Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California
Sister died leaving no Will or Appointment of Administrator
My sister from La Verne, CA, unmarried, no children; left an estate consist of mobile home $10K; car $1K; Savings, stocks & bonds $30K. Survived by 5 siblings & 2 other deceased leaving 3 & 4 children each. All residing in other States. I live the closest in Covina, CA & the youngest. I am in good terms with my bro./sis. & all agreed that I should handle the estate. The space rent of the mobile home is running, how can I sell? How can I sell the car, withdraw money from the bank, cash stocks/bonds? Do I need legal assistance? How much will it cost?
3 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Sister died leaving no Will or Appointment of Administrator
First you need to be appointed administrator and get letters of administration. The estate needs to be probated. It is not an easy procedure for a layperson, and may be costly as well. There was one estate that I probated in which I discovered $ 150,000.00 of assets that the executor in pro per did not realize belonged to the estate because of his lack of understanding of real estate law. Attorney's fees are strictly regulated by law, call me directly at (619) 222-3504.
Re: Sister died leaving no Will or Appointment of Administrator
Thanks for your posting, and I am sorry to hear about your sister.
You will need to administer your sister's estate to probate court. Although this is something you can do yourself, you should get an attorney to at least advise you, if not to handle as much as possible.
After the court approves, you may sell or transfer the property. The court will give you "letters of administration", which you will need to present to the DMV, the recorder's office, etc., to sell property in your sister's name.
I have an office in Pomona, so if you'd like a consultation, or if you have any questions or want more information, I'm happy to help. Thanks, Robert
Re: Sister died leaving no Will or Appointment of Administrator
you need to get a probate lawyer and file a probate to get permission to sell property. if you are in Southern CA i can help you.