At a stuff point in my research for info...

[grammainlaw]

Jurisdiction

California

I've been doing the work to try and find out if my deceased father had any property and if he did who is assigned as the trustee. The problem I'm finding is that when I searched the records at the assessors office under his name for property deeds of trust there were multiple deeds, with his exact name I was searching for. How do I distinguish which ones belong to my father and which belong to another individual with the same name. The documents don't seem to include identifying information like a ss# or birthdate etc... my father has a common name so I'm confused as what path to take at this time. I will be going to the probate courthouse tomorrow to see if there was a will - which I heard that there wasn't. Thanks for your help!

 

[mightymoose]

It might help to get hold of your father's previous tax records, if available. That could reveal property information.

 

[adjusterjack]

Condolences.

I agree with MM. If you haven't done so already I suggest going to his residence and doing a thorough search of his records. Look everywhere: desks, closets, drawers. You never know where people stash stuff. If he was computer savvy there may be a lot of records on his computer, on a back up drive, on a USB stick.

 

[grammainlaw]

is there a suggestion on how to get a hold of the previous tax records? As far as the residence it was sold and has a new owner so there are no belongings anywhere to be found. I didn't find out the he had passed until just recently and he died in 2016.

 

[zddoodah]

I've been doing the work to try and find out if my deceased father had any property and if he did who is assigned as the trustee.

Who took/has possession of your father's personal effects after his death?

Do you have reason to believe that he more real property than the home you mentioned in your follow up post?

What makes you think there might be a trust?

Was your father married at the time of his death?

Did he have any children other than you?

The problem I'm finding is that when I searched the records at the assessors office under his name for property deeds of trust there were multiple deeds, with his exact name I was searching for. How do I distinguish which ones belong to my father and which belong to another individual with the same name.

No way to know in the abstract.

The documents don't seem to include identifying information like a ss# or birthdate etc.

Well...of course public record documents aren't going to include social security numbers.

I will be going to the probate courthouse tomorrow to see if there was a will - which I heard that there wasn't.

Heard from whom? You won't find a will at the courthouse unless someone submitted a will for probate. Do you have reason to believe someone did that?

is there a suggestion on how to get a hold of the previous tax records?

I'm not really sure what "mightymoose's" reference to "previous tax records" means, but the only "tax records" you're going to be able to obtain unless you are appointed as executor of the estate will be property tax records (which can be obtained via the assessor's office or website) and whatever papers your father had in his home.

As far as the residence it was sold

Sold by whom?

Keep in mind that, if your father had no will, then you should have received a share of his probate estate (if there was anything left after payment of all estate debt).

 

[adjusterjack]

he died in 2016.

As a practical matter, you can probably forget about getting anything.