Could Donald Trump win and decide not to serve? He doesn't exactly rule it out. https://t.co/pVovS64Ayx pic.twitter.com/BHlxRsaYX4
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) July 7, 2016
On beyond farce here, people. From the NYTimes article:
… Presented in a recent interview with a scenario, floating around the political ether, in which the presumptive Republican nominee proves all the naysayers wrong, beats Hillary Clinton and wins the presidency, only to forgo the office as the ultimate walk-off winner, Mr. Trump flashed a mischievous smile.
âIâll let you know how I feel about it after it happens,â he said minutes before leaving his Trump Tower office to fly to a campaign rally in New Hampshire.
It is, of course, entirely possible that Mr. Trump is playing coy to earn more news coverage. But the notion of the intensely competitive Mr. Trumpâs being more interested in winning the presidency than serving as president is not exactly a foreign concept to close observers of this presidential race…
…[A]s the race has turned toward the general election and a majority of polls have shown Mr. Trump trailing Mrs. Clinton, speculation has again crept into political conversations in Washington, New York and elsewhere that Mr. Trump will seek an exit strategy before the election to avoid a humiliating loss.
Now he is refusing to rule out an even more dramatic departure, one that would let him avoid the grueling job of governing, return to his business and enjoy his now-permanent status as a news media celebrity.
Told of Mr. Trumpâs noncommittal comment, Stuart Stevens, a senior adviser to Mitt Romney in 2012 who has become one of Mr. Trumpâs most vocal critics, said that Mr. Trump was âa con man who is shocked his con hasnât been calledâ and that he was looking for an emergency exit.
âHe has no sense of how to govern,â Mr. Stevens said. âHe canât even put together a campaign.â…
But the only person who could truly put any doubts to rest seemed instead to relish the idea of keeping everyone guessing, concluding the recent conversation with a youâre-on-to-something grin and handshake across his cluttered desk.
âWeâll do plenty of stories,â Mr. Trump promised enigmatically. âO.K.?â
I’m really beginning to think that organic brain disorder is a genuine possibility. What would’ve happened if voters had known Reagan was developing Alzheimers before his re-election? Would it have made any difference for the hardcore Repubs?
The system is rigged alright. pic.twitter.com/o4PkeSeitw
— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) July 7, 2016
Trump gleefully brags about beating Ted Cruz in the Indiana primary. He refuses to stop boasting about defeating Republicans.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 6, 2016
*whispers* He hasnât beaten anybody else yet https://t.co/Nsbf2I1Qik
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 6, 2016
redshirt
We’re all in it for the LULZ, yes?
lamh36
Someone said it best on the radio this morning…If you are afraid of Black people, you should not be patrolling majority Black neighborhood. How are you supposed to protect someone who you are afraid of?
Warren Terra
“If elected I may not serve”
It’s certainly a novel approach …
HonTN
No
This has been another simple answer to a simple question
p.a.
Trump campaign: greatest performance art in years?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
So Halperin thinks Trump can win if he gets back to the flat out racism of the primaries? Or does vintage mean going after Obama’s birth certificate again. Either way, you can see why Mike Bloomaparte pays him a cool million a year.
ETA: I’ve had EvenTheLiberalMSNBC on for the last hour or so while I multitask, and I’ve seen three Republican congress critters, and Ben Domenech. In fairness, I’ve also seen Carolyn Maloney and a discussion of police violence with Deray McKesson and Wesley Lowery…. but come the fuck on.
HinTN
@HonTN: New phone fail…
Mike J
Trump signalling that no harm could possibly come from a protest vote for him. Surely you can believe him.
NotMax
Also banned: “ropes, chains, wire, string or tape longer than 6 inches.”
John
Didn’t Trump rise to celebrity after Andy Kaufman “died”?
Mnemosyne
I’m not sure how many people here know who Mary Engelbreit is, but she’s a popular illustrator sort of along Norman Rockwell lines — kitschy Americana, that kind of thing.
Fortunately for all of us, she’s also like Rockwell in that she’s pissed about current events and is using her art to express that. Here’s her Facebook post from today.
She’s another white person who got pissed off after Ferguson and has been pissed off ever since.
JPL
Trump has ruined his brand. Rumor has it that he’s heavily leveraged so if he doesn’t win, he’ll declare bankruptcy and go home.
Felonius Monk
@NotMax:
At least Trump won’t have to worry about being in violation of the rules now.
humboldtblue
@lamh36: Nakia Jones, a police officer, has similar sentiments.
Mnemosyne
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I’m not really sure what the distinction is supposed to be here. Racism that’s obvious even to the media vs racism that the media can pretend is something else?
Major Major Major Major
I just got a BREAKING CNN ALERT that the State Department is REOPENING ITS INVESTIGATION of Hillary’s emails!!!
Internal departmental report on I.T. best practices! Oh noes!!!1
Also, and I promise this is the second and last mention of this, if you’d like to read the first 50 pages of a funny novel and give me notes, be cool (like Mayhew and others did!) and drop a comment on the first post in my nym link and I’ll contact you.
OzarkHillbilly
Heh:
ps, here’s hoping Mary G is OK
lamh36
@humboldtblue: I’ve seen that and I pray that she protected from retaliation by her coworkers and that blue wall folks talk about, especially as more and more people share the video
? Martin
So it seems the VP race is down to Gingrich and his daughter. Nobody else appears to want it.
Renie
OT: what is this b.s. now that the State Dept is doing an investigation into Hillary? Has anyone else heard this?
Schlemazel Khan
@Warren Terra:
Actually Billy Sherman said it first in 1884. Shame too, he probably would have made a kick ass POTUS
raven
@Renie: They suspended the investigation while the FBI did their probe. It was always going to finish.
rikyrah
UPDATED DEAR WHITE AMERICA â AN OPEN LETTER
July 7, 2016
Dear United States, YOUR Police System and those who are not Black in America,
I came home today once again to tell my 13 year old black son about yet another death by the hands of the cops â another death of another black person. I could barely get the words out without crying but this couldnât be sugar coated from him like I normally sweeten other information I feed him. So, let me tell you what a black single mother had to tell her son today or pretty much every time the need strikes, which is often. I had to tell my 13 year old young black son how to not get killed in these streets by those sent out to protect us.
