Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

appalachiablue

(42,866 posts)
Sun May 5, 2019, 11:05 AM May 2019

Dying Alone: What Can Happen & The Hermit Millionaire

~ NOTE: Lengthy article covering some (unpleasant) realities of deceased persons, and financial/estate info.

- "The Mystery of the Millionaire Hermit," Bloomberg News, April 27, 2019.

He spent years scrimping and saving. But without a will, where’s his money going? On the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2015, Dale Tisserand and Melani Rodrigue opened the front door to a small white house in Corning, Calif., a town of 7,500 about 115 miles north of Sacramento. The women, who’d been given the keys by local police, are investigators for the office of the Tehama County Public Administrator. They knew the owner had died in the house the previous week and that his name was Eugene Brown.

The neighborhood mail carrier was the one who’d called the police. Every day, Brown would wait for her in a chair by his door, and the two would exchange pleasantries. But for the past five days, there’d been no sign of him. Police did a welfare check and discovered his body in a pool of dried blood by the toilet. Members of the coroner’s office who were dispatched to the house determined that he died of a stroke, but not before breaking his nose in a nasty fall. They did a quick search for a will and contact information for family members and friends — return addresses on envelopes, phone numbers jotted on scraps of paper. Not finding anything, they called Tisserand and Rodrigue.

*Many counties in the U.S. have public administrators, though a lot of people don’t know they exist. They operate within the murky ecosystem of public agencies and private businesses that kick into gear when someone dies: locksmiths, biohazard and trauma cleanup services, trash haulers, auctioneers, real estate agents, courts, attorneys and banks. Tisserand and Rodrigue were in Brown’s house to locate his will and heirs, which can be difficult when people die alone. They would also oversee his estate. Even a simple death, something peaceful in your sleep, requires the assistance of an awful lot of people.

Public administrators in California usually report to the district attorney’s office, the sheriff or some other county agency. Only a few, such as Rodrigue, head standalone departments.. Upon receiving Brown’s case from the coroner, Rodrigue and Tisserand took their usual first step of arranging for a locksmith to meet them at the house; changing the locks lets them take control of the property and ward off squatters. They rerouted Brown’s mail to their office, since a get-well card or bank statement could provide valuable information about relatives and assets. Then they began their search.
The vast majority of houses Rodrigue and Tisserand see are in severe disrepair. They often find themselves wading through the detritus of a life that had begun decomposing years, if not decades, before they arrived...

Read More, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-27/the-mystery-of-the-millionaire-hermit

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Dying Alone: What Can Happen & The Hermit Millionaire (Original Post) appalachiablue May 2019 OP
Interesting story MaryMagdaline May 2019 #1
Those who are not aware of their impending death may believe they have time No Vested Interest May 2019 #2
Two parts to this story - planning for getting older and for your estate csziggy May 2019 #3
The attorney will be able to direct you to resources for your needs, appalachiablue May 2019 #4
Interesting. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #5
Leave a will and clear out some junk esp. if you have appalachiablue May 2019 #6
Oh, I have a will. PoindexterOglethorpe May 2019 #7
The will, I meant people in general should have one. It's fairly appalachiablue May 2019 #8
dying without a will pink_gema Sep 2023 #9
In this country, and it's a state by state thing, PoindexterOglethorpe Oct 2023 #10

MaryMagdaline

(7,860 posts)
1. Interesting story
Sun May 5, 2019, 01:35 PM
May 2019

I firmly believe that NOT leaving a Will is the same as not voting ... you are really voting for the status quo. He effectively chose his heirs to get his fortune.

No Vested Interest

(5,193 posts)
2. Those who are not aware of their impending death may believe they have time
Sun May 5, 2019, 03:12 PM
May 2019

to accomplish the writing of a will. Some others, unlike the man in the news story, believe their assets are not enough to bother with.

Nonvoters are more like the second type. Although the voting date is set, nonvoters believe their vote will not make a difference.

csziggy

(34,189 posts)
3. Two parts to this story - planning for getting older and for your estate
Sun May 5, 2019, 07:37 PM
May 2019

My husband and I have no children and now that all our parents are gone we each have made plans for what will happen to our estates. We each inherited assets from our parents so it is important to us to do this.

We have the examples that our parents set - his mother left a simple will but could have made it easier if she had signed a form at her broker's office that would have distributed her holdings without going through probate. Because my parents' estates were sizeable they had elaborate trusts that are still being sorted out. As soon as I found out the size of what I will inherit I consulted an estate attorney and made choices about who will inherit and how - I am keeping it simpler than my parents did, but then my estate will be much smaller than their was.

My next worry is what will happen as we get older. Right now my husband is not only my caregiver after each of my operations, he watches out for several of his friends, making sure they to their doctors' appointments, get their medication, get their groceries, etc. Some of them have no children and those who do have children whose work schedules don't allow them this flexibility.

