Dec
4
“She Lost Her Boyfriend…And Her Dream Car”
December 4, 2008 |
I received a telephone call the other day from a very distraught women who’s boyfriend of nearly eight years had been killed recently. The boyfriend’s family was telling her they planned to come and pick-up the collector’s car she and her boyfriend had been rebuilding for some time. In addition to the time she has invested, the woman told me she has personally spent close to $7,000.00 on parts and labor.
Unfortunately, this woman has a couple of MAJOR problems to deal with. For one thing, the title to the car was in the name of her boyfriend only. For another thing, her boyfriend did not leave a trust or a will. The woman thought that because she and her boyfriend had lived together for nearly eight years that she qualified as some sort of common law wife. Unfortunately for her, California does not recognize “common law” marriage relationships. A couple in California can live together for 50 years…and they still won’t be considered husband and wife until they get a marriage license and go through a ceremony.
Is this woman out of luck? Not necessarily. If her boyfriend’s family won’t reimburse her for the money she put into the car, she can take them to small claims court…but what a pain. If you have an estate plan, and it is prepared correctly, your property will go where you want it to go. If you have a significant other, he or she may not receive anything unless you have a valid trust or will that says you want them to receive your property.
www.robertbuschlaw.com
Article Source: “She Lost Her Boyfriend…And Her Dream Car”
