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Safe deposit box or onboard safe


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Staring full time next month in a motorhome that has an onboard safe. Have been snowbirding for a few years.

 

Where do we store vehicle titles, birth certificates, marriage certificate, military discharge, passports, etc.? Use the onboard safe or rent a safe deposit box?

 

We are starting from Washington state. No one here we would give access to a safe deposit box. Sister in Atlanta we could give access and we do plan to visit during our first year. We plan to visit Mexico the second year if that changes anything.

 

No matter where we store the papers we will scan them for ready access.

 

Thanks

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I only keep original documents that are required for travel. (State ID, passport, CCL, vehicle registration, etc.) on my person or in a "bug out bag". Either in the rig when driving, or in the house when stationary. I have 3 sets of certified/standard copies (if able/required) of all other documents as well as photocopies of any original "carry" documents. One concealed in the rig, one copy in the house, and one set for the "bug out bag".

 

Originals are kept in a safe deposit box and can be overnighted on demand. I also keep a photocopy of original documents that I carry in the safe deposit box.

 

In the event that you need to vacate your rig in a hurry you really don't want to be messing around with a safe. I would reserve that for other personal valuables, backup firearm, bank records, receipts, etc. All replaceable if lost.

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Scan copies and have a city or county clerk make certified/notarized official copies of some as appropriate. We had my FIL as our executor and now need to change that as he is in hospice now with memory care, so bear in mind the age of the person entrusted. If you haven't already made a living will and last will do so and make sure you designate the sister or a lawyer as executor so any decisions needed can be made on your behalf, whether incapacitated and brain dead or dead. Regardless of where you store it, the executor has to be able to access them if needed or when we are deceased.

 

We left our antiques and family heirlooms, antiques, videos and movies, photos and negatives with family in climate controlled inside closets. Our executor had a sealed package with our living and last wills, and all account information and access codes/passwords. He had full Power of Attorney as well.

 

Just be sure to include online accounts and websites including FaceBook etc. so, unlike a dear friend from my teen years, you won't have a Facebook page up for months or years after your death as if nothing has happened.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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When we were fulltiming our rig had a small floor safe. We did occasionally use it for a few things, but since it was over the diesel engine AND not fire proof, important documents were kept in a fire proof lock box. We had a large one (maybe 24x24x24) most documents were in, and a couple of smaller ones that would fit half-page size documents (or normal size folded in half). You can buy various sizes of fire proof lock boxes at Walmart and office supply stores.

Paul (KE5LXU), former fulltimer, now sometimer...

'03 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage 40E

'05 Honda Odyssey

Escapees, FMCA, WIT, SMART

http://www.pjrider.com

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We kept our important papers that had to travel with us in a smaller, fire proof box that was also located near the exit door for easy retrieval in the event of an emergency exit. It was out of sight, but could be reached from the ground in an emergency. Things like vehicle titles and some things of high value we put into a safety deposit box that was joint ownership with our son so that if we did need them he could retrieve and over-night them to us. We did that same thing with life insurance policies, second originals of our wills, medical power of attorney, and medical directives are both places.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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We only carry required ID and passports & copies of titles

Everything else including SS cards are locked away in our SIL Super duty, best you can buy gun floor safe. ( You'll need to blast that thing open)

 

When we have needed something our daughter overnighted it to us. Since she has 24 hour access there's no waiting on the bank to be open to get things.

Ron & Linda

Class of 2007
2000 Monaco Diplomat

2005 Honda Element

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" Theodore Roosevelt

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust our sail"

"When man gave up his freedom to roam the earth, he gave up his soul for a conditioned ego that is bound by time and the fear of losing its attachments."

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We have done all of the above at different points in time. Now we have the fireproof "safe" as a go-bag, with most of our essentials in it. Original wills etc are in a safe deposit box. We now keep our passports and some documents, including spare money, locked in the locker under the rear seat of our truck.

Sue and Paul- fulltimed 2009 -2015 with Dozer, our Gray Tuxedo cat

 2012 DRV Mobile Suites 36TKSB4 pulled by a 2020 F350 Platinum

Our "vacation home" : 2018 Arctic Fox 1150 truck camper

RIP Dozey

http://soos-ontheroad.blogspot.com/

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We carry the titles, passport etc. in a fire proof box. We have our medical directive on https://www.uslivingwillregistry.com/ so that it is always accessible(they supply a sticker for your DL). Send our daughters legal copies of our other important papers.

I'm not sure that it is really a part of this subject, but as a reminder if you take any sort of maintenance prescription drugs, each party should have a list of all medications and their doses for themselves and their partner with them at all times, just in case of a medical emergency.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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  • 1 month later...

Scan copies and have a city or county clerk make certified/notarized official copies of some as appropriate. We had my FIL as our executor and now need to change that as he is in hospice now with memory care, so bear in mind the age of the person entrusted. If you haven't already made a living will and last will do so and make sure you designate the sister or a lawyer as executor so any decisions needed can be made on your behalf. Regardless of where you store it, you have to be able to access them if needed or deceased.

 

We left our antiques and family heirlooms, antiques, videos and movies, photos and negatives with family in climate controlled inside closets. Our executor had a sealed package with our living and last wills, and all account information and access codes/passwords. He had full Power of Attorney in the event of our deaths.

 

Just be sure to include online accounts and websites including FaceBook etc. so, unlike a dear friend from my teen years, you won't have a Facebook page up for months or years after your death as if nothing has happened.

 

In Missouri, Power of Attorney ceases at death, and the authority passes to the "Personal Representative" named in the last will and testament.

 

When my mother died, one of her bankers (who I knew and was meeting with) tossed out her Power of Attorney saying "well, we won't need that anymore." I had the original copy

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Roni,

I mentioned the executor and also that we went to an attorney, as different states have different laws as I learned when processing for possible deployments and running the deployment line where all of the legal docs are checked. I posted in case folks forget to include the online access and other things.

 

Thanks for the comment as I will clean up that poorly written sentence. But our executor has it in case we are alive but in a coma despite our DNR living wills. In our case the executor is also the POA where needed as we use it now to manage his affairs until he is gone. We just went through this last year when we lost Mom. It is a good feeling to be there for those who were there for us.

 

In Missouri personal assistant and executor are interchangeable:

 

Excerpt:

 

"What Are the Duties of an Executor of a Will in Missouri?

 

The law refers to a person who drafts a will as a testator. When a testator drafts a will, he typically designates a person as an executor, or personal representative. The Missouri Probate Code states what duties and powers an executor of a will has in administering a Missouri estate. The executor’s main duty is to administer the will’s instructions regarding the distribution of the testator's estate assets and resolve all claims against the estate."

 

Source: http://info.legalzoom.com/duties-executor-missouri-3771.html

 

It is important that one consult an attorney in their state or domicile for local terms local instructions. The POA is critical when managing and protecting an estate and the care of the family member with Alzheimer's or dementia. No one should ever take non-professional informational posts in place of good legal counsel for important matters. A dear friend from my childhood still has her FaceBook page online, almost 12 months after her death last December, and it reads like she was still alive. I am not family so stay out of the affairs of others.

 

As always, caveat emptor, take what you can use and leave the rest.

:)

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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