Sibling Stole Part of the Inheritance in Delaware County – You Have Options
Posted on Tue Jul 28, 2015, on Probate and Estate Administration
From our “Ask a Question” Mailbag: Sibling Stole Part of the Inheritance in Delaware County
Most Recently Updated July 16, 2018.
“My mother died late last year a widow survived by my sister and me. Her will named me as executor and divided all assets equally between my sister and me. Right after the funeral, my sister drove to my mother’s house and took all the jewelry and refuses to return any of it. What can I do?”
Sibling Stole Part of the Inheritance in Delaware County
As executor, you have a few options. The right answer will depend on how much conflict you wish to have with your sister. (Although, conflict might be unavoidable at this point.)
Court as an Option
You could have us file a Petition with the Orphans’ Court seeking an order for your sister to return the jewelry. This will result in a hearing where your sister must appear to explain herself.
Court Not an Option
We could also subtract the value of the jewelry from her share of the estate and you could increase the amount of cash you receive, which could avoid a court hearing—and is the best answer if you really don’t care about the jewelry, but do care that she received more value from the estate.
Either way, I suspect your sister will refuse to give you a release of liability, which means she could harass you in the future. We can talk about options, but a good one is for you to file a Formal Accounting with the Orphans’ Court. Depending on the facts, I might be able to combine a few of these ideas into one petition. I would need some more information from you in order to let you know the best option for you.
More Probate Questions?
The dealing with siblings stealing inheritance shares is only part of the overall probate process. By all means, if you wish to learn more, please read my more detailed article, The Probate Process All You Need to Know.
In Conclusion: Sibling Stole Part of the Inheritance in Delaware County
I hope that this article was helpful in explaining what to do if a sibling steals from the estate. Further, I included links to even more detailed information on my website. Therefore, please contact me and let me know how I did. Certainly, your comments and questions are welcome!
Let our Probate Lawyers help walk you through what can be a confusing process. To begin with, call to speak to one of our experienced Probate Attorneys. By all means, our lawyers are ready to answer your questions. In fact, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation. Ultimately our goal is to make the process as painless as possible!
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