How to receive copies of all documents and a full accounting of all assets?

[Steffenfield]

It's been over 14 months now, and my adoptive sister (executor), suddenly went ghost on me back then.

Only her and myself were mentioned in the living will and it was given to us by percentage.

I should be entitled to simply know what happened, yes?

I have no knowledge at all on the estate or value my parents left for us.

This is a concern from Muskegon, MI, 49442.

I live far away from there though, so I don't think I could make any court or conference appearances in that county.

Please and thank you for any responses.

I just want to know what she did with it all.

 

[Taxing Matters]

I just want to know what she did with it all.

It wasn't a “living will.” A living will is the popular name given to a document in which the person specifies what kind of life saving care they want in the event they become incapacitated and cannot express their wishes at the time. It has nothing to do with distributing assets after death. What you were referring to is just a will. After death the person holding the will is required to lodge that will with the court that handles probate. Once lodged with the court it becomes a public record. The court file for the probate, including any filings of accounting, etc, are also public record. So the place to start is contacting the court and getting copies of whatever the probate file (if there is one) has. You need to know if probate was opened and confirm your sister was appointed as the personal representative of the estate. If she hasn’t done that, then you can step forward to do it or find an attorney to act as personal representative of the estate.

 

[HRZ]

Local government might not do your homework and you need to pay a service firm to make copies of the probate file if there is one or the local government may charge a service fee....but it's a critical step to review docuements if they exist

 

[Dandy Don]

Look up the Muskegon County Probate Court and call them or write them a letter. Copy fee is $1.00 per page and they will mail them to you after you have sent them a check.

 

[Steffenfield]

Sorry, I have a copy of the Living Trust Agreement, not a living will.

I said that wrongly in my original post.

Anyway, I did send a couple of emails to the attorney at law who prepared the trust.

I was very nice and simply asked the estimated cost of his services on my request.

For some reason, he won't respond back.

I've also looked online for a forensic accountant (that might be a little too soon though).

Omygosh.

Anywhere from a five to ten grand retainer along with something no less than $300 an hour for their private investigation.

I'll first do the initial follow through with the Muskegon County Probate Court.

Thank you very kindly for this suggestion.

 

[Steffenfield]

What form or forms are needed for me to complete on this site?

http://courts.mi.gov/Administration/SCAO/Forms/Pages/Estates-and-Trusts.aspx

My adoptive sister moved in with my father over a half year before his passing.

She didn't even bother to mention to me that he was sick (cancer) or that she was living with him until the day after he was gone.

Last I knew, her and her family (husband and several adult children) were living there.

She had asked me by phone, giving me less than 24 hour notice, that she was driving to come see me, and how we needed to go the Secretary of State together.

She wanted for me to sign off on all of the titles, including the home, or else she would somehow be evicted.

I didn't know that everything was suddenly in both are names until she mentioned this, and her notice was too soon for me at the time.

According to my aunt, she removed my name from the home anyway, and most likely all of my parent's vehicles as well.

That's fine.

Looking over the 16 page Living Trust Agreement, as an executor, she can do most anything with the estate.

The one thing that stands out though, is that she needs to give me 15 day notice on all her activities before doing them, and to share the value of those based on a percentage between the two of us.

I'm honestly not after my share of the estate and have assumed that all of it is probably gone by now.

I only would like to know what happened.

So going back to my question, what form(s) are needed by me to the probate court?

 

[Zigner]

What form or forms are needed for me to complete on this site?

I'm sorry, but your request would require the unlawful practice of law on behalf of the responders. You should continue trying to contact attorneys in MI for assistance.

 

[HRZ]

There is a major missing piece in your puzzle ...just what did you sign? And did you keep copies ?

 

[Steffenfield]

I haven't signed a single thing.

I wasn't even a part of the Living Trust Agreement when it was drafted.

All I have is a copy of that though, and how my name was mentioned fondly in this by both my parents.

 

[Shadowbunny]

What form or forms are needed for me to complete on this site?

http://courts.mi.gov/Administration/SCAO/Forms/Pages/Estates-and-Trusts.aspx

My adoptive sister moved in with my father over a half year before his passing.

She didn't even bother to mention to me that he was sick (cancer) or that she was living with him until the day after he was gone.

Last I knew, her and her family (husband and several adult children) were living there.

She had asked me by phone, giving me less than 24 hour notice, that she was driving to come see me, and how we needed to go the Secretary of State together.

She wanted for me to sign off on all of the titles, including the home, or else she would somehow be evicted.

I didn't know that everything was suddenly in both are names until she mentioned this, and her notice was too soon for me at the time.

According to my aunt, she removed my name from the home anyway, and most likely all of my parent's vehicles as well.

That's fine.

Looking over the 16 page Living Trust Agreement, as an executor, she can do most anything with the estate.

The one thing that stands out though, is that she needs to give me 15 day notice on all her activities before doing them, and to share the value of those based on a percentage between the two of us.

I'm honestly not after my share of the estate and have assumed that all of it is probably gone by now.

I only would like to know what happened.

So going back to my question, what form(s) are needed by me to the probate court?

Call the clerk. As how you can get copies of any documents filed on the estate case. That's it.

 

[Steffenfield]

Their website seems to be fairly busted.

http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/probatecourt/

Anyone care to help me find the number for the clerk?

 

[Ohiogal]

Their website seems to be fairly busted.

http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/probatecourt/

Anyone care to help me find the number for the clerk?

Are you really that clueless?

http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/probatecourt/location.htm

Then call it. Ask for the clerk. This is not rocket science.

 

[Steffenfield]

Sorry.

Everything I tried to click on that site wouldn't work.

I'm using what I think is the latest version of Firefox with some version of Adblock.

Anyway, thank you very much for the link.

 

[TrustUser]

Are you really that clueless?

http://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/probatecourt/location.htm

Then call it. Ask for the clerk. This is not rocket science.

again, quit the name calling and labeling

if you dont want to answer the question politely, then go to another thread

courtesy may be hard to come by, but it likewise is not rocket science

 

[Dandy Don]

If there was a will and a trust, you are only going to get copies of the will and how the estate was handled by ordering copies from the court, IF she in fact ever probated the will.

The trust documents are not public record (and these seemed to be the documents that you were most interested in) and you will need to ask a Michigan trust attorney how a beneficiary can request trust documents and accounting information from the trustee. In many states, the beneficiary can request these documents by writing a letter to the trustee, but I don't know what the requirements are in Michigan.