My dad didn't have a will but my uncle said that he notified the bank that my dad had 2 kids and no wife and that he would like the money to be given to us both equally. I live in Florida.
Now I lost communication with my uncle and he didn't give me the name of the bank or account... Read more »

answered on Jan 18, 2023
It appears that you need to contact an attorney in Puerto Rico. Your question has nothing to do with Florida law.
Grandmother died in 2013 without a will and she had seven children/heirs. The house remains in my grandmother’s name to this day, and my aunt moved in and took control of the house without the consensus of all the heirs.
My aunt made a document for my uncle to sign in the U.S. in... Read more »

answered on Jan 10, 2023
There are three ways in which an heir can transfer his/her hereditary rights to another: by ceding said rights to another, by donating the rights or by repudiating his/her inheritance. The first two must be done by subscribing a deed (escritura) before a notary, with both the donator and the... Read more »
After grandmother died without a will, aunt entered house, removed uncle’s belongings & changed the locks.
Two offers from aunt:
Option 1 pay each sibling $5,000 for their share. $5,000 each for 7 heirs is $35,000 total valuation for house.
Option 2 threatened to go... Read more »

answered on Jan 5, 2023
From the scenario that you paint, Option 2 (going through the Puerto Rico courts) seems the better alternative. It will force an appraisal of the real estate, to determine each heir's share in the estate. Any expenses incurred in maintaining the property or even increasing its value will be... Read more »
We were told by executor that the siblings portion, since they have passed away, is cancelled. I

answered on Jan 3, 2023
I'm assuming that your aunt left a Will upon her demise. The date of your aunt's death will determine the answer to your question. If your aunt died before November 28, 2020, her estate is subject to the Puerto Rico Civil Code of 1930. After November 28, 2020, her estate is subject to the... Read more »
I pay no taxes in the states. Will that make any difference on the 20% Tax?

answered on Nov 18, 2022
At this time, Puerto Rico does not have an inheritance tax. Nevertheless, if an heir residing in the states sells his/her share in a real estate property located in Puerto Rico, the proceeds of the sale are subject to a 15%-20% retention pursuant to the Puerto Rico Tax Code, so as to force the... Read more »
Have to travel to the island to get my funds. Is this correct?

answered on Nov 18, 2022
As a rule, banks prefer to personally deliver in hand checks to each of the heirs, unless an heir living abroad grants a special power of attorney authorizing someone else to physically appear to collect the funds. If you already have an attorney working the case and you cannot travel to Puerto... Read more »
Assets. Do I have to go to Puerto Rico to receive my money?

answered on Nov 18, 2022
Certain steps must first be addressed before determining who can collect.
With a copy of your late father's death certificate, a certification of Will must be procured from the Puerto Rico Office of Notary Inspections (I'm assuming that his Will was signed and subscribed in Puerto... Read more »
The home was purchased over 20 yrs ago by both for retirement purposes.

answered on Nov 9, 2022
You need to speak with a PR estate planning attorney if the property is in PR as you have stated. Things to consider include, is there a Will, what does the property deed say, is there a Trust? It is possible the property will pass to your mom per PR laws, Will and or other estate planning that is... Read more »
Mayaquez, PR is where my grandfather resided . Not getting much help from that side of family, was born in the US so not very close to them.

answered on Oct 27, 2022
When a close relative dies, such as the case of your grandfather, the first thing that needs to be done is whether the deceased died having left a Will or not. If no Will exists, a Declaration of Heirs must be petitioned from the Puerto Rico court. Depending on when your grandfather died, the court... Read more »

answered on Oct 15, 2022
I'm assuming that the will was granted in Puerto Rico. If that's the case, the Puerto Rico Notary Law demands that an attorney-notary who has authorized a will must notify a certified copy of said will with the Office of Notary Inspection's Registry of Wills. If your sisters wish to... Read more »
My dad passed away and he owned a house in Rincon, PR. The house was bought between my dad and mom. My mom passed away about 20 years ago. A “Declaration of inheritance” was done at that time because my mother did not have a will. My dad remarried about 14 years ago and passed away this... Read more »

