) between parents and children without triggering a reassessment of the property value for property tax purposes.
In your... View More
House was inherited from my mothers trust. I am trustee and beneficiary. Not sure if transferor should be my mother, the trust, or myself as trustee.
answered on Apr 4, 2024
Two things: (1) Proposition 19 completely changed the property tax laws so the overwhelming majority of real estate in California will be reassessed to current value -- meaning property taxes will go up substantially in many cases -- so it isn't automatically true that the parent-child... View More
My friend who passed away had a Patton and trademark that some people have made up fake marriage and other recorded doc to steal his legacy?
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answered on Apr 4, 2024
In California, if you suspect fraudulent activities concerning a person's legacy, including patents and trademarks, it's crucial to address the matter with urgency due to the potential legal implications and the risk of significant financial loss. You can reach out to an intellectual... View More
I am a beneficiary in my grandparents trust, and it states that all beneficiaries must agree upon the sale of real property before it can be sold. My brother, who is also a beneficiary and a trustee, basically snaked half of my inheritance. I didn't have the money to contest anything or try to... View More
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answered on Mar 31, 2024
Under California law, as a beneficiary of a trust, you generally have the right to review and approve the terms of any sale of trust property. If the trust agreement requires all beneficiaries to agree to the sale of real property, you are not obligated to sign off on the sale unless you agree with... View More
Where can I find HUD approved language for a Living Trust to protect the lender and the HUD insured Reverse Mortgage? I believe this language is in a sample/template/boilerplate somewhere because the protection will be the virtually the same in every case. I would like to draft my Living Trust... View More
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answered on Mar 29, 2024
Finding HUD approved language for incorporating into a Living Trust, especially to protect both the lender and the HUD insured Reverse Mortgage, can be a focused task. Generally, such language is detailed in HUD's guidelines or provided by legal resources familiar with real estate and elder... View More
Where can I find HUD approved language for a Living Trust to protect the lender and the HUD insured Reverse Mortgage? I believe this language is in a sample/template/boilerplate somewhere because the protection will be the virtually the same in every case. I would like to draft my Living Trust... View More
answered on Mar 29, 2024
Please allow me to address your comment that you want to draft your own trust. I regularly tell clients that there are several legal documents that a template would work for, assuming the template is based on the correct state's law. But estate planning is unfortunately not one of those areas... View More
Will a letter of intent work for personal items, manuscript, etc instead of a will? Would a make your own will work, what form/doc is needed? Or does one need to go through a do your own legal office? Price? OR make some kind of real, more expensive will. IS lawyer needed? Due to no family what... View More
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answered on Mar 26, 2024
In California, if you pass away without a will (intestate), your assets are distributed according to state laws, which typically means your closest relatives will inherit. However, if you have no family, your estate may escheat, or revert, to the state. Personal items, manuscripts, and artworks... View More
Will a letter of intent work for personal items, manuscript, etc instead of a will? Would a make your own will work, what form/doc is needed? Or does one need to go through a do your own legal office? Price? OR make some kind of real, more expensive will. IS lawyer needed? Due to no family what... View More
answered on Mar 26, 2024
It is highly recommended that you have either a will or a living trust in place to transfer assets after passing. A will must be probated through the courts, so a living trust is another option which allows you to bypass probate if set up properly. What documentation you need is highly dependent... View More
Executor of my mom's trust, which I am beneficiary to, has been using his credit cards for expenses. And detailing and charging the trust of all the interest charges be accrued. Can I somehow dispute these charges and get back into the trust??
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answered on Mar 21, 2024
In California, the executor, also known as the trustee in the context of a trust, is typically expected to pay for trust-related expenses directly from the trust's assets rather than using personal funds. This is to ensure that all transactions are transparent and the trust’s assets are used... View More
Executor of my mom's trust, which I am beneficiary to, has been using his credit cards for expenses. And detailing and charging the trust of all the interest charges be accrued. Can I somehow dispute these charges and get back into the trust??
answered on Mar 22, 2024
Generally speaking, the executor should not be commingling estate funds and personal funds. Sometimes the latter is used for convenience, however best practice is to use the funds available from the estate to pay estate expenses. Regarding getting back into the trust, you should speak to a... View More
Sibling are making me pay the mortgage since I live in the house although the house will be sold and everyone will take a share. Are they legally right? I feel everyone should pay since they will also receive money for the equity of the house.
answered on Mar 19, 2024
Speak with a probate/trust attorney. There are too many facts missing from your question for it to be answered accurately in this forum. For instance, how is title held to the house? Is it in a trust? It may be that the house has to go through probate; if so, it may be a while before it can be... View More
Sibling are making me pay the mortgage since I live in the house although the house will be sold and everyone will take a share. Are they legally right? I feel everyone should pay since they will also receive money for the equity of the house.
answered on Mar 19, 2024
I would say that is a pretty common arrangement. In lieu of “rent” you would pay the mortgage and utilities. Of course this is a general answer and each situation is unique. If the mortgage is significantly more than fair market value rent than perhaps some other arrangement would be more fair... View More
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