The first thing is the reminder that although he has white friends, he needs to remember that: âYou are not your white friends!!! If you are with them and you all get stopped by the cops for any reason know that you are not them, you cannot say what they say or act how they act. There is a high chance the police may single you out as the trouble maker whether you had anything to do with it so be prepared. Remember to keep your hands out of your pockets; if you are holding your phone drop it and put your hands up or out in front of you where they can be visibly seen free of anything by the cops. If they ask you any questions, answer them with a calm voice, NEVER yell. Tell them your name, age, address, motherâs name and phone number. Know that you are under the age of 16 which means you are not to be questioned without a legal guardian so with that knowledge, give them your motherâs name and phone number again. If they feel the need to pat you down, assume the position Iâve taught you and let them pat you down but be quiet while doing so. Once they have met their goal of whatever the hell it was, if you are not arrested you wait until they have left the area completely then call me. If they arrest you, put your hands up in the air to signal your surrender then let them guide your hands into the cuffs and put you into the police car. You are to remain silent the entire ride to the station â donât even be angry because there is no need for it especially if you are innocent. Once in the station you give them your motherâs name and number again and inform them that at your age you cannot be questioned without a guardian and/or legal representation. No matter what lies they fill your head with to scare you, know that none of their lies are above the law and the law is what Iâve taught you so do not fear their lies instead give them your motherâs name and phone number again and tell them that once a guardian is present you will answer any and all questions.
After I drill that process into his head we go over him not trying to be a hero when it comes to his other black friends.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Today I showed him the murder of Alton Sterling. Why? Because I normally hide these images and things from him, I only tell him what happens because we do not watch the news or have regular TV access, we only stream but today I needed him to see what Iâve been telling him about for once so that he truly understands that the rules I lay upon him are not to scare him but to protect him from being an Alton Sterling, or a Tamir Rice; a young boy whose death haunts me every time I think about him. He knows that these things may never come his way but if they do, he is prepared.
danielx
Well, if Halperin thinks it, it must be so. I well remember his enthusiastic endorsement of President McCain back in ’08…
However – Trump will do just about anything to avoid loooooosing. I’d be looking for some sort of out before the election, like declaring it to be a rigged and corrupt process in which he refuses to participate because it’s unAmurikan, or some such. What happens to the Republican Party at that point (or any point) is not Trump’s problem, as he has made quite clear. If anyone thinks this an unlikely scenario, consider who we’re talking about – when it comes to the Orange Peril, nothing is unlikely.
Schlemazel Khan
@? Martin:
Pasta, how I how he picks his kid. That would be perfect
rachel
@humboldtblue: Just don’t read teh comments. D[
Villago Delenda Est
So is Drumpf’s “groove” like that of the leader of a certain central European country dealing with his paramilitary?
raven
@rikyrah: This is a facebook post from a friend of mine.
Villago Delenda Est
@srv: Oh, good grief. Let’s beat that dead horse some more for shits and grins.
rachel
Nothing? I think that Don the Con speaking like a rational adult is highly unlikely.
lamh36
Seeing alot of my friends and fam (including my newlywed sis) using FB to talk about their fear of their husbands, sons, etc…
I’m single, but I am Black, I have a Black male nephew, i have Black male uncles, aunts, step-cousins, etc…I worry for them ALL!
Two of the comments from FB fam & friends
Arclite
In the Alton Sterling case I don’t get how the police could grab the convenience store surveillance tapes without a warrant.
Punchy
@? Martin: I cannot imagine the amount and size of cum stains on the pants of cable news producers if he picks his daughter as his running mate (assuming she’s not from NY….).
Anne Laurie
@? Martin:
Unless he’s said something today, Ted Cruz is still “open to talks” for the VP slot.
hovercraft
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
This morning as he rhapsodized about how drump has been re-energized the last two days and has been really connecting with his audiences. The drump who won the gop primary is the drump who’s ‘got his groove back’ and is now in position to take advantage of Hillary’s woes and win this thing.
Unfortunately foe the beltway talking heads who have spent the last two days telling us how devastating the Comey statement was for her, the first poll released today shows Clinton leading 51 to 42. NOTE poll taken before Comey. She’s also up 11 in the Reuters/Ipsos poll that was taken from 7/2 to 7/4. So yes she’s really tanking. Some over at C&L made the point that with her stretching out her lead the media needs to try to prop him up to make the race more competitive. I think they just hate her.
Felonius Monk
@srv: Perhaps you ought to try taking a laxative. It might help.
humboldtblue
Now that we have the two finalists for Euro 16 let’s revisit the sweethearts of the tourney, the good Vikings from Iceland who had a great run, great fans and became the darlings of the football universe for three weeks. Even their chant reverberated around the world, part chilling grunt, part thrilling cheer.
Now it appears that the Vikings, known for their pillaging of neighboring coasts, pillaged, well, they didn’t pillage, they asked rather nicely in fact, if they could use it. The Motherwell Bois said certainly, Viking friends, please use the chant.
And history was made.
NotMax
@Punchy
Red herring.
Ignore all the daughter chatter.
amk
@Renie: They had suspended their original investigation, are now just cleaning up and closing the case. Fuck teann and bbc for their blatantly false clickbaits.
Roger Moore
@Schlemazel Khan:
Sherman didn’t leave any wiggle room in his statement.
lamh36
@Anne Laurie: I believe I saw on MSNBC that Cruz is open to speaking at the convention
Schlemazel Khan
@Felonius Monk:
If the laxative worked poor ol svr would nit be tall enough to reach the keyboard and post his bullshit.
NotMax
@Arclite
Happens all the time with a simple request.
Can’t speak to this specific instance, just sayin’ it is quite a common procedure.
Mnemosyne
@srv:
You’re late. At least three other people already posted that.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: Its not an alert, they suspended their internal review months ago at the request of the FBI. They were asked to put it on hold until the FBI concluded their investigation.
raven
@humboldtblue: ‘The high point was when the massive crowd united in the famous Viking “hĂș” syncronised chant, a grand finale to an Icelandic fairy tale.”
NotMax
@lamh36
Scott Brown. Accepting the nomination while shirtless.
Pogonip
When in doubt, ask Balloon Juice. My father died today. I am the executor of his estate. I know all the paperwork takes a while to set up and I know my power of attorney expired today at 1430 when he died. My question is, what do I do with the ordinary household bills? The electricity bill came in today. Do I pay it out of my account, pay it out of his although I have no POA now, or do I establish a new account with the electric company? (My son and I have been living in the house while my father was in the hospital/rehab cycle.)
raven
The intimidating clap and menacing chants of ‘huh’ performed by Iceland players and fans after victories in Euro 2016 has been likened to a Viking war chant.