answered on Oct 14, 2022
A recent Puerto Rico Civil Code came into effect as of November 28, 2020 by Public Law no. 55 of June 1, 2020. In this version, the widow is entitled to an equal share of the deceased's estate, same as the deceased's children. Thus, the answer to your question is that your dad's... Read more »

answered on Sep 15, 2022
You need to repost your question under the Puerto Rico section not NJ as you have to have a chance of getting the right answer as here you will only get NJ lawyers and most don't know Puerto Rican law.
of heirs? Or is it as simple as just walking in? Can you recommend a lawyer in Isabela?

answered on Sep 14, 2022
Greetings:
It depends on whether the matter turns adversarial, if there are discrepancies or concerns the court might recommend it.
a birth certificate, but the apparent sister doesn’t have a birth certificate with my father listed as her father nor does she have DNA results to prove a legal relationship. So what can she do to be eligible to receive my father’s inheritance? Can her and I perform a sibling dna test? Will... Read more »

answered on Sep 5, 2022
The test results only present a probability of kinship between 2 sisters, especially when related by only one parent. Photo comparison with grandparents and other relatives also help. How and under what circumstances DID your father recognize her as his daughter?
lady as his daughter too, that I don’t think is biologically his. Will this young lady have to provide proof that she is indeed an offspring of my father’s to inherit a portion of his estate?

answered on Sep 5, 2022
You don’t state what form did your dad’s recognition of your (apparent) sister take. If your dad recognized her as his legal daughter in a Last Will & Testament, she would only need to provide proof of identity. With no Will, you’d both need to go before the court for a Declaration of... Read more »
She is in the process of selling her home. In the event she passes before home is sold, the proceeds of the sale would go to the heirs.
At which time then, the heirs would need to file to obtain these funds. Is there a way to avoid the legalities later, by drafting & filing documents... Read more »

answered on Aug 18, 2022
Since your grandmother resides in Puerto Rico, your question would be better directed to attorneys in Puerto Rico instead of New York. However, regardless of the jurisdiction, a living will does not address the disposition of property but merely the care of someone who may become incapacitated.
Moving this over somewhere else. Sorry

answered on Aug 16, 2022
This is not a Family Law question and is not in New York. This should be posted in the estates catagory and in Puerto Rico.
he died and everyone said he left money for all his grand children, but my mother wont share a copy of the will. People are saying she stole my inheritence.

answered on Jul 25, 2022
I'm assuming that your grandfather died in Puerto Rico and that he granted his Last Will & Testament in Puerto Rico. As such, the first step would be to procure a copy of his death certificate from the Demographics Registry. With the certificate in hand, a request for certification would... Read more »
I have my stepdad will which was created in 1994. He resided in Florida at that time. He passed away in 2007 in Puerto Rico. He did not have any children on his own. He was married to my mom and she also passed away in 2012. The asset in question is a house located in Puerto Rico. I was told by the... Read more »

answered on Jul 21, 2022
Puerto Rico courts have jurisdiction, since your dad left an estate in Puerto Rico. The same holds true for your mom's estate, assuming that the real estate property you write off was jointly acquired by both of your parents. Your dad's will, if you have the original, may be eligible to... Read more »
The will left everything to 1 person, who is deceased, their 3 kids are heirs. The deceased had a brother and sister who were not in will but are being allocated 1/9th each of the estate value (1/3 of 1/3 forced heir dispost). 5 heirs are using 1 attorney and 1 heir has their own. The question is... Read more »

answered on Jul 18, 2022
If the deceased left is entire estate to one person who is - I assume - a sibling, I take it to mean that the deceased died without a spouse, without descendants, and without living parents. The way you describe the proposed distribution, it seems that the deceased granted his/her Last Will &... Read more »
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.