Final journey

kb0zke · July 6, 2023

At some point each one of us will die, and we won't have to deal with any more government regulations, lawyers, sales people, etc. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for those we leave behind. Zach's thread started a couple of my remaining brain cells working. We've been working on funeral arrangements, cemetery lots, etc. recently, but haven't given any thought to the legal part - yet. That's something we'll have to check into.

In our case, we're SD residents who are full-timers. We'll have to check out what hoops we'll have to jump through when one of us dies. Does Escapees already have this information available? I'll have to check with them.

TXiceman · July 6, 2023

We had set up everything based in Texas with our wills, Texas attorney, and cremation plan. Our daughter is our executor and has copies of all the pertinent paperwork, key to the safety deposit box, living wills, medical power of attorney, etc.

Now we are off the road and settled in central Texas. All the paperwork is still applicable.

Your best course is to get an attorney involved and get all of the paperwork needed for your particular financial situation and location.

Ken

ms60ocb · July 6, 2023

This is a interesting brain cell exerciser. It was easy for my parents being fixed based to do planning and per-funeral arrangements. As a different generation, we live like gypsy's and don't know where we may be headed. The family knows where the paper work lays including a draft Obituary.

Next year could be the test as we may become be full timers. Traveling looking for a new home base with an enjoyable climate and healthcare would be the goal. Up until 2 months ago one of the children was within 30 minutes. Now the 3 closest are 600, 1200 and 1300 miles away and the grandchildren different directions.

Clay and Marcie

2gypsies · July 6, 2023

5 hours ago, TXiceman said:

We had set up everything based in Texas with our wills, Texas attorney, and cremation plan. Our daughter is our executor and has copies of all the pertinent paperwork, key to the safety deposit box, living wills, medical power of attorney, etc.

Now we are off the road and settled in central Texas. All the paperwork is still applicable.

Your best course is to get an attorney involved and get all of the paperwork needed for your particular financial situation and location.

Ken

This is what we did while traveling. We're now settled in Arizona so had a new will drawn up and daughter will take care of everything. We want our ashes spread in a beautiful place for us. No services.

sandsys · July 6, 2023

99% of what we own is either jointly owned or has a beneficiary. We do have wills, health care directives, etc. but there won't be much to do unless we both go at the same time. Then, since we only have one child, even that should be fairly easy. Dave's sister knows where to take our ashes as that's where we took his parent's ashes.

Linda

RV_ · July 8, 2023

We too have Last wills and living wills. Our youngest son is our executor and we have defined everything so he does not have to be the bad or good guy.

We have again gathered too much stuff since coming off the road. I started last year and am slowly selling everything we don't use daily so my son does not have to deal with it. Just sorting is too much to pass on as a chore. Folks don't really want wood furniture or antiques so we will sell those too, save a few the kids and G'kids might like.

Lynda ran estate sales for about five years and I got to see what they walked into before they cleaned and organized. They have to clean and organize everything and call in appraisers etc. then set it up and conduct it. I was usually saddened by seeing the unusable old stuff, not antiques.

The biggest thing to do is realize they are going to throw out or give away 90% of it. I am not counting videos and analog family pics - they stay and they can split them up, throw them out.

They key is to ask if they want anything before you start clearing out. Part of doing estate sales for the elderly involved arranging for them to move into smaller quarters usually assisted living unless they have memory issues and need memory, medical care or both.

If the fates cause me to lose my love of my life first I will not need any of the "stuff" here and will either move into a deluxe motorhome or perhaps a smaller place.

So I am keeping only what I need to live in and maintain this house to lessen the burden on our kids.

sandsys · July 8, 2023

27 minutes ago, RV_ said:

So I am keeping only what I need to live in and maintain this house to lessen the burden on our kids.

That's why we bought cheap furniture when we came off the road. Our only child has everything she and her husband need so why would we buy expensive stuff when cheap is just as comfortable? We furnished our entire apartment for ~$2000 at IKEA since leaving money made more sense than leaving furniture no one will want anyway.

Linda

Kirk W · July 9, 2023

On 7/5/2023 at 8:18 PM, kb0zke said:

Does Escapees already have this information available?

While there have been articles in the magazine on the subject of estate planning a few times, there is no listing of the subject on either Escapees or Xscapers web pages. (The two share a menu.) If you check the list of commercial partners, East Texas Legal is there and estate planning is part of what they do and they have authored several related articles for the magazine, as have attorneys from Loring & Associates.

