Part 1 of a 3-Part Article
Making post death arrangements is difficult for anyone, especially those who are in grief. If you are kind to those you would leave behind, you will have your estate plan (a Last Will and Testament or Revocable Living Trust) in place and keep a list with details of all your investments, real estate, and vehicles. Include 1) the numbers (account, policy, certificate); 2) the names of all the owners of the account (some accounts are owned jointly with other people or are owned by your Revocable Living Trust); 3) whether there is a named beneficiary on the account and who it is; and 4) if there is an agent you are working with, the name and contact number. Also include information on where to find real estate abstracts and vehicle titles and whether you have a safety deposit box (including where to find the key).
If you are in the unfortunate situation where someone needs to be in charge, and you do not have a tidy list from which to operate, aside from making funeral arrangements, here are the steps you should take in the first 48 hours, in the order of priority.
- If the house will be empty for a bit, empty the refrigerator, remove potted plants and pets, turn the thermostat to 60, open the cabinet doors under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and lock it up. Yes, there will be a time soon, when whomever is legally tasked with the responsibility of distributing personal property will need to access the house. However, people tend to want to congregate in the home, which very quickly leads to missing personal property, such as jewelry and collectables.
- Contact the real estate insurance company to inform them of the vacancy and make arrangements for someone to clear the sidewalk, mow, etc. so that it does not look vacant. Most insurance policies have an exclusion that lets them out of paying for any damage if they are not notified of a vacant house.
- Do not let anyone who is not specifically listed on the decedent’s insurance policy drive any of the decedent’s vehicles. I understand that the car is handy and just sitting there. However, if there is an accident, the decedent’s estate will be responsible for the damages, which could wipe out the entire estate. (“I have insurance on any car I drive” is not a valid reason. Ultimately, the owner is ALWAYS responsible.)
- Call for an appointment with an attorney who handles post death issues.
