Sorry to hear it..Sad times..
My mother passed away this morning...
by Tatiana 100 Replies latest jw friends
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minimus
My thoughts are with you.
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Incognito
My condolences to you and your family!
It is difficult when a close relative dies, even when you haven't seen or interacted with them for many years. In some ways, it is harder as there were so many missed opportunities that can never be realized now.
Things will get better over time especially if you reflect on good memories and push the negatives away.
Although her possessions and money may not be something you wish to deal with right now, it is an important aspect of your mother's life that needs to be settled sooner than later.
I don't know about your state but here, if a person dies 'intestate' (without a Will) the rules of succession are Spouse - Children - Parents - Siblings - Neices/Nephews.
As you are your mother's only surviving child, you have priority to receive your mother's estate over your uncle. If your father remains living and they were not legally separated or divorced, he would have priority over you. If no Will is in-place, there would be a need for a court proceeding to assign an Executor to handle the settlement of the estate including submitting her income tax and determining a value of the entire estate for tax purposes.
If she did have a Will in place, the Will would first need to be Probated (legally recognized and notorized as "THE" official Will). This would be handled by the Executor that she should have named within her Will. The Executor is the only person that legally can deal with the estate and can gain access to bank accounts, sell property, submit insurance claims and the like.
If your mother had any life insurance policies, she would have named someone as a recipient and each policy would payout to the person named regardless of the terms of the Will.
Until these matters are addressed, property and assets should not be touched or given away as there is no clearly identified beneficiary(s). As your Uncle has already interferred with matters, he may be legally liable for the value of the items if it turns out that he was not entitled to act as Executor or was not to receive the items, even if he gave them away and didn't profit from them.
As you are an interested party and likely your mother's legal next-of-kin, you have legal right to know and pursue all the particulars of her estate regardless if you are or are not to receive a portion.
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perfect1
I continued to think about you today and like some of other posters suggest, I hope you can be strategic at this emotional moment and get a lawyer involved.
Please do. There are all kinds of vultures just waiting for this moment and expecting the bereaved to be unprepared legally.
Please!
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Tatiana
Thank you all for the legal advice and encouragement. It really means a lot right now. I spoke to my niece this morning about the will and she says she found one from 1989 in my mother's possessions signed by a lawyer and leaving everything to me, my brother, the two oldest granddaughters, and the KH equally. No mention of my uncle and my niece says that is probably why he won't show what he has to anyone. She is going to show it to him today and get back to me. My mother didn't have much. I really don't care about her belongings...only pictures of me and my sis as babies. It's just the principle that he wouldn't even call me and will not show anyone the will he says he has. That's really fishy. I'm not going to fight though. If what little she had means that much to him then by all means take whatever and feel good about it. I've been fighting for so long and I don't care anymore.
The funeral is Dec 1st. I am in the process of packing for a 3000 mile trip to SC from Seattle. My son in the military in Germany is also getting leave with his wife to attend. Whether or not they will let him in the KH with his military uniform I don't know. I guess we'll see.
lie is too short--I completely understand what you went through. Because my niece wasn't the one who found my mother my uncle made her feel like it was all her fault and that she was uncaring even though she told my uncle that my mother told her when she was at my mom's cleaning up that she didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. I hate the way they try to twist things around.
somebody!!! Thank you so much! ((((hugs)))) Tell zev thank you also!
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Tatiana
Thank you Mr & Mrs Flipper
sauerkraut-thank you for taking the time to read my rantings and ravings. I appreciate that.
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nugget
So sorry for your loss. I am sorry that you were unable to see her before she died and that you have to endure a kingdom hall funeral.
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Tatiana
As for the letter...I've decided to finish it and release it with a balloon at the KH burial service.
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hamsterbait
So sorry.
This should be an appendix in the books they use to sucker new recruits into the cancer.
HB
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Jim_TX
April,
My condolences.
My mother passed away several years ago. I remember my sister telling a fellow JW at the funeral... "We all thought that Armageddon would have been here by now..." or something similar.
My older sister was in shock... not sure what to do next, but all they know is to go back to their meetings - not think about the lost youth and other opportunities of life and living... and live on till death takes them.
Again, my condolences.
Jim TX
