Post by cricketwife on Feb 2, 2023 20:50:47 GMT -5
I’ve posted that I’m dealing with a lot with my mom who has Alzheimer’s. One of the many problems is their home was in the eyewall of hurricane Ian. My stepfather passed 5 days after the hurricane. There’s a lot more to this, but the simple version is the insurance company refuses to issue the check without his name and the bank refuses to cash it with his name on it...unless he signs it 🤦♀️.
I’ve had the death certificate recorded so that the house will be re-titled in just my mother’s name, in hopes that the insurance company will then take his name off the check. But I’m having trouble getting anybody to tell me if the title has been changed. I googled their county and it shows both their names for their address, but I’m not sure if that’s what I’m supposed to be looking at? Would that show the most updated version of the title?
Post by chickadee77 on Feb 2, 2023 21:08:11 GMT -5
Oh, man. I'm so sorry. You could check the county GIS website (I know Collier keeps things pretty up to date, but if they were in the eye, I'm guessing Lee or Charlotte, to which I cannot speak).
That said, at some point the bank should be able to connect the death certificate to the account and realize what's up, provided the will gives everything over to her. It might take some time, though 😞 If you are comfortable pm-ing info, I'm happy to see if any of my FL realtor peeps have a way to check. If not, you might contact the realtor they used and see if they can pull anything.
Post by mainelyfoolish on Feb 2, 2023 21:24:41 GMT -5
I’m not in Florida, but where I am a death certificate is sufficient to remove a joint tenant’s name from a property tax card.
Call the municipality’s assessor’s office tomorrow and ask what you need to do to have them update the property tax card to remove the deceased owner’s name. I would then provide the updated tax card to the insurance company and ask them to reissue the check.
(I work for a municipal assessor and we typically don’t know if a property owner has died unless someone brings us a copy of a death certificate. If the surviving owner files a new deed to name themselves as the only owner, we would pick that up from the registry of deeds, but most people don’t bother doing that for a deceased joint tenant.)
ETA: When you said “title” I assumed you were talking about deeded property but you were unfamiliar with the terminology. if you are talking about a mobile home on leased land, then that does have a title and not a deed; you would need to apply for a new title through the state.
Oh, man. I'm so sorry. You could check the county GIS website (I know Collier keeps things pretty up to date, but if they were in the eye, I'm guessing Lee or Charlotte, to which I cannot speak).
That said, at some point the bank should be able to connect the death certificate to the account and realize what's up, provided the will gives everything over to her. It might take some time, though 😞 If you are comfortable pm-ing info, I'm happy to see if any of my FL realtor peeps have a way to check. If not, you might contact the realtor they used and see if they can pull anything.
Charlotte Co. I’ll try what mainelyfoolish,is suggesting and get back to you if I still need help. Thanks.
Oh, man. I'm so sorry. You could check the county GIS website (I know Collier keeps things pretty up to date, but if they were in the eye, I'm guessing Lee or Charlotte, to which I cannot speak).
That said, at some point the bank should be able to connect the death certificate to the account and realize what's up, provided the will gives everything over to her. It might take some time, though 😞 If you are comfortable pm-ing info, I'm happy to see if any of my FL realtor peeps have a way to check. If not, you might contact the realtor they used and see if they can pull anything.
Charlotte Co. I’ll try what mainelyfoolish,is suggesting and get back to you if I still need help. Thanks.
For my county, changes in deed are recorded at the clerk of courts office and then go to the property appraiser and then the tax collector. My county’s official records are searchable on the clerk of court website.
I’m not in Florida, but where I am a death certificate is sufficient to remove a joint tenant’s name from a property tax card.
Call the municipality’s assessor’s office tomorrow and ask what you need to do to have them update the property tax card to remove the deceased owner’s name. I would then provide the updated tax card to the insurance company and ask them to reissue the check.
(I work for a municipal assessor and we typically don’t know if a property owner has died unless someone brings us a copy of a death certificate. If the surviving owner files a new deed to name themselves as the only owner, we would pick that up from the registry of deeds, but most people don’t bother doing that for a deceased joint tenant.)
ETA: When you said “title” I assumed you were talking about deeded property but you were unfamiliar with the terminology. if you are talking about a mobile home on leased land, then that does have a title and not a deed; you would need to apply for a new title through the state.
I will do this, thank you. Is the tax card a physical card? My attorney “recorded the death certificate” and said “It usually takes the property appraiser’s office a couple of weeks to update the records on their end.” Im trying to 1) figure out how to know if the record has been updated and 2) get proof of the updated title to take to the insurance company.
