Jessica's Rose Garden

[Lori Dee]

As the Executrix for the estate, do you have to file sales receipts and copies of the checks with the courthouse? Or maybe just a copy of the account ledger? Not just taxes, but also for your own protection, to show you have completed your duties faithfully.

[Jessica_Rose]

Well, the attorney didn't mention that I needed to file anything. I do have receipts, if anyone asks. I expect some states are more stringent than others, and court-appointed executor would need to produce an accounting report for every penny. Filing taxes for the estate will definitely require some receipts, especially for the deductible expenses. All of the personal property has been sold for cash, so there isn't any trail there. If we didn't trust each other, this would be a nightmare.

There are only three people named as beneficiaries in the will. Myself, my brother, and a nephew. I see my brother every week and provide updates, while I send texts and emails to my nephew (he lives in another state). So far, no one has questioned any of the steps I've taken. Before any big steps, I always check with the others to make sure they agree with the actions I'm taking. There haven't been any disagreements yet, and I'm doing my best to keep it that way. Good communication helps, along with providing plenty of time for the review of legal documents.

Love always -- Jess

[Jessica_Rose]

We were at my dad's old house on 14 - 15 June. We didn't sell much, but we made some progress. I also had a nice encounter with a young lady at a local restaurant. When I approached the counter, she smiled and said something like 'tall women are awesome' and then made a heart symbol with her hands. I wasn't quite sure how to react, so I smiled and thanked her.

We planned to visit my dad's old house this next weekend, but something else has come up. I finally found a house in Colorado that may work for us. Our real estate agent visited the house over the weekend and sent some videos. There are a few things we need to check out before we make an offer, so we plan to drive out there later this week. We love our current house, but I hate paying taxes to a state that hates me.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

[Lori Dee]

We love our current house, but I hate paying taxes to a state that hates me.

The strongest vote we have is to vote with our feet and our wallet. 

[Jessica_Rose]

Our trip went well, but I was tired every day. The morning we planned to leave, I was paged around 1:00am for an issue at work. I didn't get back to bed until around 4:00am. We left home around 9:00am and had reasonably good weather. We drove through a few rain showers, but nothing serious. We arrived in Clayton NM around 7:30pm. We got back on the road at 6:30am the next morning. We met our real estate agent at the house a few minutes before noon.

Susan and I spent nearly five hours looking around. We would have stayed longer, but our agent had to leave around 3:30pm and the seller's agent had to leave at 5:00pm. There were a few issues which will need some work, but the house has a feature which was extremely important to us -- a view of something other than the neighbor's house. It has a magnificent view of surrounding area. Susan and I made an offer the next morning (Saturday), and we received a counter offer that same afternoon. Susan and I were already on the way home, but the response deadline was 10:00am Monday, so we had time.

We got home at 1::00pm on Sunday. After unloading our luggage, I did some grocery shopping, then mowed the yard, washed the car, made supper, and took a shower. After all of that, Susan and I reviewed the counter offer. We had been prepared to pay full price, but they offered a small discount. The sellers also agreed to leave office furniture and a few other items. Susan and I signed the contract.

We still have several steps to take, and a lot of paperwork. Unless something unexpected occurs, Susan and I will probably be moving back to Colorado in September. We'll only be about 20-25 minutes away from @Lori Dee .

Love always -- Jessica Rose

[Jessica_Rose]

Susan and I went to my dad's old house again last Wednesday. Thursday morning (3 July), we loaded my grandmothers old wooden chest and a large grandfather clock (7ft tall) into my dad's truck. We had already removed the pendulum and weights from the clock, and we wrapped it with some moving blankets and a waterproof tarp. The chest rode in the back seat. We did drive through some rain, but the tarp kept the clock dry. After unloading at our house, we drove back to my dad's house.

Friday was quiet, except for all the neighbors with fireworks. I think just about anything smaller than a stick of dynamite is legal in Louisiana. Despite all of the noise, Rhonda the racoon showed up for dinner. On Saturday and Sunday, we continued selling off estate property. One person bought several old Chevy fenders, and some other folks bought a lot of pottery. We sold quite a bit more than expected.

Saturday night we had an unexpected dinner guest. After one of the racoons had dinner, a skunk arrived! It was a big one, and it seemed to enjoy the dog food we leave out for Rhonda and her friends. After it finished off the food and wandered away, I put more food out. A few minutes later, an opossum showed up. Once the opossum left, two more racoons showed up.

Susan and I went home Sunday afternoon, and responded to some questions from our real estate agent. We had a professional home inspection performed on 4 July, and we discussed which items we wanted the seller to repair. Even thought it's a buyer's market in that area right now, we want to be fair. The house has a fantastic view, and I think we're getting it way below what the normal market value would be. I don't want to jeopardize the deal over a few hundred dollars or some minor repairs.

I'm going to take Friday off this week. Susan and I are going to my dad's house again, to retrieve another grandfather clock and my mom's wooden chest. We'll drive down Thursday afternoon and get things loaded, then do a round trip home on Friday using my dad's truck. There's still a lot of things at my dad's house we need to clear out, but we're going to try to finish up by 27 July.

Love always -- Jessica Rose

[Dances With Trees]

I can't imagine a better neighbor than Lori! So glad everything is going well on closing out your dad's estate. Loved the description of your resident and mostly nocturnal menagerie!

[Jessica_Rose]

Thanks for visiting, @Dances With Trees !

My dad's house is on a six acre lot next to a lake. In addition to the animals who visited over the weekend, we have seen armadillos, fox, deer, and have even heard bobcats at night. In the evenings, fireflies rise from the lawn and put on a lovely light show. Unfortunately, there are also ticks, chiggers, and tons of mosquitoes. Every time we visit, I'm itching for days because of multiple insect bites.

It will be great to live near friends again. Friends who know the struggles people in our community face. True friends, who can help us celebrate all of the triumphs and mourn the losses. Susan and I will once again be able to hold hands in public. I honestly didn't think Arkansas would be so oppressive.

There are allies and enemies in every state. While some states encourage oppression through the laws they pass, others recognize the rights of people to have freedom of expression. It will be nice to live in a 'free' state once again.

Love always -- Jessica Rose