But the unusual celebration has an extremely unlikely origin after it was revealed that it may have been inspired by fans of Scottish club Motherwell.
The slow clap was displayed by the national team following Arnor Ingvi Traustason’s last-minute winner at Stade de France after Iceland beat Austria 2-1 to qualify from Group F.
? Martin
@Anne Laurie: I seriously doubt that, considering that he hasn’t endorsed or even spoken neutrally about Trump.
Mnemosyne
@lamh36:
I now realize the reason why racists were so against people intermarrying is not because they thought black people were inferior. It was because they knew that when white people have black relatives, they care a WHOLE lot more about this stuff.
I have a black (mixed-race) niece and nephew. So does my BFF. You’d better believe we’re freaked out about their safety and what will happen if somebody, somewhere decides they look “dangerous” and the cops should be called.
ETA: I’d like to believe I’d be just as pissed off right now if I didn’t have black family members, but I wouldn’t have that worry deep in my gut when I wonder if one of them is going to run into the wrong cop at the wrong time.
Punchy
@NotMax: That’s some bad news for dry cleaners…
lamh36
JUN 18, 2015 AT 5:33 PM
Black Americans Are Killed At 12 Times The Rate Of People In Other Developed Countries
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: ALL CAPS indicate SARCASM. Or Brinks trucks.
Arclite
I just don’t see how Castile escapes that situation alive. He did everything right and still got killed. What’s the scenario in that situation where he lives? I don’t see it.
Roger Moore
@Arclite:
The police are always free to ask for something, even when they don’t have a warrant. If you don’t want to give it to them, you have to say “Not without a warrant.” Of course it probably didn’t help the store owner’s courage in saying no that he had just seen those same officers shoot his friend for no good reason. If they didn’t turn the tape over to their department to use in the investigation, they should certainly have destruction of evidence and theft under color of law added to the list of charges against them.
Adam L Silverman
@Arclite: Take store owner to precinct to interview him. While he’s gone, put up crime scene tape to keep everyone not law enforcement out. Go into store and remove the tapes. Take them somewhere.
They took them without a warrant because they could take them without a warrant. They had motive (wanted the tapes), means (access to the store and where in the store the CC TV controls and recordings were), and they had opportunity (they had taken the store owner to interview him and were keeping everyone not law enforcement from entering the premises).
humboldtblue
@raven: Are you talking about the welcome home parade? Because that was epic
Chyron HR
@Pogonip:
Burn the bills and the house, flee the state.
Emma
@Pogonip: I am so, so sorry for your loss. Are you planning to stay in the house for any period of time? You’ll need to talk to them if so and see about payment arrangements.
raven
@humboldtblue: Yea and the various information about the cheer.
Punchy
@Arclite: Lots and lots of skin lightener.
Schlemazel Khan
@? Martin:
I wish I had the money to create ads to run during the RNC. The ads would be very inexpensive to produce. They would consist of clips of every major Republican saying Drumpf is an idiot unfit to be President. All that video already exists someone would just have to splice “I’m Hillary Clinton and I approve this message” to the end
Quinerly
@Mnemosyne:
We are proud of our Mary here in St. Louis. She’s taken a lot of crap since speaking out after Ferguson. I think even on line death threats.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Actually he’s accepted the speaking invitation:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-ted-cruz-speak-rnc
Major Major Major Major
@Schlemazel Khan: Perhaps some wizard with a superPAC will have the same thought.
Of course, then they couldn’t do the Hillary part.
Heh. I saw the news about Cruz, they should definitely buy one with clips of him for before and after his speech.
Pogonip
Also, is Mary G. OK? I hope all that was hurt is her pride.
“I’ve had an accident! Quick, somebody, call this grouchy fat guy in West Virginia!”
It’s a shame my dad missed that story; as long as Mary’s OK he’d have found it amusing.
dr. bloor
@Roger Moore: Uncle Billy had very little use for “wiggle room.”
raven
@Pogonip: Yea, she’s fine. She actually put out a call for Betty or any front pager so a couple of us got on the case and tracked them down. All is well.
Adam L Silverman
@Pogonip: Depending on how you all have set up the will, I highly recommend you contact a well regarded attorney that handles estates. I’m sure the lawyers here will have other and more useful information for you.
Pogonip
@Chyron HR: well, NOW you tell me!
I think his designating me as executor was his revenge for my teenage years.
JPL
@Pogonip: I’m so sorry, but all I know is POA is different than being listed on the account.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: I thought // indicated sarcasm.
Splitting Image
As awful as most of the other candidates were, I am still shaking my head that the Republicans didn’t see how important it was to stop this guy becoming their nominee. Jeb Bush and Scott Walker would have been terrible candidates, sure, but this guy is going beyond making the GOP toxic. He’s making it silly, which in the long run is more damaging.
Villago Delenda Est
@srv: If you read a bit more carefully, this was hardly a meeting of happy fun people. Drumpf went after Kirk and Flake for their seeming disloyalty to the tiny-fingered, Cheeto-faced, ferret-wearing shitgibbon.
These politicians know that Drumpf is the kiss of death for their careers if they do not run away from him as fast as they possibly can.
dr. bloor
@Pogonip: Don’t do anything except get a lawyer who handles estates. Being the “executor” doesn’t mean that you’re expected to know/handle everything on your own. You (or your attorney) will create a separate account to handle everything, and your attorney will know how to prioritize everything that needs to be handled. The electric company will wait.
Sorry for your loss.
hovercraft
@Pogonip:
Sorry about you loss.
Adam L Silverman
@Pogonip: And my sincerest condolences. We’ll keep good thoughts for you and your family.
Pogonip
@Adam L Silverman: yes, we have an attorney app’t next week but in the meantime I gotta figure out what to do with these piddly little bills. Once the estate lawyer works his magic then I pay out of Dad’s account but have no idea about this month’s bills.
danielx
@Pogonip:
Today’s win on the intertubes.
lamh36
@Adam L Silverman: Yes…that’s what I saw on MSNBC..thx
raven
@Pogonip: I’m sorry to hear this news.
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman: Never mind that their actions are blatantly illegal. Reinhard Heydrich said it best: “Who’s going to stop us? We’re the police!”