Yes, I meant deed. You’re right, I’m unfamiliar with the terminology.
Yes, this is where I was looking yesterday. It shows his death certificate, but their property still has both their names.
eta- so am I understanding that it’s been recorded but hasn’t gone to the the next offices? clerk of courts office, the property appraiser, then the tax collector. ?
Yes, this is where I was looking yesterday. It shows his death certificate, but their property still has both their names.
eta- so am I understanding that it’s been recorded but hasn’t gone to the the next offices? clerk of courts office, the property appraiser, then the tax collector. ?
If the link above is the site for the county the property is in, it says the online ownership records are current through 1/16. I would still call their office and ask them when you can expect them to have your mom’s property record/tax card updated. I don’t know if they can update yours faster if you ask or if they have an order and process they have to follow. I work for a small town and we would make an update for someone faster if they called and asked, but we’re a lot more flexible than I think larger municipalities can be.
In the old days, it was a physical card for each parcel. I assume everyone these days has gone to electronic records, but we still call them “tax cards.”
... But I’m having trouble getting anybody to tell me if the title has been changed. I googled their county and it shows both their names for their address, but I’m not sure if that’s what I’m supposed to be looking at? Would that show the most updated version of the title?
I hope this makes sense.
Thanks.
I haven’t done tech stuff in a long time, and this is a different direction than others have taken to advise you here, but have you tried clearing your cache or come and trying again? Sorry if that’s a really stupid suggestion.
ETA I remember you posting when that storm was coming and the aftermath. I’m really sorry for what you’re dealing with.
Post by cricketwife on Feb 2, 2023 22:28:54 GMT -5
Thanks mainelyfoolish,. His death certificate was recorded 1/19. I’ll call tomorrow and see if I can make any progress. I consider Charlotte Co pretty small, so maybe they will be flexible.
Post by cricketwife on Feb 2, 2023 22:37:44 GMT -5
Things have been so, so hard with all that I’ve been dealing with. The replies in this thread are exactly the type of practical advice that I need. Thank you for your replies. I’m so thankful for this community.
Post by Leeham Rimes on Feb 3, 2023 10:05:46 GMT -5
Every Florida county (that I know of anyway, the panhandle may be a bit iffy) has an online official records database. You can search by name and it will give you every recorded document (i don't know about death certs, if those show up but all property docs, judgments, etc will) for them. I do this for work, let me know if you need help. Just google "County" official records search and it should pop up for you.
Last Edit: Feb 3, 2023 10:12:11 GMT -5 by Leeham Rimes
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I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this. A parent with dementia is heart-breaking enough without the insurance issues.
Specific to Florida, when I sold my parents' house as their POA (dad had dementia and mom couldn't leave him), it took the county recorder of deeds (Lake County) about 5 weeks to send back the original documents- so about a month to record a change of ownership.
Post by cricketwife on Feb 3, 2023 13:30:13 GMT -5
Argh. I just called the assessor's office. They transferred me to another office, (the clerk's office?) They told me that I have to have a new title prepared, that they don't prepare documents. That is something that I can do on my own (but they can't tell me how because it's not something that they do) or I can contact an attorney. I have an attorney. She recorded the title. But she's not being very repsonsive so I guess I need another attorney. Omg. I just want to cry. Well, actually, I am crying but it's okay. I cry every day. ARRRRRRGHHHHHH
I would definitely recommend working with someone who knows what they're doing- my parents have an estate attorney with a title team and it was still a pretty long process to remove my dead mother from the title, and it wasn't as simple as recording her death (which required an official death certificate W/O CoD on it). There was a marriage affidavit that had to be posted, tax forms- it took almost 2 months (including waiting on the DC). That may be a different situation, because my dad didn't need a POA/he wasn't selling it right away.
I would definitely recommend working with someone who knows what they're doing- my parents have an estate attorney with a title team and it was still a pretty long process to remove my dead mother from the title, and it wasn't as simple as recording her death (which required an official death certificate W/O CoD on it). There was a marriage affidavit that had to be posted, tax forms- it took almost 2 months (including waiting on the DC). That may be a different situation, because my dad didn't need a POA/he wasn't selling it right away.
Wow, that is quite a process in FL! I’m sorry I didn’t help you that much, cricketwife. It sounds like finding another attorney to handle this is what you need to do.