I'm unable to find any information on how to refuse to inherit real property that has been left to me in a will. I posted a question on one of those ask-a-lawyer sites but never received an answer.
First of all, I do not believe that I have actually inherited the property yet. The will of my grandmother states that it is to be passed down to her children and it names each individual child. Then in another section it says that the property is to be passed to her grandchildren after her children have died. I know of at least one of her children that is still alive today, so based on that I do not believe that the property has passed down to me yet.
I have not been on the property since I was a 17 year old child in 1983. There are two, maybe three cousins still living there that I do not have contact with. They don't have Facebook, or even computers for that matter. The property is located in rural eastern Kentucky. I live in California.
This is becoming a pressing issue because I have just been contacted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to discuss "my property." They need to buy, or maybe seize part of the property for road improvements.
I would very much like to handle this without the expense of a lawyer if at all possible. It is very hard to believe that people do not want to inherit real property that has been left to them, far away, with taxes and upkeep. Surely, someone has gone through this before. However, I can not find a thing through internet searches. Of all the John Grisham novels I have on my shelf, not a one of them deals with a reluctant heir of real property.
Key words I've used so far are, refuse a will, do not want to inherit, what if I do not want to inherit, remove myself from a will. Perhaps I need better search terms. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I believe that if I respond to the letter from Kentucky stating that I have not received the property and will not receive it even after all of my grandmother's children have died, I have absolved myself of any responsibilities of taxes and upkeep. However, I need to be sure so that I am not hit with unexpected tax bills or upkeep violations for a property 2,000 miles away.
First of all, I do not believe that I have actually inherited the property yet. The will of my grandmother states that it is to be passed down to her children and it names each individual child. Then in another section it says that the property is to be passed to her grandchildren after her children have died. I know of at least one of her children that is still alive today, so based on that I do not believe that the property has passed down to me yet.
I have not been on the property since I was a 17 year old child in 1983. There are two, maybe three cousins still living there that I do not have contact with. They don't have Facebook, or even computers for that matter. The property is located in rural eastern Kentucky. I live in California.
This is becoming a pressing issue because I have just been contacted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to discuss "my property." They need to buy, or maybe seize part of the property for road improvements.
I would very much like to handle this without the expense of a lawyer if at all possible. It is very hard to believe that people do not want to inherit real property that has been left to them, far away, with taxes and upkeep. Surely, someone has gone through this before. However, I can not find a thing through internet searches. Of all the John Grisham novels I have on my shelf, not a one of them deals with a reluctant heir of real property.
Key words I've used so far are, refuse a will, do not want to inherit, what if I do not want to inherit, remove myself from a will. Perhaps I need better search terms. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I believe that if I respond to the letter from Kentucky stating that I have not received the property and will not receive it even after all of my grandmother's children have died, I have absolved myself of any responsibilities of taxes and upkeep. However, I need to be sure so that I am not hit with unexpected tax bills or upkeep violations for a property 2,000 miles away.