While the subject is generally considered to be one for older people, it is something that probably should be considered by everyone who has a significant estate and/or a family. Back in the "cold war" era all members of a submarine crew were required to have a will, which was the first time that we ever considered a will and so had a standard "mom & pop" will. As we age and accrue more assets and a larger family, it becomes much more important. At some point we also need to consider where and how we wish to live in our declining years and share that with our children as well. While it is difficult to define just when old age begins and the age varies widely, I have come to realize that I am now past the age at which I considered my parents to be getting old and am amazed by how rapidly the years seem to stream past! Our estate planning attorney suggested that a good guide to where each of us fall on the life expectancy scale is to consider the numbers remaining from your HS graduating class. Mine was a small class of 8 boys and 7 girls. Today there are 3 of the men and 5 of the women with 1 woman in memory care.

sandsys · July 9, 2023

6 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Our estate planning attorney suggested that a good guide to where each of us fall on the life expectancy scale is to consider the numbers remaining from your HS graduating class. Mine was a small class of 8 boys and 7 girls. Today there are 3 of the men and 5 of the women with 1 woman in memory care.

My class was 500 and I have no idea how many are left. What I know is when we moved into this life care facility seven years ago they were reluctant to let us in because we were so "young". I'll be 76 in a couple of weeks.

Linda

RV_ · July 9, 2023

Retirees with a retiree ID card and base access earned having this done free of additional charge at the base legal office. You can also buy software that does it legally for each state. If you live in Louisiana since all states are based in English common law except Louisiana which is based in French law, and want to do it yourself make sure the software includes Louisiana. It is cheaper to have an existing last will and testament and living wills looked over by an attorney rather than having an attorney write it from scratch. However military attorneys do have to write them daily for active duty troops and retirees for all states, and especially the state where the base/post is located. Have all your details like who you want to get what, and how you plan to handle online accounts and social media. I keep a flash drive that is only connected to my computers when I need a password or link to a website I am a member of like here. That way they can go on and announce our deaths and any funerals or other details we ask for or they choose and never goes on a government computer. I have two notarized copies made but the executor needs a notarized and signed original copy.

If you are on the road or traveling on vacation it may be wise to have the emergency numbers for your executor and any family not executors you want notified in order.on your phones and carry an original copy with you if you choose. Some are dictated by local state law in the state in which your estate will be probated. We have personal experience with how greedy and dishonest family members can be in a succession. Fortunately we were in charge and made sure all got an even share and ignored the petty hidden things. In our two experiences the ones with ethical issues had neither the money nor the ability to hire a lawyer or pursue it. Both parents died intestate (No wills) with large real estate holdings and cash in the bank. In the large asset case Lynn had the power of Attorney as executor.

You can avoid all that by preparing now with an eye to making it easier on your loved ones that survive you.

Edited July 20, 2023 by RV_

sandsys · July 9, 2023

1 hour ago, RV_ said:

We have personal experience with how greedy and dishonest family members can be in a succession.

Before my father's death all three of us kids were visiting at the same time--two us us with spouses. Dad sent us upstairs to choose who wanted what but required the spouses to stay downstairs. We all knew which one was the greedy one that caused that ruling.

We were lucky with Dave's father's death. We were all invited to come decide what we wanted at the same time. No two people picked the same thing. We even went so far as my SIL wanting just the frame of the painting I wanted without the frame. We all went home happy.

OTOH, Dave's grandmother's settee has moved around various family members at various times. It is currently in our living room. Some families simply get along better than others.

Linda

Steven@146 · July 10, 2023

I was thinking about this issue when we first went fulltime three years ago. Our final transition etc. When and where would we stop fulltiming and then what. That is still on my mind but since we got rid of everything when we went fulltime, and the kids took what they wanted back then, there is nothing left except the RV and our truck.

We both decided to be cremated so that can be handled wherever we are at the time. Now the financial part of it, cash bank accounts, investment accounts, life insurance etc is all written down. One inherits the others assets. We do have wills but there isn't much in them. We only have two kids and they get along great so when the last one of us goes, whatever is left gets divided equally. Both kids are executors and know what entities to contact to inform them of our death.

It's good to have things planned out, that takes some of the burden off those who are left.

Tulecreeper · July 16, 2023

We are about to contact an estate attorney in the next few months as soon as, #1- we sell this house and property, and, #2- my wife's brother finishes settling her parent's estate and puts everything in the trust fund her parent's set up for her and her siblings. Then with all the proceeds from both in one trust we will set up the same kind of trust her parent's did. One that we can draw from as we see fit - which probably won't be at all as we are quite financial stable - but then my wife's two kids will get it when we both go, which hopefully will be many years in the future.

Before everything else, though, we're buying our new RV outright and buying a new vehicle for the wife.