Miss Bianca
@Mnemosyne: wow
Villago Delenda Est
@Pogonip: I was in your shoes (more or less…not executor of the estate) 8 years ago. Hang in there.
Emma Anne
Pogonip, I am sure it is different in different states, but my cousin went to the court and got her executor papers stamped, and then went to the bank with this and he death certificate and they opened a new account for the estate and moved all my uncle’s money into it except a little bit for outstanding checks. She paid bills from that. Everyone was really helpful, as was Google. There wasn’t much money so she didn’t want to hire an attorney except to check her work at the end.
Barbara
@Pogonip: I am so sorry about your father. I don’t know the specific rules in the state where you live, but you can always pay the bills out of your own funds and document the payment by retaining copies of the bills and the checks and then reimburse yourself when you have obtained official executor status.
Felonius Monk
@Pogonip: I am very sorry for your loss. I know it is not easy to deal with grief over losing a loved one and trying to keep a clear head to handle all the details of settling an estate.
IANAL, however I have been in similar situation. If you are going to continue living in the house, have the electric put in your name. Pay his current bill from your own account, but keep records because when his will is probated and you are officially appointed executor, then you can be reimbursed for that last bill that was in his name that you paid.
dr. bloor
@Arclite: Aggressive skin bleaching. Oftentimes, what you learned during “the talk” is not enough.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: He also went after Sasse. At the meeting with the House side, when asked if he’d protect Article 1, which is the one dealing with Congress and its powers, he responded with “I’ll protect the first, the second, the twelfth.” It is unclear if he thought he was being asked about the Amendments to the Bill of Rights and the other Amendments instead of the Articles, but it was the typical bombast. I think Josh Marshall’s take is correct:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-dominance-politics-and-the-limits-of-the-bullshit-production-line
Pogonip
@Villago Delenda Est: What did you do with the household bills that came along in the first week or so?
JasonF
Reason #47285 why Morning Joe is shit: yesterday, they had Alberto Gonzales on to bad-mouth Comey for recommending no indictment. They did not once mention the fact that the entire Bush administration was using private email servers and destroyed their records rather than turn them over. Utter bullshit.
OzarkHillbilly
@raven: good to hear.
rikyrah
@raven:
Please explain to me how Black people, after everything that’s gone down in this country since our arrival in the 1600’s…….
can pretty much live life and not be attacking White people..
because, to be honest, if we went by this logic, we should be ready to beat the shyt out of every White person on sight.
I don’t need the ‘ Media’ to tell me..
American history tells me that.
I call bullshyt.
they need a new phucking job if they’re so afraid.
As a law abiding Black person, I shouldn’t have to FEAR FOR MY PHUCKING LIFE
Everytime I see a cop pull up behind me.
Dylann Roof SLAUGHTERED NINE PEOPLE…
and, they not only took his ass alive..they took him to Burger King…
PHUCK. OUTTA.HERE. with that ‘ Black man as the Big Bad Brute’ bullshyt.
that’s part of what got people justifying the EXECUTION of a 12 year old CHILD.
Adam L Silverman
@Pogonip: If you don’t have to pay them until after you meet with the attorney, don’t. Wait till you can meet with him or her.
dr. bloor
@Pogonip: Unless the utilities, etc., are threatening shut off of services, etc., just sit tight. That seldom happens at the drop of a hat. Worst case, give them a call and explain the circumstances. You’ve never handled this situation before, but they do all the time.
Ruckus
@Felonius Monk:
Going on the concept of a full tank I see. A very plausible thought by the way. How else would one spew so much crap?
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: No worries.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: Exactly. The DOJ is going to have fun with this one.
rikyrah
@Pogonip:
I have no answers, but I’m sorry for your loss.
raven
@rikyrah: What you jumpin on me for? It’s a post from a dude I know.
Percysowner
@Pogonip: If the bills just came in today, you must have a little time before it’s due. They won’t shut off electricity immediately and the lawyer can tell you exactly how to handle the bills. When my FIL died 20 years ago, the lawyer said don’t pay anything until the estate had gone through probate. That was in Ohio and it WAS 20 years ago, so you can’t rely on my experience. I’m so sorry for your loss.
NotMax
@Pogonip
1) What others have said. Get an attorney who specializes in this area to guide you through the thickets.
2) If the bills came in today, the due date is likely a couple of weeks down the line; by then you should have an account set up.
Pogonip
I just saw remarks from Emma Ann, Barbara, and Felonious Monk. Thank you!
We like this area so plan to stay in the house for a year or so if possible, longer if I can get a job here. Dad never expected to live to nearly 90, so he didn’t worry about paying off the house. However he had more than enough salted away to pay it off. If the mortgage co will let me make a payment or two till the estate funds are released, that seems like the simplest way. However nothing to do with mortgages is simple.
Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap
@Pogonip: Sorry for your loss. It all depends on state law. As Adam said you should probably consult an attorney. You can pay the bills yourself, and as executor you can officially reimburse yourself. I had to do this exact thing. The estate will have to have an EIN assigned by the IRS as you will have to file for the estate, whether the estate actually owes taxes or not. After you get advice from the attorney you can have them or an accountant actually do all the work. Depending on the size of the estate you may or may not have to go through probate, again all depending on state law.
Shana
@Pogonip: I went through this a couple of years ago with my dad. I would suggest you pay the bills out of your account until you can change the name on the billing. If you’re the executor, all your expenses related to settling the estate are reimbursable from the assets of the estate. Expenses include things like taking care of bills like this as well as any travel-related expenses for you for travel to the town where your father lived if that’s not the town where you live. I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not up on all the details of everything, but that’s what I did. Fortunately, my brother and I (the heirs) had no disagreements about anything related to the estate and I was the one who had the ability and the time to be able to deal with the estate issues.
One suggestion: order about a dozen copies of the death certificate. A surprising number of entities will need to see it, banks for accounts and safety deposit boxes, real estate agents, possibly utilities.
Finally, I’m sorry for your loss. Even when the relationship isn’t good, as was the case with me, it’s still difficult, and I send you my condolences and wishes for peace.
Villago Delenda Est
@Pogonip: Because all the household bills were paid from a joint checking account with my mother, who had full power of attorney for several years, it was not a problem. Also, well before my father passed, we had transferred all the major assets (home, car, etc) to my mother as a precaution, to preempt medicare from attaching liens to everything. I’d get with an estate attorney and have him guide you, for two reasons: you’re probably still somewhat in shock, and the attorney has forgotten more than you’ll ever know about this stuff.
