(01-22-2001)
I'm sorry about your mother's illness, but I'm glad she owns her house, because it will go to the 3 children. It is somewhat messy to have a title deed in the names of 3 people, so you all should get together to decide if someone is going to continue living in the house or whether you want to sell it and split the money.
Did she have a life insurance policy that might provide enough income for you all to be able to afford the services of a probate/estate attorney? Getting an attorney would be the wiser course to take because they are familiar with the procedures since they have experienced them before
It would have made things simpler if your mother had taken the time to have a will made, but since she didn't, you can still do the things yourself if you are a self-reliant type of person. Visit the local library to take a look at the probate code section of the law books, or check out a book on how to settle an estate. There is a superb book that has step-by-step instructions, called "YOUR EXECUTOR DUTIES" by Holmes F. Crouch.
About the Chapter 13/Chapter 11 bankruptcy debt payments, you will need to speak to a local attorney about whether or not they still need to be made. Some debts are forgiven/erased when a person dies, and other debts are not.
You will also need to have a small classified ad placed in the local legal newspaper or daily newspaper that informs creditors about your mother's death so that they can submit any bills that might still be due.
SINCERELY,
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