Part 3 of a 3-Part Article
This is a continuation of the article published in last two month’s issues, which provides direction to those who have recently lost a loved one and believe they are responsible to take the immediate steps to secure the decedents property and identify assets. Keep in mind that a nomination under a Will does not convey any legal authority until a judge has determined that the person is qualified and has appointed the person in that capacity.
Previously we discussed securing real estate and valuables and locating important documents. The following list of activities should also begin with in the first 48 hours after death:
- Work on gathering a list of online accounts and passwords (Investments, Banks, Venmo, PayPal, digital currency, etc.)
- Notify the credit card companies of the death.
- Discontinue discretionary services such as internet, cable, cell phone, etc. (Do not discontinue essential services to the home, such as electricity, gas, or water.)
- If a family member will be using the decedent’s car, contact the insurance company to ensure that the person is a named insured on the policy and obtain liability coverage for a high dollar amount. If there is an accident, and someone is killed, the estate will be responsible for a very large lawsuit.
- Move any vehicles off street parking so that they do not get towed.
- If anyone has borrowed any item of value, ask for it to be returned (trailers, lawn tractors, etc.)
- If there are outbuildings, such as on a farm, secure them and consider installing video cameras aimed at doors or items of value, such as tractors that are not stored indoors.
- Put trailer hitch locks on trailers. They tend to disappear very quickly.
- Keep receipts of anything you have paid for out of pocket. Even if you are not the person who ends up being responsible for things, you can be paid back for what you have paid for (presuming that the estate has any money at all.)
Remember that everyone is in grief. Different people’s brains react differently in grief. Short term memory is a problem for many people in grief, not just elderly people with dementia. Write things down so that you remember what you did and/or what you plan to do. Put information you are giving others in writing for them to keep as a reference. This will help you avoid lots of problems.
