Stuck in the middle: update

[mme_hardy]

It turns out that in Indiana you cannot transfer a jointly-owned car merely by producing the death certificate. No. You have to probate the estate and have it issue Letters Testamentary. Note that my father's estate did not need probate before, because my mother was the surviving widow and all the financial stuff and personal property had been set up to pass to her automatically.  violetisblue  assures me that the probate process, followed by getting the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to recognize this process, is as much fun as you'd expect. I think I can cut out the Indiana BMV because the California DMV said they'd recognize the transfer with just a Letter Testamentary.

DOUBLE ARGH.

My husband notes that when his father died in North Carolina, my mother-in-law had to get her car title reissued before she could drive the car.

I have no idea why this happens. (I AM NOT A LAWYER) In the U.S. a car is not real property; it is personal property.

Comments

[movingfinger]

Argh I am so sorry.

What if the car caught fire and went off a cliff, just by accident?

[mme_hardy]

Landing on the DMV!

Actually, it's an eight-year-old Prius, and my son loves driving it, so no. And he can't even drive it now!

[garpu]

At this point, would it be easier to just let a good probate lawyer handle it? Might be a few hundred, but it's someone else's nightmare, then.

[mme_hardy]

That's exactly what I'll be doing; I'm calling Mom and Dad's wills lawyer on Monday.

[garpu]

Failing that, sign on the dashboard that reads "FREE CAR" and leave it in a parking lot with the keys in the ignition?

[mme_hardy]

My son already loves the car, so no.

[sabotabby]

Ugh and double ugh.