QUESTION
Can the hospital give my father's personal belongings to another family member if he has a child, no wife, and parents are deceased?
Asked on May 05th, 2021 on Wills and Probate - Maryland
More details to this question:
My father passed away at the hospital. The following day I went to the hospital to retrieve his personal belongings to find out that the hospital released them to his sister. His sister used his keys to enter the apartment and removed personal items from his home. She refuses to give me his keys, wallet, or personal items that she took from his home. Was it right for the hospital to release my father's personal belongings to his sister? Was it right for my aunt to remove my father's personal items from his home? What are my rights? Do I need a lawyer?
1 ANSWER
2 Awards
You need a lawyer to file an Application for Determination of Heirship and Issuance of Letters of Administration, showing that you and your siblings are the heirs (if your mother or any stepmother is no longer with us) and giving you authority over all your father's property. You can then sue your aunt for conversion (converting your father's property to hers), though, hopefully, you can work this out without a lawsuit. Your local Dispute Resolution Center may help for a nominal fee.
Answered on May 06th, 2021 at 6:14 AM
This is general information. It cannot substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney. It is not intended to be legal advice or imply an attorney-client relationship.