When we get older we will not have someone to turn to for this kind of help. The estate attorney I had draw up my will and trust also handles elder care law and is active in that field. So I will get her help (or the help of her firm which has added a succession of attorneys in the same areas) in dealing with finding care givers and making arrangements for at home care.

appalachiablue

(42,866 posts)
4. The attorney will be able to direct you to resources for your needs,
Sun May 5, 2019, 08:16 PM
May 2019

and it's good you have contacts and means. Plenty of Americans are aging alone, and yes younger relatives often cannot assist family members due to work- life schedules, distance, and more.

I read a few years ago how in the Netherlands college students were saving costs by using housing near elders and helping them with light errands, tasks and for socializing-- kind of an 'au pair' program but with seniors. Also saw this mentioned re matching seniors in the US. Thanks for the post, very helpful information.

It's best and a must, to prepare cuz 'Old age ain't for sissies!' as Bette Davis said.




PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,666 posts)
5. Interesting.
Sat May 11, 2019, 11:39 AM
May 2019

I am constantly after people I know to make a will. It makes things a lot easier, and as others have already indicated, some other things, like signing various paperwork assigning a beneficiary to various accounts, can make things easier still.

I've had people, especially single people, say, "I don't care what happens to my stuff after I die," blissfully unaware that dealing with that stuff will be a lot of work for someone. Perhaps one of the life skills things that ought to be taught in high school should be a unit on dealing with a death and probate and settling an estate.

I do agree with sentiment “Every time I hear about somebody that has millions and millions but they lived a frugal life, I go, ‘Why? Have some fun’ ”. I certainly don't have millions, but I have some extra money and I'm trying to figure out how best to spend it. I want to take some trips, probably a cruise or two, experiential stuff. I don't intend to die broke, but I want to enjoy at least some of what I have.

appalachiablue

(42,866 posts)
6. Leave a will and clear out some junk esp. if you have
Sat May 11, 2019, 03:47 PM
May 2019

a lot, or provide for somebody to take care of handling belongings when you're gone.

We've been involved in these affairs for parents, in laws, a younger sibling and a new friend who died suddenly of a heart attack too young, only 49, from grief post- divorce.

It can be a lot of work and a major problem if matters are complicated or require out of town travel. Esp. if the loss was sudden. It's also been my experience that many employers are fairly unsympathetic towards 'family leave.'

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,666 posts)
7. Oh, I have a will.
Sat May 11, 2019, 05:34 PM
May 2019

I recently redid it because of a death in the family. Made some beneficiary changes also.

My biggest personal problem (and it's very first world) is that I have a moderate amount of semi-nice jewelry. Nothing real expensive, but decent, wearable stuff. I have not daughters and won't be having any grandchildren. I've given several pieces to some nieces, which is a start.

Even with a will and no one fighting over anything, it's astonishing how long it takes to settle an uncomplicated estate. I suspect it's a whole lot worse if there are debts that need to be paid but no way to access the money to pay them, even if the money will be there in the end.

appalachiablue

(42,866 posts)
8. The will, I meant people in general should have one. It's fairly
Sat May 11, 2019, 08:02 PM
May 2019

easy to do as you well know, more than many people realize. My younger brother's estate was settled in NYC and thankfully he had prepared in advance.

A woman friend died several years ago from pneumonia, at a rather young age. We hadn't been in touch and I'm not certain, but I think because she lacked health ins. from her job there was a delay, or problem with treatment.

Afterwards her husband, an introverted, younger man was overwhelmed with all her stuff- a clotheshorse and antiques collector- but I imagine his brothers and her friends helped. That was a shock.

Nieces and gifts go together; enjoy your time travelling or whatever, life is to be lived if we can, as they say!





pink_gema

(7 posts)
9. dying without a will
Sun Sep 24, 2023, 04:23 AM
Sep 2023

If you die without a will the assets etc. go to the government. At least, in most countries.

There are actually companies that truck down the heirs that can have a legitimate claim to the descendant's assets (getting a commission for themselves). Such companies are called 'heir hunters' or 'probate investigators'. It's actually interesting. There are crazy stories of people that got money out of nowhere, of some forgotten family member that died far and away.

(I just searched and I see this story, for example)

That's in the UK, btw, but I'm sure, there must be such companies operating in assorted countries.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,666 posts)
10. In this country, and it's a state by state thing,
Sun Oct 1, 2023, 03:25 PM
Oct 2023

if you die without a will (intestate) state law determines who gets what, as a percentage of the value of the assets. It only goes to the government if there are no traceable relatives at all.

Latest Discussions»Support Forums»Seniors»Dying Alone: What Can Hap...