Can I solely make a claim for my deceased parents’
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Can I solely make a claim for my deceased parents’
I recently discovered that the State is holding unclaimed property from my deceased parents. It happens to be a rather significant amount of money. My sister is the person in charge of a trust that my mother set up in a Living Will. In order for me to claim the money, I need both death certificates and my mother’s probate documents. Obviously, my sister’s name will be listed as the head of the Trust. My sister sued me with my share of the inheritance in order to take the house I lived in. After selling my house she took all of her inheritance money, retired from her job, and is long gone. In the meantime, I have been living in and out of shelters, cheap hotels, and my car. She has no idea that this money is available. It has been held by the State now for about 15 years. Is there any possible way for me to claim this without her knowing?
Asked on January 25, 2019 under Estate Planning, Connecticut
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
In addition to the documents you mentioned on which your sister's name appears, you will also need to complete an heirship document for the unclaimed property on which you will need to list your name and your sister.
You will only receive your half of the funds. The state will retain the other half for your sister. Although the state might not notify your sister of the funds (this may vary from state to state), there are companies that search unclaimed property records, notify beneficiaries in order to charge a percentage to recover the funds for the beneficiary. Your sister could receive a letter from one of those companies informing her of the unclaimed property.
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