Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

My Father passed away 3 years ago. There was no will. He lived with a woman for about 10 - 12 years prior to his death. They had joint bank accounts, live in a penthouse in Long Beach, have a lot of nice things. He was President of a Telecommunications Company in South Africa. When he passed. the woman he lived with for so many years basically told myself and his other 3 children that he had nothing in his name, no money, no assets, no property, no insurance. Basically all he had was the shirt on his back. She boxed up what she believed were his things and told us to pick them up. We know for a fact that there are several items that she is still holding onto of his(ID's, Wallet, Passports, Bank Statements, etc) that she refuses to release to us. She refused to show us any bank statements or any of my Fathers personal documents that may shed light on what he actually had. This has been on going for the past 3 years and we are unable to get adequate closure with his death. Any Help? Where do I begin to find out what he owned if she refuses to release any personal information of his?


Asked on 5/15/10, 7:12 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Anthony Roach Law Office of Anthony A. Roach

If the bank accounts were joint, the money in the account became hers when he died by right of survivorship. In that particular case, the amount of money in the joint account would be irrelevant. As to any real property, you would have to look at the property records at the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office to determine how title to the penthouse was held. You can contact the tax assessor, and they will tell you who owns a parcel of property in Los Angeles. If the property was jointly owned, it is hers by right of survivorship.

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Answered on 5/21/10, 8:16 am


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