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Author Archives: Somerset House Services
What is an Inventory…and do I need one?
An inventory is a list of the contents of a house or storage unit, with a value assigned to each item or group of items. When a person dies and their estate is probated, the court requires the Executor or … Continue reading
Posted in Inventories
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Mom just passed away and I’m the Executor, now what?
I know that it is very hard to deal with the death of a family member, make arrangements for the funeral, and at the same time think about practical considerations, but there are certain things that you need to take … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Treasures in the Attic… & Garage & Basement & Back of the Closet
When I was a little girl I wanted to grow up and be Nancy Drew, hunting for lost treasure and solving mysteries. That’s why I love my job, because every day I get to fulfill my dreams. We’ve been hard … Continue reading
Posted in Estate Sales
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Calling the Bomb Squad…
Recently I joined the “We had to call the Bomb Squad Club”, a small group of estate sale professionals that I had really hoped I would never be part of. We were hard at work at an estate cleanout, going … Continue reading
Posted in Estate Cleanouts
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Why you don’t need to worry about what I might find in the house (’cause I’ve seen it all)
The phone rings and it’s a potential client (we’ll call her Mary) who has questions about a possible estate sale. Mary tells me that her uncle (we’ll call him Otto) has recently passed away, and much to Mary’s surprise she … Continue reading
Why it’s better (for both of us) if all the items the family wants to keep are out of the house before we start setting up for the sale.
Before I get to the subject of today’s blog, a few comments about the previous blog “So Why Do You Ask For That”. I’ve been told that the tone of that blog is “rather testy” “bitchy” and “cranky” … even … Continue reading
So why do you ask for that?
(Modified on 8/22/2011) So, why do I ask for a copy of the Power of Attorney or the court order appointing you as Executor, and to see your driver’s license? Because I’m very, very careful. I want to make sure that … Continue reading
Searching for Assets on the Internet
The internet is an invaluable source when searching for lost assets. The first step is to gather as much information as you can on the decedent – date of birth, date of death, social security number, name of parents and spouse, all … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Research, Document Review
Tagged Asset Research, Document Review, Finding Lost Assets
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Finding Treasure: Document Review & Asset Research
I get a lot of questions about the Document Review & Asset Research service that Somerset House Services offers. This is one of my favorite projects, (I grew up on the Nancy Drew mysteries), and I love finding assets for … Continue reading
Posted in Asset Research, Document Review
Tagged Asset Research, Document Review, Finding Lost Assets
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Estate Cleanouts: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, Part II
In the previous blog I covered the “good” and the “bad” estate cleanouts. Now for the “ugly”. An “ugly” estate cleanout is where the condition of the house is so bad that you wonder how any human could have lived … Continue reading