Pogonip
@NotMax: great! I was under the impression probate took several months.
gogol's wife
@lamh36:
So sad.
Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap
@Shana: Yes, excellent point about the Death Certificate. In fact, I had to go to state capitol of the state my mom died in, I live in a different state, to get DC’s for my mom since she predeceased my dad and I needed them to settle a couple of accounts.
raven
@Pogonip: It can take longer than that if someone challenges it.
NotMax
@Shana
Would add to keep several copies on file as well. Things totally unthought about can (and do) crop up, sometimes years later that require having handy a copy of the death certificate.
Pogonip
@Villago Delenda Est: medicare will go after his estate? In that case nobody gets nothin’, except medicare.
gogol's wife
@Pogonip:
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
Definitely not a lawyer but I’ve been the executor for both my parents with PoA and I had no problem handling bills or money. And father had Alzheimer’s so he was unable for the last 10 yrs to even understand what day it was and I had to be aware of everything.
I believe that once you are the executor that replaces the PoA legally so it isn’t necessary to have a PoA. It has been a number of years so the details are a little fuzzy but as I say there were no issues about money or bills in the least.
Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap
@Villago Delenda Est: Wouldn’t that be Medicaid?
Baud
@Pogonip: I’m sorry to hear about your father.
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: vast, multitudes, &c.
Villago Delenda Est
@Chyron HR: That’s the Donald Drumpf solution.
Burnspbesq
All the counting is done in CA. Clinton won by approximately 364K.
Mnemosyne
@Pogonip:
Like dr bloor said, until you have a chance to talk to an attorney, the most you should do is call the utilities and tell them your dad passed away so you won’t be paying the bills right away.
Also, don’t let any bill collectors try and guilt you into paying his bills out of your own pocket. The estate is responsible for any pending bills, not you personally. What are they going to do, ruin his credit rating so he can never get another credit card?
NotMax
@Pogonip
That varies dependent on things like state law, the size of the holdings of the estate and also claims against it. But having an attorney set up a special account for immediate timely payments is a separate matter from probate, IIRC.
Villago Delenda Est
@Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap: Yeah, one of those medisomethings. Might have been medicaid. This was all 10 years or so ago, before my father’s passing, but we were planning ahead knowing that he was deteriorating. He had been on the Arkansas state championship basketball team back in 1939, I think it was, and he could not advance up five steps of stairs without pausing after the second step. When he fell, he could not get up, and was too heavy for me to lift him and help him up.
Burnspbesq
@Ruckus:
Good idea for the executor to get a metric shit-ton of certified copies of the letters testimentary. However many you think you might need, you’ll almost certainly need more.
Villago Delenda Est
@Mnemosyne:
They’re craven enough to try that, I’m sure.
Mnemosyne
@Pogonip:
Probate takes a while, but you should be able to access his bank accounts well before that. As others have said, order a bunch of copies of the death certificate, because every utility and bank is going to want to see it.
nutella
@Anne Laurie:
And Chris Christie still really, really wants it.
Adam L Silverman
@Burnspbesq: And now the conspiracy theory rooted electoral fraud lawsuit can go forward!
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/election-fraud-rico-lawsuit-alleging-widespread-e-vote-rigging-dnc-primaries-derail-clinton-nomination/
Villago Delenda Est
@Pogonip: This is where you need the estate attorney. It’s possible that Medicare or Medicaid WILL go after his estate if he drew on those programs. I am not a lawyer, see Mr. Burns for that, but one of the things we did was get as many major assets out of his name before his passing, so that they could not be attached.
smith
@rikyrah: Racists KNOW that if black people were really into that “eye for an eye” thing there would be a very large bill to pay. Their absurd and inhuman rationalizations are ways of mentally scrambling to avoid acknowledging that. Cold comfort, I know, when there seem to be so many very small frightened people with guns.
RealityBites
@Pogonip: not knowledgeable enough to answer your questions. Just wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.
Major Major Major Major
@Burnspbesq: So you’re saying that since every Hillary vote in the Bay Area was fraudulent (going by signage, which we all know counts double), Bernie really won and the lawsuits can commence? Yay!
trollhattan
@Burnspbesq:
Bernie won, then! To think he said winning wasn’t important.
Mnemosyne
@Villago Delenda Est:
They tried to guilt my mother-in-law into paying off my late father-in-law’s credit cards after he died. However, they had been legally divorced since 1991 and had never remarried, so we told her to tell them to go piss up a rope because she had no legal obligation, his estate did, and she was not the executor.
HinTN
@Pogonip: Calm them and tell them what’s up. They will understand and wait.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Pogonip: When my mom died(this was 25 years ago and in CA), I went to the bank with the death cert and a copy of the will and set up an estate account.
ETA: Sorry to hear about your loss.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/election-fraud-rico-lawsuit-alleging-widespread-e-vote-rigging-dnc-primaries-derail-clinton-nomination/
Baud
@Burnspbesq: Now the recount can begin.
Botsplainer, Neoliberal Corporatist Shill
@Pogonip:
Sorry for your loss.
I’ve done estate work for years – only take care of the “immediate musts” at the moment – you have a great deal on your plate in the way of emotion. If something isn’t due until after the funeral, give it about a week to wait before looking at it. Wait until about 48 hours after the funeral to meet with an estate attorney. Do make sure to check the locks and safeguard property in the interim. Go ahead and forward to mail either to yourself or a PO box. If no one is staying in the house, consider a burglar alarm.
Once you meet the estate lawyer, you’ll get guidance on the best way to gather info and proceed.
HinTN
@Emma Anne:
Pogonip
You are all wonderful. Thank you.
We are not really in shock–the doctors gave us a heads-up, and he was in constant pain and unable to walk so he wanted to go. In fact he had died last Friday and been revived and then changed his orders so that wouldn’t happen again. He did not see the tunnel of light or any of that other near-death stuff. Said he thought he had fainted.
Villago Delenda Est
@Adam L Silverman: As I commented at the site, the fantasy continues.
Major Major Major Major
@Adam L Silverman: come on, that’s a month old. They don’t have anything shinier? I am disappoint.
Adam L Silverman
@Villago Delenda Est: Ayep! Sanders-cats Ho!!!!!!!
