agk@ihuxq.UUCP (Andy Kegel) (07/13/84)
This discussion on insurance photographs brought to mind a comment, the source of which I cannot recall: When you select your safe deposit box, DON'T get one near the floor. Bank vaults have been known to flood, destroying the contents of the lower boxes. Could be quite a surprise. -andy kegel
wjm@whuxl.UUCP (MITCHELL) (07/14/84)
<gulp> When looking for a safe deposit box, I'd also look at the degree of physical security provided by the bank building and the location of the vault within the building. How secure are some of the vaults in bank branches in shopping centers?? Also, I wouldn't pick a box at the end of a row of safe-deposit boxes, theves have been known to start at the end of a row and drill through box after box, cleaning them out, or a box in a row next to the outside wall of the vault. Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm)
kds@intelca.UUCP (Ken Shoemaker) (07/16/84)
And a thing NOT to put in safe deposit boxes: wills, go ahead and put
in a copy, but keep the original with your lawyer or somewhere else
safe(?). In the case of a joint safe deposit box when one's spouse
dies, it can be a real pain for the survivor to get it out...(actually,
the problem is probably more universal, if your survivor's can't get
your will out of your safety deposit box when you kick off, well, there they
are, aren't they? Depending on bank policy, it could take a court order
to get at it)
--
Ken Shoemaker, Intel, Santa Clara, Ca.
{pur-ee,hplabs,amd,scgvaxd,dual,idi,omsvax}!intelca!kds
---the above views are personal. They may not represent those of Intel.ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (07/17/84)
> In Texas, safe deposit boxes are sealed by the bank as soon > as they know of the box-holder's demise... In Colorado (a remarkably sane state), the box is "sealed", but can be opened without much ado for a "will search", according to my lawyer. It is only necessary that a bank officer be present and that you show a copy of a death certificate. Furthermore, boxes held in joint name are apparently not sealed if only one of the owners dies. It's still a good idea to route copies of wills elsewhere, such as to the executor(s), fiduciar(ies), guardian(s), and/or beneficiar(ies) named therein. My understanding is that the copies are *not* legally acceptable, however, unless you can find at least one of the witnesses who signed the original, and they testify in favor. (I'd hope that most of the time, if your will is carefully worded and your beneficiaries amiable, it really wouldn't matter anyway.) Alan Silverstein, {ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053
ron@brl-tgr.UUCP (07/18/84)
A bad thing to do if you are married is to have JOINT accounts of any type. Make the Joint Tennants with Right of Survivorship. This allows the surviving spouse automatic control. -Ron
rob@ctvax.UUCP (07/20/84)
#R:ihuxq:-105600:ctvax:60900002:000:741 ctvax!rob Jul 20 12:50:00 1984 In Texas, safe deposit boxes are sealed by the bank as soon as they know of the box-holder's demise. The executor can get a court order to access the box and inventory it. I believe the executor can remove the will and deliver it to the court for probate. After the will has been probated the executor may remove the contents of the safe deposit box. This whole process is much easier if the executor has a copy of the will. My will is in the safe deposit box. My wife, my executor (in case my wife and I bite the big one at the same time), and my lawyer each have a copy. An alternative scheme is for each spouse to have a box in only their name in which is kept the other spouse's will. Morbid, isn't it? Rob Spray ...convex!ctvax!rob