PACK RAT DAY
Who knew? There is a Pack Rat Day….honoring all the special Pack Rats in your life. You know what is not fun? Being the Probate Administer for a Pack Rat. Here are a couple of tips of doing so:
First, make sure that you understand the nature of the Pack Rat in their lifetime, and assist them when the greatest difference can be made. Are they simply worn out from age or disease and unable to keep up with things? Perhaps you can work with them, or hire some one to help, so that they can get things organized to make sure you can handle their items once they are gone.
If that is not possible, it is on to the next stage. You are in charge of the collection. Having done this several times for numerous clients, the most important tip is to not try to do this yourself. Work with experts–organizers and appraisers–who can assist you in sorting the wheat from the chaff. Once you know that difference, you can then meaningfully distribute according to the terms of the Estate’s instrument. Don’t be swayed by beneficiaries, it is much easier to deal with any estate when a neutral party is making the decisions of value.
Document, document, document. Photos, letters from your experts, and all other things help you if your fiduciary decisions are called in to question. And make sure you have a great lawyer on your team!