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Her death was sudden (a stroke) and she was only 61.
When I found out she died, I was crushed.
A week or so after she died, I received some unusual mail.
Her estate plan, replete witha will and trust.
Learning of this inheritance was shocking.
Did we miss something?
Was this really happening?
Its been nearly three years since that day.
Heres whats happened since then and a look at the five ugly financial truths that have come to light.
Also see whether you should sell or rent a home you inherited.
My lawyer was confident that Gladys didnt have a chance.
This would be a slam dunk, right?
The retainer fee alone was thousands of dollars.
And the legal fees didnt end there.
The hearings went on for two years.
Every few months, there would be another hearing and another round ofjaw-dropping legal bills.
I paid very little of my balance and not often.
The interest piled up.
Eventually, itll go to trial.
Trials can be long and almost always exorbitantly expensive.
Additionally, as my lawyer said, you might get a bad judge.
Mediation where thetwo opposing partiescome together to work out a settlement was the best option in my situation.
Gladys and her ambulance-chasing legal team agreed.
Were talking tens of thousands of dollars.
To be wired to Gladys ASAP.
It was, in my counsels opinion, the best-case scenario…in a worst-case situation.
I agreed to pay the money and wiped outmy entire retirement savings.
So I dont have to worry about those payments.
But the house is hardly in the clear.
Once I finally got the deed, I learned that my aunt hadnt paid property taxes in years.
The house was at the risk of foreclosure.
I would have to come up with $20,000 immediately to salvage it.
There went my and my husbands emergency savings.
The first visit was tough.
Not only was it emotionally charged, but it was, frankly, sort of scary.
The house has been dormant since my aunt passed.
There is no electricity.
I want to keep the house and nurture my family there the way she nurtured me throughout my life.
I want to keep her bird feeders in the trees and her books on the shelves.
Im still working out the best possible plan with my husband and lawyer.
Maybe I can rent the house out but I would still have to make the repairs.
Maybe, I will sell the house as is, and finally pay my lawyer in full.
Its all still up in the air much like it when this all began.
And the tears still flow.
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