Lambros Law Office LLC

What You Can Record at the Recorder of Deeds Office

 0City and county government offices provides a multitude of services to local residents. For example, the Recorder of Deeds department, which may be part of the City Clerk’s office in some towns, serves one obvious purpose – recording deeds. However, there’s more to the Recorder of Deed’s Office than deeds.

Records That Can Be Recorded or Filed

The Recorder’s Office typically accepts only original documents. Rather than keeping the document on file, the clerk records the information in the property records and returns the original to you.

Several types of deeds may be recorded at the Recorder of Deeds office:

Warranty, quit claim, executor, administrator, trustee, conservator, receiver, commissioner, foreclosure, bargain and sale, corrective, and more.

In addition, the following documents may be recorded at the Recorder of Deeds Office:

• Certificate of Redemption
• Mortgage, Corrective Mortgage, Discharge of Mortgage, Partial Release of Mortgage, and the Assignment, Subordination or Modification of Mortgage
• Lease
• Power of Attorney
• Bill of Sale
• Easement, Acknowledge of Discharge of Lien
• Maps, Plats, and Surveys
• Trade Name Registration
• Writs of Execution and Levies, as well as the Discharge of Writ/Execution
• Lis Pendens and Discharge of Lis Pendens
• UCC
• Federal Tax Lien and Discharge of Federal Tax Lien
• Notice of Intent
• Mechanics’ Lien
• Employment Security Notice
• State Tax Lien
• Zoning Certificate
• Non-Resident Landlord

In all likelihood, you may never have any reason to file or record some of these documents. However, your attorney can let you know when documents need to be recorded or even record them for you.

Other Services Provided by the Recorder of Deeds Office

In addition to recording documents, the general public can access property records at the Recorder of Deeds office. Copies can be made for a fee. Some people may research the history of real estate while others look for trade name registrations or tax lien information.

Rules, fees, and hours may vary, so check with the recorder’s office before actually going to the office.

Non-resident landlords register with the Rhode Island Secretary of State, but also must file information with the Recorder of Deeds or City Clerk.

Business Interests Belong in Your Estate Plan.

At the Lambros Law Office, our attorneys have the skill and experience to develop an estate plan that meets your needs. To schedule an appointment, call 401-383-9899. You may also use our convenient Contact Form to let us you know are ready to get started. We assist clients throughout Rhode Island, including Cranston, Providence, and Warwick. 

Comedian Lewis Isn’t the Only One Disinheriting His Kids

Because his estate used a will, which became a public document, we know that Jerry Lewis very deliberately excluded all of the children from his first marriage to Patti Palmer, from inheriting anything from his estate.

People Magazine’s recent article, “Jerry Lewis and 10 Other Celebrities Who Left (Or Plan to Leave) Their Kids Nothing,” explains that Lewis’s potentially vast estate will be passed to his widow, SanDee Pitnick, and the second in line to inherit his fortune, if something happens to his wife, is his 25-year-old daughter Danielle. The rest of Lewis’s seven kids will join the club of other famous children not getting a dime from their famous parents:

Mickey Rooney had a strained relationship with his wife and children for some time before his death in 2014, at the age of 93. There was infighting within the family right after his death, with his children bringing a lawsuit asking that his will be invalidated, claiming the legendary actor faced “undue influence” when he signed it just before his death. Seven of his eight surviving children weren’t named as beneficiaries to his estate, which was valued at just $18,000, a small sum for one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars. The estate would be potentially worth more in the future because of licensing rights and memorabilia (including an Oscar). However, his fortune had been diminished from years of mismanagement. The beneficiary was Mark Aber, Rooney’s stepson and caretaker in his final days. The other children claimed that Aber and the estate’s executor, attorney Michael Augustine, Rooney’s court-appointed conservator in the last years of the actor’s life, took “advantage” of him.

In another lawsuit, Rooney’s estranged wife Jan also contested probate of the actor’s will, claiming it “blatantly misquotes the terms of the settlement agreements [previously] reached between Janice Rooney and Mickey Rooney.” In fact, the battles were so intense that Rooney’s body had to be refrigerated for two weeks after his death, while his family fought in court over burial arrangements. By 2015, the last of Rooney’s children had dropped her objections, and his final will and testament stood as written.

