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Life insurance records

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researcher3

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? VA.

The deaths occurred in MD, PA and FL.

I have heard/read that people can take out a life insurance policy on almost anyone. I am currently investigating the death of my relatives and want to know if there are any public records that indicate that someone collected life insurance on another persons' life.

I see in other posts that 'probate court' was mentioned. What about public records pertaining to taxes paid on a life insurance collection?

Any help would be appreciated.
 


Betty

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? VA.

The deaths occurred in MD, PA and FL.

I have heard/read that people can take out a life insurance policy on almost anyone. I am currently investigating the death of my relatives and want to know if there are any public records that indicate that someone collected life insurance on another persons' life.

I see in other posts that 'probate court' was mentioned. What about public records pertaining to taxes paid on a life insurance collection?

Any help would be appreciated.
It's not true that people can take out life ins. on just anyone - there has to be an insurable interest. Usually life ins. proceeds paid at the death of the insured to a named bene are received by that person income tax free.

Life ins. proceeds are not part of the estate - the proceeds pass outside the estate (unless estate is bene) and, therefore, not subject to probate. You can, however, contact the courts in the counties where your relatives died & where probate would have been opened to see if there is any info pertaining to any life ins. policies. Do you believe you might have been named bene on any of these policies or just curious as to who received the proceeds?
 

Dandy Don

Senior Member
If you found anything in the probate records, you would be very lucky, since insurance payments are normally made outside of the estate and there is almost no chance of this being mentioned in the probate records, although I do agree that they are a good place to start.

There is not likely to be anything about this in public records. You may be better off asking the executor of the estate or a private investigator or a police department detective to try to request this information for you. Normally the insurance companies won't release the information unless a lawsuit or court case is involved.

You may also want to find out how to order the decedent's medical records through the Medical Information Bureau. Many times the life insurance company makes inquiries for the applicant's medical records and the name of the insurance company is kept on file (similar to what is done during a credit bureau check by creditors or employers).

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])
 

researcher3

Junior Member
Do you believe you might have been named bene on any of these policies or just curious as to who received the proceeds?

No, I am not looking for the money for me. I thought that someone could benefit from someone's death, someone who wasn't even related. I am trying to see if anyone benefitted by their death.
 

researcher3

Junior Member
If you found anything in the probate records, you would be very lucky, since insurance payments are normally made outside of the estate and there is almost no chance of this being mentioned in the probate records, although I do agree that they are a good place to start.

There is not likely to be anything about this in public records. You may be better off asking the executor of the estate or a private investigator or a police department detective to try to request this information for you. Normally the insurance companies won't release the information unless a lawsuit or court case is involved.

You may also want to find out how to order the decedent's medical records through the Medical Information Bureau. Many times the life insurance company makes inquiries for the applicant's medical records and the name of the insurance company is kept on file (similar to what is done during a credit bureau check by creditors or employers).

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])
Thank you Dandy Don. Your MIB information sounds good. Thanks again. :)
 

Betty

Senior Member
No, I am not looking for the money for me. I thought that someone could benefit from someone's death, someone who wasn't even related. I am trying to see if anyone benefitted by their death.[/QUOTE}

When the insured dies, proceeds are paid to the beneficiary named in the policy. However, there has to be an insurable interest - a loss to the bene at the insured's death. For example - a wife can be the bene on her husband's policy - if he passes away, she would have a loss of his wages, etc. Normally, close/immediate family members are automatically considerd to have an insurable interest in the life of the insured. However, I could not take out a life ins. policy on your life wishing for you to die so I can get the ins. proceeds - the underwriters would not approve it. (no insurable interest) It would be like gambling on someone's life & also adverse selection against the company. To go to the extreme if someone took out a policy on someone else where there is no insurable interest & named theirself bene, they could kill the person, try to make it look accidental & put in a claim for the pol. proceeds. Also, when an ins. pol. is taken out on an adult, they have to sign the application agreeing to the ins. on their life. You can't just take out policies on people w/o their consent hoping to make money off their death. Sorry this was so long - just trying to explain the insured/bene relationship. When the app. for ins. is completed, the relationship of the bene to the insured has to be listed.
 

Dandy Don

Senior Member
I have no experience with MIB so I don't know how reliable they are or aren't, and they don't operate in all states, so if you have problems getting information from them, consult with your (or any physician or doctor) to get information about how and where to request medical records.

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])
 

Betty

Senior Member
I believe the OP will probably have a problem trying to get medical records released to them on someone other than theirself. (privacy practices/laws) The MIB would only tell OP if they have a record of an individually underwritten life ins. app. processed within the past 11 yrs. on the name(s) OP submits. If they do, they will furnish name of ins. company only. If they don't have a record, I don't think trying to get medical info from a dr. or hosp. on these people is going to work - doubt if info would be given out. "Facilities" usually will not give out the info except to the patient theirself with written authorization - not a third party friend or relative.
 

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