Pogonip
@Botsplainer, Neoliberal Corporatist Shill: we’re staying here, one reason we want to remain on good terms with the electric co.
trollhattan
@Major Major Major Major:
Funnily enough, Bernie won red counties almost exclusively, implying bunker-dwelling liberals and open primary crossover wingnuts comprise his voting base there. Only group 1 votes for him in a general of course.
Barbara
@Pogonip: Medicare does not go after estates except in highly unusual circumstances. Briefly, if a person received money from another party in payment (or partial payment) of health care expenses that Medicare covered, Medicare has the right to seek reimbursement for those expenses. This would be, for instance, a settlement for injuries sustained in a car accident. The estate might however, be liable for paying copayments and deductibles for health care expenses that are not covered by Medicare, but that would be owed to health care providers. Medicaid is more complicated, but if your father was living at home then he almost certainly wasn’t covered by Medicaid.
raven
@rikyrah: I’m going to bed but I thought I’d let you know that the guy that wrote that is African American.
Adam L Silverman
@Major Major Major Major: I don’t make the conspiracy driven news, I just point and laugh at it.
NotMax
@Major Major Major Major
You mean all those millions of ballots for Bernie spirited off to the conveniently emptied vault at the consulate in Benghazi?
Mnemosyne
@rikyrah:
It really is the media drumbeat, though. IMO, that’s why it’s not uncommon for people who immigrated here to become racist — they’re getting the 24/7 media diet telling them that Black People Are Dangerous, and they don’t have the filter that most of us try to develop.
I do my best not to ever have racist thoughts, I really do, but we’re all swimming in 300+ years of Black People Are Dangerous, and one will pop up out of my subconscious sometimes. But I never say them or act on them, because I know it’s something that farted up from that racist swamp we’re all immersed in and it’s not real. The best I can do is acknowledge where it came from and ignore it.
But cops who can’t get over thinking that Black People Are Dangerous need to find another line of work before they kill somebody.
ETA: And when I say that everyone is affected by our racist culture, I mean EVERYONE. Many Black people have been surprised when they take an unconscious bias test and discover that they have some of the same racist biases, because we ALL get force-fed them every day.
Major Major Major Major
@trollhattan: yessir I know ? I had almost as much fun watching the heads around here explode as I did watching Rove on live TV in 2012.
Am I evil? Maybe a lil.
hovercraft
@Burnspbesq:
In other words it was a squeaker.
LAO
@Pogonip: Sorry for your loss. While IAAL, estate law is not my gig, so take my (anonymous) advice for what it’s worth. Generally, the estate through the executor is responsible for settling all debts and paying bills. So you definitely want to hire an attorney to assist you. If you feel you must pay certain bills before that can be accomplished, pay them from your personal accounts but keep all receipts as any money you outlay to pay bills should be reimbursed by the estate.
Again, not my field. You should probably speaking to an estate attorney before paying any bills.
Ruckus
@Pogonip:
Upon reflection and this comment of yours, I have to say both my parents were living in care facilities when they passed away and as I had both PoA and was the executor and as both facilities knew that, there really weren’t any unexpected bills, like utilities or property tax, neither owned homes or were capable of living independently by that point.
And of course my condolences.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven: You are the best. Thanks for that.
@LAO: I echo your condolences, and your advice.
I’m sorry for your loss, Pogonip.
Villago Delenda Est
@NotMax: They were emailed. Over Hillary’s private server.
nutella
@Mnemosyne:
I agree that you should be VERY careful about just paying things because they are due. Don’t pay anything until you’ve gotten legal advice. It should be pretty quick to get an estate account set up so if the bills are paid up through today the creditors won’t even notice that a couple of weeks went by.
My sympathies for your loss.
lamh36
I was literally talking about how everbybody don’t need to be using FB’s LIVE video capabilities…I mean if I saw another person doing a LIVE feed about IDK…getting their hari done or some random thing, I was gonna scream. Much like the power of twitter to get unknown news to the attention of the masses, I admit when I was wrong, especially since I’m imagining what would have happened had Castille’s girlfriend NOT been able to utilize FB LIVE…
Anyway, all that to say mention this:
Mark Zuckerberg on ‘heartbreaking’ police shooting footage via @CNNMoney
Major Major Major Major
@NotMax: Libya doesn’t vote until the convention!!
Villago Delenda Est
@Barbara: In my case, my father was living at home when he passed, but several years previously, he had been in a retirement home for physical therapy after a knee operation that had some complications (major hemorrhaging in his leg). Probably that stay was covered by Medicaid, and that’s where the possible liens were involved. As I said, knowing this, we moved assets out of my father’s name and into my mother’s.
NotMax
@Villago Delenda Est
Further proof that she’s a closet Republican. They love privatization.
;)
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: You’re saying I still have a chance?!
Ruckus
@Burnspbesq:
This is true. Dad died 15 yrs ago and I still have about 6-8 copies of the death cert. I got a dozen, it is amazing who needs them. I will say though that both my parents had gotten all of their papers in order and copies kept with their lawyers before they were needed so that made everything a lot easier. Also i called their lawyer to let them know of the deaths and he made sure that I knew what I needed to do. IOW we handled this in the way that everyone says to, see an estate lawyer before, when the parents can make decisions, and make sure that everything is up to date.
Matt McIrvin
@Schlemazel Khan: Hillary’s campaign has already run ads like that. I’m sure she’ll have more.
danielx
@rachel:
You got me there. That would rank as the ultimate unlikely scenario.
Barbara
@Villago Delenda Est: Medicaid is the much more complicated program because any assets you own are supposed to be available to reimburse Medicaid. There are exemptions so that if one spouse needs nursing home care the other spouse can stay in a family home and does not need to sell it to pay for care, but state laws typically allow claims on the house once the second spouse dies.
ThresherK (GPad)
@Pogonip: Condolences from our home. My FiL was on life support for months. Several years later, seeing what happened to him, my MiL signed DNR orders. Her suffering was blessedly brief and they gave her palliative care.
Ruckus
@Villago Delenda Est:
Some of them will tell you that, trying to scare you into thinking that as the executor you become personally responsible for the bills, as in your credit will also be ruined.
People who want all your money rarely have any scruples. They do have plenty of greed though.
Pogonip
@Baud: Oh, stop trolling for Bereaved-American votes.
Harrumph.
rikyrah
I believe Facebook saved the lives of Philando Castile’s girlfriend and child.
I honestly believe her going live saved their lives.
