My mother died almost 4 years ago and grandpa told me and my brother what we was to inherit and our children inherit. All of a sudden after hes gone the will is no where to be found my uncle wont talk to anykne. Noones allowed on the farm. Gramdpa told me that me and my btother would split our... Read more »

There are a lot of issues here. The first thing you need to do is to determine whether or not an estate has been opened in the Probate Court. I am assuming your grandfather was from the Columbia area, which would be Boone County. If there was a Will and it was validly excuted by your... Read more »
They split months before passing.

Missouri does not recognize Common Law marriage, unless the couple was living in another State where it was lawful. Beyond that, it sounds to me like they WERE married but had separated. If they WERE legally married, separated or not, at the time the decedent died, then the Wife is entitled to... Read more »
Dad passed in nov/21. I'm sure I'm a beneficiary but not sure. Sister won't tell me anything. I don't know where to look in Jackson co Missouri. I do have a right to see it . My dad had to have left me something. I'm sure .I don't know who the executor was.

For a death certificate contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, or funeral homes typically assist in obtaining death certificates. You can check Missouri Case.Net online court records to see if a probate case has been opened. If your sister... Read more »
Their is no documentation for stocks. The estate checking account had a vanguard deposit. It sat for 1 week than removed then we got paid a sizable dirct deposit from vangard.
I don't understand. Why it isn't listed.

I could be wrong, but it certainly sounds like the Vanguard account was set up to pay on death to the beneficiaries. This would explain why you subsequently received a large payout from Vanguard. It would also explain why a payment might have gone to a bank account and then was removed.... Read more »
I'm filling out the MHD Estate Recovery Questionnaire. How should I answer that question, yes or no? Thank You!!!

This is a tricky issue as the Missouri Department of Social Services has extensiver powers as a "taxing authority" to avoid non-probate transfers where the decedent owed a State debt - typically when the decedent was receiving Medicaid benefits. Due to the sensitive nature, I would not... Read more »

Assuming you are within a year of your mother's death, you will need to open a probate estate. Once the estate is opened, the personal representative of the estate will have the right to retake possession and remove the brother.

That question cannot be adequately answered without more information, such as: Is this actually "willed" to you and your brother and sister, OR is has it actually passed to you immediately by virtue of a non-probate transfer device, such as a Beneficiary Deed. Is there actually an open... Read more »
Given her low assets - no estate....no executor
1. Am I or our children responsible for the $14 K CC debt?
2. do we ignore the CC company...who is harassing us?

You and your children are not required to pay her debts. It appears that your former wife's debts were personal to her and she left no resources that would be available for creditors, You are entitled to tell the creditors to go to hell and not to contact you any more. Given the apparent... Read more »
My dad filed a beneficiary deed for 2 of his properties in 2017 leaving both to my brother. Earlier this year, he wrote a statement saying that I am to get one of the properties and had it notarized. Our father has since died. My brother has filed a quit claim deed, making me the co-owner of one... Read more »

Assuming the Beneficiary Deeds were recorded, (you state "filed"), and nothing has been recorded since then, the beneficiary deed controls and your brother is the legal owner of the real properties. A notarized statement does not meet the requirements of a valid will and has no legal... Read more »

Yes--a beneficiary designation takes priority over a Will. A beneficiary designation is a form of "non-probative transfer," which takes place separately from any testamentary documents.
My sister and I should have partial ownership of the house and his belongings. Can we enter the house without her permission to secure his belongings?

If the wife refuses again, you could Probate his Estate and the Administrator marshal up the Estate Assets. Or you could hire a competent MO attorney to file an Action for a Partition Sale of the real property, which will definitely get her attention.
Then she presented a death certificate showing she was cremated. The sister finally got out of old folks home and everyone shocked shes alive. All this over 2000 acres of land.

If the facts are anywhere near what I think you are stating, then the Sister may have several causes of action. She will need a very competent MO attorney to search the titles to the entire 2000 acres first. The present owners and tax histories could be horrible. Hopefully the Sister is... Read more »
She wants to sell the home because she is broke. I live in the home my father owned with her. Do I have any rights to keeping the home? She in her divorce papers and in emails states she had no interest in the property and my father was keeping the property. Is there any law that protects me as his... Read more »

My condolences for your father's passing. Unfortunately, this is more of an Estate/Probate and/or family law attorney question than immigration. Best wishes!

The easy answer is call an attorney and spend an hour determining what your parents left in the way of assets, then follow the attorney's advice. That is the first step.
Often our parents leave a variety of types of assets - life insurance, retirement accounts, investment accounts,... Read more »
He claims his dad had dementia and was not in his right Mind when he changed the percentages 4 months before he passed. There are 5 beneficiaries on his Edward Jones account and I don’t have the $ to hire an attorney. I don’t know how much money it is, when I called Edward jones they... Read more »

You are entitled to represent yourself but you'll increase your chances of a good outcome if you find a way to come up with money to hire an attorney.
Ronald J. Eisenberg
Schultz & Associates LLP
640 Cepi Drive, Suite A
Chesterfield, MO 63005
Direct: (636) 733-6647
Fax: (636) 537-2599
Roommates waited 3 weeks to tell family members about our aunts death

I would speak with a probate attorney.
My mom was listed primary beneficiary on my Dad's life insurance policies but died before receiving the payout. My parents did not have a will cuz everything was covered with beneficiaries and transfer upon deaths. Well except for inheritance of my Dad's life insurance money because we... Read more »

A small estate affidavit should be sufficient for this purpose. By this I mean an Affidavit for Collection of a Small Estate that has actually been filed in the Probate Court of the County in which your mother was domiciled when she died. It should have a case number and be approved by the Court.... Read more »
maintenance until it is resolved. thank you

The house is subject to County Property Taxes, not the titled owners. Insurance and Taxes will have to be paid by someone or the mortgage will go in default and foreclosure. Determine who the Sister's Heirs are and then ask them for contribution, or try to pay a small sum for a Deed over to... Read more »
One of the 7 siblings is the executor/trustee. The executor/trustee is refusing to tell all beneficiaries what the assets are and what debts are owed and what distributions would be due to beneficiaries. She is being very nasty and condescending to the rest of the siblings. We have not been able to... Read more »

You may want to hire an attorney to sue the Trustee. Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Conversion, and Removal For Cause and an Accounting come to mind as some of the possible causes of actions. After filing suit, request production of several documents including tax returns. The lawyer will also need... Read more »

There are several ways that you can potentially obtain the funds on deposit in his account. The easiest would be your father's account had a POD provision payable on death) to you or JTWROS (joint tenant with rights of survivorship) to you. In that event, a certified copy of his death... Read more »
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