Many adults in Illinois are children or grandchildren of recently deceased elders. Some situations no doubt involve disputes between heirs and beneficiaries. Sadly, such circumstances are not all that uncommon and can be quite challenging to resolve. A woman who is the granddaughter of a recent decedent in another state understands just how difficult it can be as she is fighting several local agencies over $60,000 in life insurance her grandma apparently wanted donated upon her death.
The woman says she has requested that the various agencies to whom her grandmother expressed a desire to donate the money refuse the gift so that she and her family can use the funds to satisfy the exorbitant debt created by her grandmother’s passing. The woman says she is worried that she will be held legally accountable for approximately $30,000 in funeral expenses and other unpaid bills, and she believes it is only right that the intended receivers of the donations politely decline the gifts so she can avoid financial disaster. A local fire department complied with the woman’s request and declined its donation.
However, the other agencies have refused to do so. In fact, a spokesman for a search and rescue service says his department relies heavily on generous donations from the public, and he sees no reason why his agency should reject the gift that was intended. The situation seems complicated by extenuating circumstances, as the company’s representative claims the department rescued the decedent years ago when she was lost in the woods; however, the woman’s granddaughter says photographs the department sent her to prove its claim did not contain any of her family members and, as far as she knows, her grandmother was never lost.
The bottom line is that the names on the woman’s life insurance policies and the names on her will differ. Her granddaughter says she does not want to be entangled in an heirs and beneficiaries dispute, but she is afraid the court will order her to liquidate her own assets in order to satisfy her grandmother’s debt. An experienced Illinois probate litigation attorney can assist anyone in this state facing similar problems.
Source: ems1.com, “Deceased woman’s family fighting responders over controversial donation“, April 23, 2018