Pogonip
@Villago Delenda Est: Oh, OK. Mine was a Ww II and Korea vet; he had MediCARE and Tricare For Life.
NotMax
@Ruckus
Couple of years ago (and several years after step-father died) Mom wanted to turn the car over to step-sister’s son because she was buying a new one.
Turns out that step-father had never had the bank lien on the car removed (even though the loan was long paid off), so she couldn’t transfer the registration without a copy of the death certificate, both for the bank which originally issued the loan and for the DMV.
hovercraft
@nutella:
He has no other way to ever get to the white house or to dc, he cant get rid of the taint of the GW Bridge, so a presidential run will be out his minions trails are coming up. And here in NJ he has managed to fall beneath the magic 27% he is at 26 so a senate run is out. That’s why he is willing to hitch his wagon to drump because it’s his only path to a future in elected office.
Baud
@Pogonip: But the dearly departed were among my strongest supporters.
lamh36
NRA silent on police killing of lawful gun owner
debit
@rikyrah: I wept reading that. I am white and I am heartbroken, I am ashamed, I am angry. I’m sorry, I have no words, just overwhelming rage and sorrow.
Baud
@lamh36:
Biggest nonsurprise of them all.
Libertarians have gone quiet too, it seems.
JPL
Officer or officers are down in Dallas when protest turns violent. Shit..
CBS news
Major Major Major Major
@lamh36: Thank you, I was actually looking for a good summary of that today. Shared.
rikyrah
@Baud:
Quiet as church mice pissing on cotton.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: The only libertarian stuff I saw on FB today was a video from Reason making fun of $hitlery, hur hur.
JPL
The protest in Dallas was peaceful, and it appears that there was a sniper, possibly in the parking garage. There is no confirmation on how many shot.
debbie
@Pogonip:
I’m sorry for your loss. The mortgage company will take your payments if the loan’s current. If you’re hoping they’ll let you hold off on making a couple payments, I think world peace would be more likely.
Baud
@JPL: Latest item in Twitter said two officers.
JPL
@Baud: cbs.com has a live stream.. They keep saying the protesters were peaceful..
Mary G
@Pogonip: Sorry for your loss. After my mom died in 2010, I found out that the water/sewer/trash bill was still in my father’s name, and he died in 1967! I chime in on everyone’s advice about the death certificate. I got 12 copies and ended up ordering 20 more.
I am still fine, a little sore but no more than usual. After I emailed Betty I realized that duh, if I can email her, I can email somebody closer in case. The first thing in my email was a group message to 40 people in an organization I volunteer with. Without thinking, I hit reply all and pasted in the message. A minute later, I saw that Betty had gotten through and sent a stand-down order. So I’ve had people yelling at me for showering when no one is home for the last hour or so.
On the bright side, I now have a plate of pork chops and rice, a frozen tuna casserole, a large pizza, a container of chicken soup, and half a cake with strawberries and blueberries on it left over from a 4th of July party but is still fresh and delicious. I feel blessed to have so many supportive friends online and IRL.
MomSense
@Pogonip:
In Maine we have an organization called Pine Tree Legal. They offer free or low cost legal services and they have a fantastic website that offers basic information on legal matters. Do you have such an organization where you live? They may at least have information on their website outlining the process for you.
lamh36
ICYMI: President Obama Statement on the Recent Police Shooting of 2 Unarmed Black Men
Some quotes:
JPL
@Mary G: Please take care of yourself. If Betty has to call 911 for me, I want the cute guys also.
rikyrah
RT @mic “23 everyday actions punishable by death if you’re Black in America, from #TrayvonMartin to #AltonSterling “
rikyrah
@Mary G:
So glad to see you posting and hearing that you’re ok.
Pogonip
@Villago Delenda Est: in March my father came home from his first hospital stay. He was 5′ 11″ and weighed 200 lb, give or take 10. He tended to fall to the left without warning so I put my big son on his left and me on his right and we started up the back steps. That day, of course, he fell to the right and ended up partway wedged between me, the step, and his car. My son couldn’t let go of his end or Dad would have fallen the rest of the way. We looked like a perverse Twister game. 911 was highly amused once they were sure nobody was hurt.
lamh36
If true, rifle says “sniper” mabybe? and we all know “sniper” and Dallas ain’t NEVER good!
MomSense
@Mary G:
I’m so relieved you are ok! We were all worried.
@rikyrah:
I agree. I’m so furious that they not only killed her fiancĂ©e but to protect her daughter and her life she had to live stream and couldn’t just hold her love while he died. And then her sweet little girl tried to comfort her. My god this is heartbreaking.
SiubhanDuinne
Just got out of Romeo and Juliet to hear the news out of Dallas. Don’t know details except shots were fired during a protest. Will catch up with you good folks when I get home.
NotMax
@SiubhanDuinne
No spoilers, please.
;)
nutella
@Mary G:
Hard to do sensible planning when you’ve just crashed to the floor! Glad you’re OK.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
:-)
Omnes Omnibus
@Pogonip: @Barbara: First, my condolences. Second, Barbara had some good advice.
Angela
@rikyrah: Unlurking to say, i was a single white mom who raised three white boys and it breaks my heart to read what you’ve written and to try to imagine feeling the necesity to show my sons that video. And to see the headlines and videos and bullshit again and again. It sucks. And I’m sorry. And I’m learning. Not to be silent. To be aware and
active. And how white my experiences have been. I’m always glad when I see a post of yours. You’re one of my must read commentators.
Angela
@lamh36: Thank you for sharing these. I’m so angry. And so sad. And so resolved to do my part for change.
J R in WV
@Pogonip:
If he added you to his bank accounts with signature privileges, you can pay his bills from his account. If you haven’t been added to his accounts, you may need to use your account, but record everything you spend on his accounts, utility bills, mortgage payment, tax payments, etc. Those payments you will be reimbursed for from his estate up front, they don’t count as part of an inheritance.
IIRC you could be paid a percentage for your effort handling the estate as executor, although we didn’t do that when my dad died. I was added to Dad’s WV accounts and used them for his WV bills, my brother was on his TX accounts and used them to pay his TX bills. You should be able to be added to his bank accounts with a death certificate and papers showing you are his executor, should visit the bank(s) and talk to an officer about that.
Best of luck, feel free to ask questions. We had professional help, friends have received good assistance with regard to settling estates from funeral home folks. Dad wished to be cremated, some time before his actual death my brother and I sat down in Houston with the Yellow pages and went down the list of funeral homes, pricing simple cremation with no service. We got quotes from $750 to $18,000 for the same product, so don’t go with the first place you call unless it really suits your wants and your price point.
