Luv Bunnies
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
We're going to run this by an attorney, but I thought I would get some preliminary opinions. Here's the short version:
Couple was married for over 40 years. She was older and had adult kids from a previous marriage. It was his first marriage. The couple never had kids together. They lived in a house owned by his mother.
When his mother passed away, she left the house plus several rental properties to him in a trust. He transferred all of the properties into his name without adding his wife to any of the deeds. The idea was that all this property was purchased by his parents and he wanted it to stay in his family. The wife passed away 16 years ago. The husband passed away last week. His trust names his sister as the trustee to his house and all of the rental properties.
Now the wife's daughters (his step-daughter) wants to see a copy of the trust. She's claiming that she should get some of the properties because they also belonged to her mother. This is a community property state. The wife did not have a will since she really didn't have any assets (besides personal belongings). All property the husband inherited was not co-mingled with her. The step-daughter has been offered all of her mother's belongings that are left in the house. Otherwise, all real estate stays in the family that originally purchased it.
The question is, does the step-daughter have any legal claim to any of her step-father's assets?
Couple was married for over 40 years. She was older and had adult kids from a previous marriage. It was his first marriage. The couple never had kids together. They lived in a house owned by his mother.
When his mother passed away, she left the house plus several rental properties to him in a trust. He transferred all of the properties into his name without adding his wife to any of the deeds. The idea was that all this property was purchased by his parents and he wanted it to stay in his family. The wife passed away 16 years ago. The husband passed away last week. His trust names his sister as the trustee to his house and all of the rental properties.
Now the wife's daughters (his step-daughter) wants to see a copy of the trust. She's claiming that she should get some of the properties because they also belonged to her mother. This is a community property state. The wife did not have a will since she really didn't have any assets (besides personal belongings). All property the husband inherited was not co-mingled with her. The step-daughter has been offered all of her mother's belongings that are left in the house. Otherwise, all real estate stays in the family that originally purchased it.
The question is, does the step-daughter have any legal claim to any of her step-father's assets?