Experiences Settling an Estate on My Own.

By Jo Ellen Litz 7/13/04

I emphasize that this is not legal advice, but my personal experiences.  The vast majority of people prefer to hire attorneys.  But the estates that I had to settle were uncomplicated, and as a notary and tax preparer, I was able to follow written directions on forms.  This is simply an outline of the process that I encountered.

1. Obtained death certificates from the undertaker.  Later, I purchased additional copies from the Registrar of Vital Statistics.
2. Located the last will.
3. Filed for a federal  (EIN) Employer Identification Number (form SS-4) by calling (215) 516-6999.
4. Visited the Register of Wills at the Court House (400 S. 8^th St., Lebanon) with an estimate for the value of the estate; the original will; signatures from three witnesses; and checks to pay fees.  I received Letters Testamentary (requested to sell real estate) and several Short Certificates (needed plenty of these).
5. Closed deceased’s personal checking and savings accounts and opened an estate account.
6. Advertised estate in the Lebanon Daily News (a paper with circulation throughout the County—followed format in legal section) and in the legal journal (Liz Rosario, library at Court House, 400 S. 8^th St., Lebanon).
7. So that I would get all bills, filed change of address forms for deceased at Post Office.
8. Took pictures and inventory of deceased’s personal items, obtained appraisals of real estate and vehicles.  Value of vehicles researched on www.NADAGuides.com .
9. Located insurance polices and contacted companies.  When requested, I sent original policies by certified mail, receipt requested.
10. Notified health insurance companies, doctors, and retirement fund companies. 
11. Both military personnel and their spouses qualified for military benefits.  Contacted Robert Kale at the Court House, 400 S. 8^th St., Lebanon. 
12. Also contacted Social Security for $250 benefit (undertaker helped with this step).  They wanted to know the date of the deceased spouse.  Checked on line at  http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi 
13. Filed final income tax returns.
14. Paid all bills.
15. Cancelled subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, and actually received refunds,
16. Notified heirs by certified mail.  Treated them the way I would want to be treated—calm and with respect.  Challenging at times when they felt slighted.  Emphasized my legal obligation to honor the deceased’s wishes.
17. One twist was that I had to obtain copies of birth certificates from stepchildren living overseas.  They spoke German, but I was able to use a free translating service on-line where I typed in English, and a German text was returned instantly.  I copied and pasted that text into correspondence. www.freetranslation.com  Sweet.
18. One surprise was that Inheritance Taxes were charged on real estate taxes after one year.
19. Inheritance tax questions were addressed by calling (717)705-2324.
20. By paying estimated taxes within 90 days, I was able to take a 5% discount.
21. Paid beneficiaries.
22. Filed final papers with the Register of Wills.