Need some advice:
It is so confusing as to what I need to do and when.
I have access to MIL's checking account (which I don't think I can close without a death certificate right), but I'm not sure what to do with her Social Security check for January. Is it for the month of January or the month of December? Do I need to pay back a prorated amount depending on when she passes?
As far as closing out the checking account either party on the account can close it out so if your name is on the account you can close it out. Also it is not part of her estate if your name is on it.
I'm pretty sure she has a will but we can't find it. Not that she owns any property so even without the will probate shouldn't be too huge of an issue, at least not here in CT.
I don't know what to do about her credit card though. There is no money in the estate, she cashed out her life insurance policies ages ago. I suppose the CC company could sue the estate but there is no money. What little money she has in the bank I was going to pull out for funeral costs.
Would we be responsible for her Credit Card?? I am fairly certain they cannot ask anyone to pay the card other than her estate which as you said has no money
My name is not on the card or the phone bill, just on her checking account. She maybe has $800 in it after I pay the rent for January, which I need to do in order to buy myself time to clear out the apartment. go ahead and pay the rent now so it will be out of the account, you can also transfer anything in it into one of your accounts if you want to do so
Ray and I are going to start clearing out her apartment this weekend, 90% will go to goodwill or the dump. She smoked for so many years everything smells horrendous. I don't even know if I should donate her clothes, they smell so bad. No amount of washing will take the smell out.
I can get Salvation Army to come pick up the big things like her couch right? Or should we dump it due to the smell?
