Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in New York
Cheated out of my inheritance?
According to my father's will, my mother was to inherit the tax-exempt portion of his estate. My mother claimed that there was no money in the estate. She offered me a small amount of money to use as a down payment on my first apartment, which I accepted. To be given the money, I had to sign a form stating I was renouncing any claims on the estate. I signed, as I'd been told there was no money in the estate. However recent events have led me to believe I was misled. How can I find out how much was in the estate, as my mother will not tell me. Also, since I did sign the waiver, do I have any recourse?
Thank you.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Cheated out of my inheritance?
Based on your ZIP code I assume you live in Manhattan. You need to go to the Surrogate's Court in the County where your father resided before his death and check the probate file. The filing fee for probate is determined by the value of assets being probated. It should indicate the dollar amount of the gross estate.
If your mother misled you, you may have some recourse. The NY County Surrogate's Court is located at 51 Chambers Street, just north of City Hall.
Re: Cheated out of my inheritance?
You can go the Court House and check the estate file to see if any papers were filed indicating the estate assets. If you were mislead you may have a remedy.
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