In another case, one year after his death, The Tony Curtis Estate held an auction to sell off memorabilia and other items he owned. The estate raised more than $1 million during the online auction—all of which went to his widow and fifth wife, Jill Curtis. A portion went to the couple’s charity, according to Forbes. But Curtis’s five children, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis, received nothing from the sale. Forbes reported that Curtis had rewritten his Will and Trust just a few months before his death to exclude all his children. Like Lewis, Curtis reportedly listed all children by name, stating that he wished to intentionally disinherit them. No reason was given in the will.

Jackie Chan. No, he’s still alive and well. However, he has publicly stated that he will disinherit his only son, Jaycee, after his death. Chan told the media in 2011 that half of his then-$130-million fortune would go to charity—and the other half would not be going to his kid.

Like Chan, Sting said that his children wouldn’t be getting an inheritance. He told England’s Mail on Sunday newspaper in 2014 that he wasn’t planning on leaving any trust funds for his kids. “I told them there won’t be much money left because we are spending it,” he reportedly said.

After selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney for $4.5 billion in 2012, George Lucas, a father of four, said the proceeds from the sale would be donated to charities to improve education. TV talent judge Simon Cowell, the father of a three-year-old son, said he doesn’t believe in passing on wealth from one generation to another, according to Time. Instead, he said he plans to leave his estimated $500 million fortune to charity, something benefiting “kids and dogs.” Ted Turner, estimated to be worth $2.2 billion, set up the Turner Foundation to provide grants for environmental causes. It’s set up as a family foundation so his children can be involved in charitable work. Canadian businessman and investor, Kevin O’Leary, also a judge on the ABC series Shark Tank, said in an interview that he won’t pass any wealth to his kids.

Warren Buffett, the genius behind Berkshire Hathaway, said that he is “not an enthusiast for dynastic wealth,” and pledged to give away 99% of his fortune to charity. He has been instrumental in encouraging other billionaires to do the same through “The Giving Pledge,” asking other billionaires to give away at least half of their wealth. He inspired Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, who plans to leave most of his fortune to charities, including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

You don’t have to be a celebrity or a billionaire to disinherit your children. However, if you plan to do so, it would be best to work with an estate planning attorney to minimize the likelihood of any legal challenges to your intentions.

Reference: People (September 22, 2017) “Jerry Lewis and 10 Other Celebrities Who Left (Or Plan to Leave) Their Kids Nothing”

∗ For more information about this and other similar topics, please visit: www.LambrosLawLLC.com or call us at: (401) 383-9899 .

Elder Abuse Legislation Headed to President’s Desk

Sparked by what happened to a local couple who were scammed into buying more than $40,000 worth of dubious nutrition supplements, Senator Grassley is hoping for a quick signature from President Trump, according to an article in The (Cedar Rapids IA) Gazette, “Grassley elder abuse legislation awaits Trump's signature.”

“Exploiting and defrauding seniors is cowardly, and these crimes should be addressed as the reprehensible acts they are,” the 84-year-old Grassley said. Legislation that the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman sponsored with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., will send a “clear signal from Congress that combating elder abuse and exploitation should be a top priority for law enforcement.”

The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 passed the House of Representatives and the Senate by voice vote. One of the challenges of protecting seniors from scams is that technology changes quickly and “criminals are constantly coming up with new scams,” Grassley said. “None of us are completely immune.”

Grassley explained that six million seniors are victims of abuse and exploitation each year. In 2016, Karl and the late Marlene Sibert of Cedar Rapids were among them, spending $44,000 on nutritional supplements over a period of twenty months for health and nutrition-related products, when her mother was hospitalized. Their daughter, Karla Sibert, became aware of the spending and contacted the Iowa Office of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection. She filed a formal complaint. The investigation discovered telemarketers’ handwritten notes indicating that Sibert’s mother had “memory” issues and her father had “dementia,” according to Attorney General Tom Miller. Luckily, in the Sibert’s case, the telemarketer complied with his office’s demand to repay the money the couple spent on the supplements.

Grassley called those who exploit seniors “cowardly” and said those crimes should be prosecuted “as the reprehensible acts they are.” Even though elder exploitation may not be a “prominent or popular issue,” Grassley said it’s “an important kitchen table issue for America’s seniors, families and caregivers.”

The goal is to help families nationwide by giving law enforcement, seniors, caregivers and family members the ability to be more effective in fighting back against scammers. The hope is that stronger enforcement and increased penalties will deter some perpetrators.

Reference: The (Cedar Rapids IA) Gazette (October 5, 2017) “Grassley elder abuse legislation awaits Trump's signature”

∗ For more information about this and other similar topics, please visit: www.LambrosLawLLC.com or call us at: (401) 383-9899 .