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Paying for funeral expenses--friend or heir?

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N95

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maine

About three years ago my best friend passed away and I paid for all the funeral expenses. My best friend's daughter, the only child/heir he had, sent flowers to the funeral but didn't help out at all with the expenses. I had to pay for the funeral because it was done here in Maine while she lived in FL at the time. Unfortunately my best friend had no living will or trust.

Does she have any legal obligation to pay for the cost of her father's funeral, even though it's been just over three years ago? If so, what options do I have?
 
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CSO286

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maine

About three years ago my best friend passed away and I paid for all the funeral expenses. My best friend's daughter, the only child/heir he had, sent flowers to the funeral but didn't help out at all with the expenses. I had to pay for the funeral because it was done here in Maine while she lived in FL at the time. Unfortunately my best friend had no living will or trust.

Does she have any legal obligation to pay for the cost of her father's funeral, even though it's been just over three years ago? If so, what options do I have?
No one has a legal obligation to pay for a funeral--not even the heirs. Most counties/cities/townships have funds to to bury/cremate the indigent.

Since you did pay for her father's funeral, she is still under no obligation to repay you unless you had an agreement to that effect.
 

anteater

Senior Member
Did he have any assets? Was his estate probated?

Usually, you could be reimbursed from assets in the probate estate. But, if there were no assets...
 

N95

Junior Member
Did he have any assets? Was his estate probated?

Usually, you could be reimbursed from assets in the probate estate. But, if there were no assets...
A docket was signed for co-executorship but the filing fee was never paid, so the estate was never probated. It's been over three years since the funeral so can the estate still be probated if the fee is paid? Or is it too late?

Having not been probated, who currently "owns" and controls the estate? The heir? The state?

This estate is half the value of my home and the other half of the house is in my name (my friend and I were Joint Tenants in Common). It's a rather complicated mess. My friend wanted to leave me his part of the house but having no official will that point is moot. The remainder of the estate is worth next to nothing. What I'm trying to do is to secure the other part of the house/estate but I don't know how or from who it is secured. I have been paying the full mortgage on the house as well as upkeep. The daughter has not paid anything towards the estate or anything else. She lives in another state.
 

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