smodge podge
Junior Member
What is the name of your state?
Here are the facts:
Deceased father, had property and residence in South Carolina
Lived last 2 months in the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh PA
I live in Georgia
Siblings live in Pennsylvania
I know a will was written by my dad when my sister badgered him into re-doing it by a Pennsylvania attorney, listing all 4 kids as executors.
Dad died 4-27-08, I asked for a copy of the will without any luck. Through some checking, I found that the estate must be probated through South Carolina. The day after the funeral, Sister went down to the house and cleared out most of my dad's belongings. I am being kept in the dark about this and any future proceedings. I am on the verge of going to the courthouse and filing the petition to have the estate opened, but I am seeking any further advice before proceeding. My dad had a handwritten list of what items go to whom, copy of which is God knows where. I do not have the resources to retain a lawyer, but I will do so if the situation does not improve. Any advice?
I haven't heard from the other family members since the last time that I talked to them. I was accused in a round about way of "bugging" them about this issue and the guilt of my being the bad guy in this case. It is upsetting to deal with these issues that have me emotionally entagled, and I am worried that my best interests will not be kept uppermost in their eyes unless the courts get involved.
I guess my question would be, should I wait and try and contact them one final time before I take any action on this? I know already that the one sister loses her temper in a melodramatic way everytime the matter is addressed with the name calling and screaming, so I feel that it is a lost cause at this time. I just want to ensure that the court knows that I am ready and available to administer the estate affairs if needed.
Here are the facts:
Deceased father, had property and residence in South Carolina
Lived last 2 months in the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh PA
I live in Georgia
Siblings live in Pennsylvania
I know a will was written by my dad when my sister badgered him into re-doing it by a Pennsylvania attorney, listing all 4 kids as executors.
Dad died 4-27-08, I asked for a copy of the will without any luck. Through some checking, I found that the estate must be probated through South Carolina. The day after the funeral, Sister went down to the house and cleared out most of my dad's belongings. I am being kept in the dark about this and any future proceedings. I am on the verge of going to the courthouse and filing the petition to have the estate opened, but I am seeking any further advice before proceeding. My dad had a handwritten list of what items go to whom, copy of which is God knows where. I do not have the resources to retain a lawyer, but I will do so if the situation does not improve. Any advice?
I haven't heard from the other family members since the last time that I talked to them. I was accused in a round about way of "bugging" them about this issue and the guilt of my being the bad guy in this case. It is upsetting to deal with these issues that have me emotionally entagled, and I am worried that my best interests will not be kept uppermost in their eyes unless the courts get involved.
I guess my question would be, should I wait and try and contact them one final time before I take any action on this? I know already that the one sister loses her temper in a melodramatic way everytime the matter is addressed with the name calling and screaming, so I feel that it is a lost cause at this time. I just want to ensure that the court knows that I am ready and available to administer the estate affairs if needed.