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C

Cheerflhrt

Guest
What is the name of your state? CA

My sister died recently without a will, without a husband, without children. My mother and siblings and I will have to sell her home (she has a mortgage) to pay the debts. The estate is small (under the $100,000 limit). How would we go about selling her home & car (none of our names are on the contracts)?

Can we bypass probate? What are letters of administration and can we get them without hiring a lawyer? How much can we do without a lawyer?

Can we get a credit report through the County Recorder's office to find out how much debt she had?

Thank you (I know it was a lot of questions -- we need direction).
 


Dandy Don

Senior Member
Someone in the family OR a probate attorney you hire can file to become administrator of the estate, receiving letters testamentary from the court soon after filing, and the administrator has authority to sell the personal property.

You need to at least consult with a probate attorney to get answers to your questions about what to expect from the probate process.

A private investigator can tell you whether or not you would be able to get access to her credit report, but if creditors see the probate filing in the legal newspaper they will be submitting bills to the administrator, so it is possible that the credit report may not be needed. Do not ask about a credit report in the County Recorder's office because they do not handle such items.
 

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