My aunt passed away. Her partner (the trustee/executor) told me that my aunt left me a house she owned free and clear and that the house was deeded into her revocable trust in my name. The rest of my aunt's assets (including a large stock portolio) were to go to her partner. When I spoke with my aunt's attorney, he told me the same thing. My aunt's partner even told me that I needed to make a decision with what I wanted to do with the house, if I wanted to keep it or sell it.
Suddenly, everything has changed. When I called my aunt's partner about finding a realtor she coldly responded that the house was NOT going to me, that it was only the remainder of the trust that I was to inherit after the house was sold and everything else was paid (taxes, fees, etc) and that she had already listed the property with a realtor. So I called my aunt's attorney to request a copy of the trust and suddenly he said the same thing. When I asked for a copy of the trust to be faxed to me it took several days and the copy I received was very poor typed quality. I know that my aunt's partner (who herself is an attorney) is good friends with my aunt's attorney and I can't shake the feeling that they worked out an agreement to change my aunt's trust. So my question is, are trusts or wills ever recorded somewhere else that I could verify that my aunt's trust is authentic? How do I know that my aunt's partner and her attorney didn't change it? Also, how can I know exactly what was in my aunt's estate (accounts, etc)? I just find everyone's behavior to be very suspicious.
Suddenly, everything has changed. When I called my aunt's partner about finding a realtor she coldly responded that the house was NOT going to me, that it was only the remainder of the trust that I was to inherit after the house was sold and everything else was paid (taxes, fees, etc) and that she had already listed the property with a realtor. So I called my aunt's attorney to request a copy of the trust and suddenly he said the same thing. When I asked for a copy of the trust to be faxed to me it took several days and the copy I received was very poor typed quality. I know that my aunt's partner (who herself is an attorney) is good friends with my aunt's attorney and I can't shake the feeling that they worked out an agreement to change my aunt's trust. So my question is, are trusts or wills ever recorded somewhere else that I could verify that my aunt's trust is authentic? How do I know that my aunt's partner and her attorney didn't change it? Also, how can I know exactly what was in my aunt's estate (accounts, etc)? I just find everyone's behavior to be very suspicious.