kevinf2349
Junior Member
Texas resident
I am not sure if this is the correct forum to post this but I didn't see a more appropriate one so here goes.
Several years ago (before we married) my wife was given an attache case to 'look after' by a friend of hers who was having some financial and family issues. By several years I mean about 20 years ago. She was told that the case (which is unlocked) contained stamps and coins (which it does). It also contains the owners birth certificate so we are sure it is his. We have had the case with us for the last 20 years waiting for him to ask for it back. My wife still has retained the same email address as when she knew this friend, but we have moved several times in the interveneing years (including several different states). Lately my wife asked me to try and track down her friend in order to finally return the case and contents to the original owner.
My investigations led me to discover that the owner died in 2007 (we have definitive proof of this). Now we need to find out if he has an estate. However so far we are finding that all his immediate family have passed away too. I have several questions:
1) How can we find out if he had a Will?
2) What is our legal standing and obligation to find a benefactor.
3) At what point can we call the search off (so far it has cost me about $100) to try and locate the owner or his estate.
My estimate is that the contents of the case are worth at least $600.
Any advice/help/comments are most welcome.
Best regards
Kevin
I am not sure if this is the correct forum to post this but I didn't see a more appropriate one so here goes.
Several years ago (before we married) my wife was given an attache case to 'look after' by a friend of hers who was having some financial and family issues. By several years I mean about 20 years ago. She was told that the case (which is unlocked) contained stamps and coins (which it does). It also contains the owners birth certificate so we are sure it is his. We have had the case with us for the last 20 years waiting for him to ask for it back. My wife still has retained the same email address as when she knew this friend, but we have moved several times in the interveneing years (including several different states). Lately my wife asked me to try and track down her friend in order to finally return the case and contents to the original owner.
My investigations led me to discover that the owner died in 2007 (we have definitive proof of this). Now we need to find out if he has an estate. However so far we are finding that all his immediate family have passed away too. I have several questions:
1) How can we find out if he had a Will?
2) What is our legal standing and obligation to find a benefactor.
3) At what point can we call the search off (so far it has cost me about $100) to try and locate the owner or his estate.
My estimate is that the contents of the case are worth at least $600.
Any advice/help/comments are most welcome.
Best regards
Kevin
