How Can I Gain Possession Of My Father's Belongings When He Did Not Leave A Will
Full Question:
My father died May 2005 without a will. He left a CD payable upon death to my brother and me from the sale of a farm he had purchased before marrying his second wife that has been paid out.
His current wife was to get the house, 2 cars, bank accounts, and retirement funds, etc.
His wish was for all the tools, guns, and personal possessions be appraised first and then sold in auction for the best price. He wanted for my brother and me to have first bid on anything we wanted before the public auction. It's been almost 3 years and his wife is still grieving and has not done anything to fulfill his wish. Because neither of them could agree on a will, he said we would have to fight for what we want and pay her for it. Can she hold off and leave it to her daughter and leave my brother and me out? I've been told we got our part and that was all we were entitled to. As far as personal possessions, such as rings, watches etc, it's up to the wife if she wants to allow us to buy them. Is it true that there is absolutely no way my brother and I could legally get her to have an auction without a will. What if she passes and leaves it all to her daughter? These are my father's possessions; is there anything we can do legally to get his possessions?
01/09/2008 |
Category: Wills and Es... ยป Intestacy |
State: Ohio |
#14598
Answer:
The following is an Ohio statute:
2105.06 Statute of descent and distribution.
When a person dies intestate having title or right to any personal property, or to any real estate or inheritance, in this state, the personal property shall be distributed, and the real estate or inheritance shall descend and pass in parcenary, except as otherwise provided by law, in the following course:
(A) If there is no surviving spouse, to the children of the intestate or their lineal descendants, per stirpes;
(B) If there is a spouse and one or more children of the decedent or their lineal descendants surviving, and all of the decedent’s children who survive or have lineal descendants surviving also are children of the surviving spouse, then the whole to the surviving spouse;
(C) If there is a spouse and one child of the decedent or the child’s lineal descendants surviving and the surviving spouse is not the natural or adoptive parent of the decedent’s child, the first twenty thousand dollars plus one-half of the balance of the intestate estate to the spouse and the remainder to the child or the child’s lineal descendants, per stirpes;
(D) If there is a spouse and more than one child or their lineal descendants surviving, the first sixty thousand dollars if the spouse is the natural or adoptive parent of one, but not all, of the children, or the first twenty thousand dollars if the spouse is the natural or adoptive parent of none of the children, plus one-third of the balance of the intestate estate to the spouse and the remainder to the children equally, or to the lineal descendants of any deceased child, per stirpes;
(E) If there are no children or their lineal descendants, then the whole to the surviving spouse;
(F) If there is no spouse and no children or their lineal descendants, to the parents of the intestate equally, or to the surviving parent;
(G) If there is no spouse, no children or their lineal descendants, and no parent surviving, to the brothers and sisters, whether of the whole or of the half blood of the intestate, or their lineal descendants, per stirpes;
(H) If there are no brothers or sisters or their lineal descendants, one-half to the paternal grandparents of the intestate equally, or to the survivor of them, and one-half to the maternal grandparents of the intestate equally, or to the survivor of them;
(I) If there is no paternal grandparent or no maternal grandparent, one-half to the lineal descendants of the deceased grandparents, per stirpes; if there are no such lineal descendants, then to the surviving grandparents or their lineal descendants, per stirpes; if there are no surviving grandparents or their lineal descendants, then to the next of kin of the intestate, provided there shall be no representation among such next of kin;
(J) If there are no next of kin, to stepchildren or their lineal descendants, per stirpes;
(K) If there are no stepchildren or their lineal descendants, escheat to the state.