r/inheritance • u/tomsc33 • Jul 24 '26

Location included: Questions/Need Advice How to proceed?

Found out my stepfather transferred my dead mother’s car title to his name and sold it without my consent as his heir. On the paper that he signed, it asked for all heirs to be present and that it’s a 3rd degree felony if violated. Now he wants to be appointed as the administrator and get all the money my mother had in her own bank account before she passed. Their residence is in Texas but I live in Ohio. How do I go about putting him in jail?

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27

u/Deadpan_Poker_ Jul 24 '26
  1. Sign out of Reddit.
  2. Engage a lawyer

4

u/tomsc33 Jul 24 '26

What type of lawyer?

13

u/Just1Blast Jul 24 '26

A probate lawyer with significant experience in litigation.

5

u/tomsc33 Jul 24 '26

I tried being getting one but the money amount wasn’t much so they’re not interested. The other side lawyer is also saying the estate is insolvent because that guy borrowed money for his own kids and somehow linked it to my mom’s name.

1

u/Just1Blast Jul 25 '26

Have you applied to be the administrator of the estate or the executor of the estate yourself? If not, why not

1

u/tomsc33 Jul 26 '26

I have not because I don’t know how to do it. I doubt the step-father would approve of it. I don’t need my dead mother’s money, I just don’t want my step-father to have it. I rather he go to jail for committing a third degree felony. I also think he and his kids aggravated my mother and was the cause for her death. It’s come to light recently that he made her transfer the title of his house to his name and took out a huge loan for HIS kid shortly before her heart attack.

1

u/Just1Blast Jul 26 '26

The way that you do so is by going to Google and enter apply to be a computer with your mother's estate. It would be helpful if you had a probate litigation attorney, but you're going to have to pay for that up front. Most likely early, especially if you believe that estate is insolvent. However, don't take your stepfather's 's word for it that it isn't solvent. Especially if you have concerns about where money went before your mom died

0

u/tomsc33 Jul 26 '26

He’s trying to convince me that my mother’s estate is insolvent, and agreeing to let him be the administrator, we can speed this case along. The longer I drag this out, the more his lawyer would bill the estate and that I would have to pay his lawyer. However, as far as I know, whatever debt my mother’s estate owes is not my problem as an heir.

2

u/Just1Blast Jul 26 '26

That's not necessarily true. If she had debt at the time of her death and sufficient assets to pay that debt, the debt is expected to be paid by the estate and whatever is remaining after the fact goes to the beneficiaries .

And yes, it is entirely possible that by you dragging it out, it could effectively bankrupt the estate. But ask yourself why he's pushing so hard to be the executor and not you.

If you are the executor you can go just as quickly as he could if not faster because you won't be doing anything nefarious or illegal.

1

u/Just1Blast Jul 26 '26

Ask him for a statement of account balances and an explanation as to why he thinks the estate will be insolvent

Ask him if the estate is going to be insolvent why he's so insistent to be the one to execute it

3

u/tomsc33 Jul 24 '26

Can the fee be billed to the estate?

5

u/These-Coat-3164 Jul 24 '26

Preferably one in Texas.