Stepmother's will

[ringrndrosie]

Jurisdiction

Pennsylvania

My father died last December 2015. My stepmother Lucy died November 6, 2016. I believe I am named in the will. She named her brother Guido as the executor of the will. I have learned from neighbors that he has gone to their Pennsylvania house and emptied the house of all contents, also doing so to another property in Florida. Now he has decided he doesn't want the responsibility of being executor and has returned the will to the lawyer who drafted the will. I would like to see if I and their grandchildren are named in the will and if I can take over as executor to prevent further loss. Also, in the event the executor was out of order emptying the houses, what recourse is there?

 

[adjusterjack]

Condolences.

The first thing you do is get the will from the attorney.

If you are, indeed, named in the will, you will have to decide if the bequests to you are worth the time and money you will have to expend to probate her estate as you will have to open probate in PA and an ancillary probate in FL (for the second property). You are likely to need a lawyer in PA and one in FL.

Go get the will and come back to this thread and report the results.

Until you do that there isn't any sense in discussing anything else.