Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Florida
getting info on fathers account info after death
I think my sister is hiding money from my fathers estate. She was elected poa and is supposed to divide everything equally between six of us. The problem is my father told me he had 60,000.00 in his savings and 9,00.00 in his checking along with cds and such. she is claiming there was only 3,000.00 in savings and 2,000.00 in checking. How can I get a hold of the bank statements to see what he had and also checking account statements?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: getting info on fathers account info after death
Why don't you just ask her to get the Bank statements for you? You don't need to accuse her of anything. Tell her your dad before he died mentioned that there was about $60,000 in the bank and you are concerned that he might have transfered it elsewhere. Looking at the checking account statement would tell you where. If she won't let you see the bank statement, then you know you have a problem and you will need to see a lawyer.
Re: getting info on fathers account info after death
You state that your sister was elected poa. Usually Poa is short for power of attorney which would automatically cease, as a matter of law, at the time of your father's death.
The first question is whether you think your sister, as poa when your father was alive, used his money to pay his debts or she took the money.
Did your father have a Will? First, see if your sister will answer your questions voluntarily. If not, there are ways, through the Court system to obtain these records.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me your telephone number by e-mail.