Inheriting Clutter: How to Calm the Chaos Your Parents Leave Behind

by Julie Hall

Overview

Every day, hundreds of adult children become middle-aged orphans when their elderly parents pass away. . .but what should you do with what they’ve left behind? Professional estate liquidator Julie Hall provides essential guidance for any executor, heir, or beneficiary.

You’ve heard the horror stories: arguments over stuff, an inheritance lost forever when easily deceived parents are scammed, siblings estranged, an adult heir taken from daily responsibilities for months because of the enormous task of clearing out a childhood home. It doesn’t have to be that way.

The Estate Lady, professional estate liquidator Julie Hall, knows what to do. Whether your parents are still living or you’re caught in the middle of a crisis, Inheriting Clutter has solutions. Hall provides trustworthy counsel on how to:

• Divide your parents’ estate with peace of mind
• Minimize fighting with siblings during the estate settlement process
• Clear out the family home in thirty days or less
• Identify potential items of value in the home
• Have “that conversation” with your parents
• Prepare your own children for the future

The Estate Lady offers guidance for any executor, heir, or beneficiary, sharing some of her most fascinating stories as well as helpful checklists of the things that need to be done now and at the time of your loss.

Inheriting Clutter gives you practical, effective steps for liquidating and distributing your parents’ assets in a way that both honors them and promotes family harmony for generations to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785233701
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	07/14/2020
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	677 KB

About the Author

Julie Hall, The Estate Lady®, is a nationally recognized personal property expert who has assisted thousands of individuals across the country in the daunting and often painful process of managing their deceased loved one’s possessions.

With more than 28 years’ experience, she advises on the distribution and dissolution of personal property, valuation of items, how to minimize family feuds, and how to clear out the family home. Hall’s greatest passion is educating heirs, executors, and professionals who need to understand the complexity of personal property issues. Since 2007, she has directed the American Society of Estate Liquidators® (ASEL) and has led ASEL to become the #1 educational and professional organization for estate liquidators nationwide.  

Julie enjoys being an empty nester, gardening, traveling, and nature walks with her Newfoundland puppy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Author's Note xv

Introduction: Leaving Behind More Than Memories xix

1 First Signs 1

2 Planning for the Inevitable 15

3 Where's the Will? 29

4 When Reality Sinks In 39

5 The Hearse Doesn't Have a Trailer Hitch 55

6 Relatively Speaking 71

7 Scammers, Schemers, and Other Scoundrels 97

8 The Nitty-Gritty of Dividing Your Parents' Estate 115

9 But What Is It Really Worth? 131

10 Where Do I Begin? 145

11 How to Clean Out Your Parents' Estate 153

12 Right, Wrong, and In Between 179

13 I Will Never Do This to My Kids! 191

14 Be Good to Yourself 199

15 Mission Accomplished! 209

16 Lessons Learned Along the Way 215

Appendix A Your Complete Parent Care Checklist 225

Appendix B Helpful Resources 231

Appendix C Documents and Information to Locate 237

Appendix D Sample Wish List Spreadsheet 239

Notes 241

About the Author 245