Specialists in Supporting Personal Representatives, Trustees and Other Fiduciaries Through Probate, Asset Valuation and the Sale of Real Property

Have you been appointed as Personal Representative for a decedent’s estate?

Are you the Trustee of a trust, or an Attorney-In-Fact for a parent or loved one?

A fiduciary role, such as these, is a legal obligation that calls you to act in the best interest of the person or estate you are charged with making decisions for. Since there is so much to know, and few come into your role with prior experience, there is a strong chance that you will need a little help and a few resources.

As experienced family facilitators and real estate professionals with special knowledge sets in these areas, we’re able to assist you in accessing whatever information and services you will need throughout the entire process.

Note: As the Personal Representative of a decedent’s estate, expect to receive correspondence from those who are seeking to purchase estate property assets. Most of these offers will be made on discounted cash terms. Even if the estate is in need of financial resources, it is wise to wait until you have consulted with an experienced attorney and become fully informed before moving to sell any of these assets. Proper legal counsel is indispensable when it comes to knowing exactly how, and when to dispose of estate assets.

Legal

What We Do.

Unless you are a professional fiduciary, acting in one of these roles for a family or loved one can feel like you’ve taken on another job. Fulfilling your responsibilities can be especially challenging, especially if you happen to live out of the area.

That’s where we come in. Client’s retain our services for a wide range of reasons specific to their needs. Here is just a partial list…

We often act

- as an on the ground resource for an out of town PR, Trustee or Attorney in Fact.

- as a connection point and coordinator to service providers and professional resources (insurance, accounting, security, video records, regular drive by check ins, etc) and liaison/resource for your legal counsel 

- as intermediaries and consultants to families that are dealing with disagreements and conflict help them get to a resolution.

- as sounding boards and consultants on potential pathways to maximize the value of a property asset

- as a resource for general, non-legal questions and information you will need throughout the probate process which allows you to better manage the time and expense of your legal representation

(All services are offered on either a fee for service basis or as part of a real property asset liquidation)

Personal Representatives headed for the probate process have some important choices to make. To effectively serve as a fiduciary, retaining competent legal counsel to assist you is highly recommended. Paying the right legal professional to help you work through the process will keep you safe from potential personal liability and it will be a significant benefit for the estate, especially if conflict arises.

Every counselor brings their own unique skills to the table. Many attorneys can get you through the probate process. The right counselor specializes in estate and probate law and is excellent at anticipation and prevention. Whenever there is tension and potential disagreement between beneficiaries and/or families, this skill set is indispensable.

If you are in need of a recommendation, we are able to provide you with a short list of counselors that specialize in probate/estate settlement. We never accept any compensation for our recommendations and provide them based solely upon our own experience and the feedback we receive from our clients.

Family Relationship Assistance

Significant family events can upset everything. From the death of the mother that held the family together, to the disagreements that often arise between siblings over what is best for their elderly parents, we are uniquely prepared to assist.

Conflict between family members is complex. In many cases, these tensions find their origins in occurrences that happened decades ago and when monetary issues are involved or items of sentimental value are intertwined with the emotion of the moment, it can get complicated quickly.

As trained mediators and experienced facilitators, we’ll partner with you and other family members to keep the peace while reaching understandings and agreements that benefits all parties.

If your family is presently experiencing conflict and disagreement, please contact Kevin at 616-318-1322 and let’s explore how we might be of help.

Service Resources

When real estate assets are left behind, there is seldom a time when a large cleanup, fix up, estate sale or give away is not in the future. More often than not, it is be an unpleasant, costly and tedious job to accomplish.

In addition, it’s easy to be unaware of the unintended consequences that come along with condition changes to a property. One such consequence is the vacant property clauses that are present in all home owners policies, which can trigger without warning and void coverages and leave you open to suffering a significant property loss.

Also, the need to secure a property against thieves and squatters is a serious concern as the possibility of physical damage, eviction proceedings and the loss of valuable personal property becomes a real possibility.

Through the intentional development of important relationships, we’re in a position to access vetted service providers that can help you address virtually any need you’ll have as you deal with the real and personal property assets under your care.

Here  are just a few of the services our relationships can provide:

  • Clean up and clean out

  • Securing and protecting vacant property

  • Video monitoring and security system installation

  • Secure storage, including climate controlled indoor facilities

  • Packing, organization and moving services

  • Personal property appraisal and estate sale resources, as well as many others…

No matter the need, we know the people who can help!

Are you currently a PR and have questions? Will you be assuming this role in the future and need more information about how to prepare? Contact us here and we’ll help you get the information you need.

Maximizing Property Value

One of the most important functions that a probate real estate advisor can provide for a client is the ability to maximize the value of a real property asset that needs to be liquidated. Our expertise is extensive and we excel at determining the present value of real estate property and what the options are for improving that value prior to sale.

Since our past roles include commercial site selection, residential and commercial development and client representation before governmental boards, we’re familiar with the steps that are required to elevate a property to its highest and best use. We’re also familiar with the barriers that could prevent such an effort from occurring.

Each property is unique. It’s present setting, use or condition may suggest that its value is relatively predictable, but that’s not always the case. Current zoning, present use of surrounding properties and its anticipated future use under a community’s Master Plan can have a significant impact on what the property may actually be worth today, if certain steps are taken. This can be as true for a residential property as it is for a commercial parcel.

If you would like to explore the value potential of a property you own or control, drop us your contact information and we’ll connect. As always, we’re here as a resource and would welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have.