We did not pay $18,000 – we visited the $750 establishment, they were quite professional and everything was as anyone would have wanted. I admit I was amazed at the higher end prices for a simple cremation. The next summer we had a picnic in the afternoon, and that evening disposed of both mom and dad’s ashes as they had wished, in a waterfall mom had painted many times.
Best of luck, I hope everything is smooth for you and your family going forward. Don’t be in a rush, take your time, get advice, don’t make any arrangements until you are completely satisfied with what is to be done and what will be charged. The facility in WV charged everything up front for my mom back in the 1990s, their profit margin was built in to transporting her from her home to the funeral home.
Take care! Condolences for your loss.
Honus
@Pogonip: @Pogonip: if you are named as executor, go to the courthouse, probate the will (sounds complicated but most small towns have clerks that specialize in probate that are very helpful) and you will get an order naming you executor that allows you to act in your father’s stead to pay his just debts.
rikyrah
@raven:
There are all sorts of Black people that make excuses.
Jeffro
OT, had a chance to catch up with my right-leaning dad today… It was quite illuminating .
Naturally the Comey report was “disrespectful to the prosecutors that did the work and he (Comey) should have let them speak instead of providing all the additional background information about why he did not prosecute”. When I pointed out that Republicans seem to like to retry cases (like the Clinton emails, or Benghazi hearings) or re-vote on bills until they get the result they want (i.e. Obamacare) – the very outcome-based system that he likes to hang on liberals – I got no response.
Benghazi: 8 investigations, One of which included Secretary Clinton testifying in public for 11 straight hours
9/11: 2 investigations (and please remember that for one of them, Bush and Cheney were allowed to give their testimony in private, appear together – lest they contradict each other – and swear no oath)… For the other they gave no testimony at all
Honus
@Pogonip: you can pay them and then have the estate pay you back. Via the executor. Yes, that’s you. It’s ok, trust me.
Pogonip
You are all wonderful.
Now let’s all go help Baud plant campaign signs in the cemeteries.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36:
That surprises me. I would have guessed that it was much higher.
SectionH
@Pogonip: Late of course, but
Even if expected, you’ve had a big loss. My condolences.
I’ve been an executor 3 times: my dad’s estate, my mother’s – they’d been divorced for a decades, so completely separate estates, and my aunt’s.
Here’s some stuff I’ve learned from experience: Ignore everything not actively on fire until after the funeral, and maybe longer. If being busy is useful – I find myself randomly cleaning if nothing else to do – you do want to notify Social Security asap so that they don’t cut another check which then has to sit until they recapture it, and maybe keep an account open for longer than necessary. Same would apply to any other automatic payments your Dad was getting.
The 2nd depends on state laws and your financial situation. In my mother’s state, as soon as the bank knew she was deceased, they had to freeze her account, and keep it frozen until after probate was finished, even though I’d been a co-signer for years. I srsly had a bank officer tell me they DID NOT want to hear the next sentence I was going to say, so fortunately I didn’t say it, because I needed the money in that account to pay bills over the months until probate was settled. This was in the mid-90s. Maybe things there are faster now, but I doubt it.
I managed to settle up my Dad’s affairs without any help from lawyers, but I don’t recommend it. Also don’t recommend overpaying for a high powered estate lawyer (pace Bots’) unless your situation is more complicated than it seems. Our regular guy did the job just fine for me for my mom’s estate. And I mean regular as in, we knew him vaguely through work, and he’d written a letter for us once.
The 3rd piece of advice is minor, but: yes, get multiple copies of the Death Cert. but don’t get too carried away. They’re Not Cheap! For one thing, many agencies or businesses which insist on a certified copy will send it back to you, at worst asking for a SASE. My aunt made a great issue of many death c’s when discussing her estate with me, so I got somewhat more than 12. I still have a couple of hundred $ worth of them in a drawer. I think I actually needed 6, and got 3 back. I got one Death Certificate of my mother’s after she died, because nobody warned me to get more. Since then, I’ve needed exactly 1 more in 25 years, to settle something re my aunt’s estate. That cost $30 and took 2 days. (Hint: you can get almost anything on-line, including Death Certificates, pretty fast and for not a fortune.)
Bill_D
Pogonip, sorry for your loss. I was there myself 3 years ago.
Laws will vary by state, but I’ll throw my experience out there for what it’s worth, for the benefit of those who still have time and ability to arrange their affairs.
My parents had a family trust. My mother went first and later the house was sold to pay bills, so by the time my father passed all he had was bank accounts (including an IRA), a car, and personal possessions. My father agreed to make me co-trustee once his health became poor. Unfortunately my sister had died at an early age and I had no other siblings. These factors all simplified things a lot when the time came.
The main checking account was in the name of the trust with my father and I as co-signors, so I could still write checks to pay bills even immediately after death. Later I took the death certificate to the bank, provided a new EIN, and they removed his name. (The new EIN for the trust was needed because my father’s SSN could no longer be used to report taxable income for the trust as it had been up to that point.) As sole surviving trustee and executor I was able to disburse the funds as needed for bills and other expenses and then as directed by the will.
Other bank accounts listed me as sole beneficiary so those went to my name once I took the death certificate to the banks. The will provided that all possessions went to the trust upon death, but by that point those were just the car and personal possessions. The DMV transferred title upon viewing the will and trust papers, as did the one financial investment which was in the name of the trust. If the house had still been owned by the trust I could have sold that too, for about the same amount of paperwork as we went through selling it earlier.
So thanks to good planning my parents had started 25 years earlier, probate was avoided and all assets transferred relatively easily. It was still a lot of work to go through all the transactions, though. It’s also important to record all transactions promptly, because if any issue comes up later like a challenge or taxes, you may not remember what that payment or deposit months ago was for.
Cleos
I recall the Rotten Reagan era clearly and the hardcore Repugs wouldn’t have cared. Reagan was the perfect puppet POTUS to begin with: Donald Trump with an unctious voice and a pocketful of one-liners.
And it certainly would have made no difference to the idiots who voted for him a second time.
Paul in KY
@Pogonip: Very sorry to hear of your father’s passing.
Paul in KY
@Cleos: As much as I hate Saint Roaldus the Doofius, he is like Bismark when compared to Trump.