What do you do? A family member dies. When you clean the house, you find $$$

[Dexter]

Here's a little scenario. This just happened to a close friends cousin

A family member dies. You and your family go to clean the house. While you clean ,you find a shoebox stuffed full of cash. Or under the mattress you find a box of cash.

Do you tell your extended family? What if you're not on good terms with your extended family?

 

[Shortie]

Here's a little scenario. This just happened to a close friends cousin

A family member dies. You and your family go to clean the house. While you clean ,you find a shoebox stuffed full of cash. Or under the mattress you find a box of cash.

Do you tell your extended family? What if you're not on good terms with your extended family?

In this situation, I would tell my family about the money, keeping it would only leave me with guilt eating me up inside, especially if somehow the family found out and wondered where the money went.

It's always best to be honest than open.

 

[Dexter]

Would it make a difference on the size of the cash?

For example, what if you only found $1000? This is certainly a nice stash of money, but it might take you several hours and money to visit your family members just to hand over half of it.

What if it's $10,000? Even more reason to keep it all to yourself ....

 

[Tracy]

If you are an only child and there are no living spouse, it's yours. Extended family is stuck out. In fact, generally unless there is a will that specifically bequeaths something to the extended family member or they have a contract stating that certain joint property becomes theirs upon the other persons death, those greedy extended family members can pound sand (yes, had to deal with this with a grandparent).

If there are other children (your sisters/brothers) and a spouse, you should notify them as generally the law requires them to be notified. They are a direct part of the estate.
Then you get into if there was a will or not. It's rare, if the parents have much property, that they will die intestate. Generally you find that when either there was a formalized agreement amongst family members or the other direct family members really have no interest in anything the decedent left.