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The Texas Lawyers Blog provides useful information on the law and Texas lawyers. For more information on this Blog or a legal topic, please feel free to submit an inquiry or send an e-mail message to blog@texaslawyers.com

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Texas Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuit, Utility Power Line Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuits, and Austin Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuits by Texas Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer, Utility Power Line Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit Lawyer, and Austin Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer, Jason S. Coomer

Central Texas Bastrop Fire Lawsuit, Utility Power Line Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuit, Bastrop Fire Damage Recovery Lawsuit, Bastrop House Fire Compensation Lawsuit, Bastrop Business Fire Lawsuit, Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit, and Texas Power Line Easement Wildfire Lawsuit Information by Texas Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer, Utility Power Line Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit Lawyer, and Austin Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer, Jason S. Coomer

The Texas Forest Service has released their report of the investigation of the cause and origin of the Bastrop Wildfire of 2011.  In the report, the authorities have determined that on September 4, 2011, power lines maintained by the Bluebonnet Electrical Coop ignited a dead pine tree that fell on the lines causing the Bastrop Fire that killed two people and destroyed over 1,500 homes, and numerous businesses.  The Bastrop Complex Fire is one of the nation's largest fires in recent history and destroyed over 34,000 acres as well as caused an estimated over $250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Dollars) in damage.  

According to authorities, the fire ignited as a result of dead and dry pine trees falling onto power lines maintained by Bluebonnet Electric Coop.  According to Bluebonnet Electric Coop documents, this is a similar scenario that caused the Bastrop Fires in February 2009.  Thus, there is a significant issue as to whether this fire could be avoided and should Bluebonnet Electric Coop have been aware of this danger of dead and dry pine trees on their power line easements and taken steps to prevent or at least reduce the potential of an electrical wildfire like the September 2011 Bastrop Fire? 

As a result of the 2011 Bastrop Fire, numerous Bastrop Fire Lawsuits are expected to be filed including numerous Bastrop Fire Bluebonnet Electric Coop Lawsuits, Bastrop Fire insurance coverage lawsuits, Bastrop Wildfire loss of business lawsuits, and Bastrop Wildfire property damage lawsuits.  In fact, some Bastrop Fire Bluebonnet Electric Coop Lawsuits have already been filed and many more are expected.

Bastrop Fire Fraudulent Builder Lawyer, Bastrop Fire Damage Compensation Recovery Lawyer, Central Texas Bastrop Wildfire Insurance Recover Lawyer, Bastrop Fire Damage Compensation Lawyer, Bastrop Lost House Fire Compensation Lawyer, Bastrop Wild Fire Lost Business Profits Recovery Lawyer, and Bastrop Fire Rebuilding Lawyer

Unfortunately, in the aftermath of a devastating fire, there are often many fraudulent contractors, insurance adjusters, builders, and other unscrupulous individuals that attempt to take advantage of disaster victims and fire victims.  These individuals will often try to undervalue fire damage or fraudulently take money needed for rebuilding homes or replacing property lost in the fire.  It is important when dealing with insurance adjusters and contractors after a fire, to read and understand any contracts or releases that are given to you.

In dealing with insurance adjusters, it is often best to make sure that you have a copy of your insurance policy.  Reading and understanding your insurance policy is extremely important in determining what compensation you may be entitled to after a fire loss.  It is also important to determine approximately what your fire damages or fire loss is including all lost personal property, the cost of demolition & rebuild, and the cost of alternative living expenses.   In doing this, it is helpful to keep track of all money spent on alternative living expenses, demolition, and rebuild.  Try to keep receipts for everything.

It is also often a good idea to let the adjuster originally state what the coverage and fire loss damage estimates are prior to stating what you have determined the coverage and fire loss damage is.   Like any negotiation, having the adjuster state the first number and then responding to that number is often an effective method of negotiating an insurance claim.

In dealing with builders and contractors, it is important to make sure that you are dealing with someone that will provide good quality work and will finish any work in a timely manner.  As such, it is important not to agree to give too much money to any builder or contractor upfront, make sure that they are a legitimate builder with references and insurance, and to read as well as keep a copy of any building contract.
 
Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit Lawyer, Texas Bastrop Fire Lawyer, Central Texas Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer, Bastrop Fire Damage Compensation Lawyer, Bastrop House Fire Compensation Lawyer, Bastrop Business Fire Lawyer, and Central Texas Bastrop Electrical Fire Lawyer

Several Bastrop Communities including Tahitian Village, Pine View West, Lake Bastrop State Park, Cottle Town, Harmon Road, Pine Hill Loop, Schwartz Road, Old Potato Road, Circle D, Lake Bastrop Acres, KC Estates, Watterson Road, Colovista, Wilhelm Way, Young School House Road, Hall Road, Eisly Road, Tiner Cutoff, and Herron Trail have suffered catastrophic damages from the Bastrop Wildfire.  These Bastrop Communities will require significant rebuilding and demolition to recover from the September 2011 Bastrop Complex Fire. It is important that people in these communities are given the proper support, information, compensation, and assistance, to help them rebuild their lives, their businesses, and their communities.

Bastrop Fire Lawsuit, Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit, Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuit, Utility Power Line Fire Lawsuit, Bastrop Business Fire Lawsuit, and Texas Bastrop Fire Lawsuit Information by Texas Bastrop Fire Lawyer, Utility Power Line Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuit Lawyer, and Austin Bastrop Wildfire Lawyer

For more information on Texas Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuit, Utility Power Line Bluebonnet Electric Coop Bastrop Fire Lawsuits, and Austin Bastrop Wildfire Lawsuits, please feel free to following this link to an information page on Bastrop Fire Lawsuits and Utility Power Line Wildfire Lawsuits.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Central Texas Probate Lawsuits, Austin Estate Lawsuits, Central Texas Estate Lawsuits and Moving Estate Property Through Texas Probate Law by Austin Texas Inheritance Lawyer and Travis County Probate Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Austin Texas Inheritance Lawsuits, Austin Intestate Lawsuits, Central Texas Inheritance Lawsuits, Central Texas Probate Lawsuits, Austin Uncontested Probate Lawsuits, Austin Estate Lawsuits, Central Texas Estate Lawsuits and Moving Estate Property Through Texas Probate Law
by Austin Texas Inheritance Lawyer and Travis County Probate Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
 
Inheritance or ownership succession is the practice of passing wealth upon the death of an individual to an heir or designated beneficiary.  Under Texas Probate law, parents, spouses, or other individuals that have testamentary capacity have the right to transfer through a valid will or trust, assets such as real estate, mineral interests, gold, life insurance, bank accounts, land, houses, businesses, stocks, jewelry, and other wealth to their children, spouses, and people that they love.  If there is no valid will or trust, these assets can also be transferred under Texas intestate law to the rightful heirs of the decedent. 

When dealing with a large estate, it is often important to hire a Texas probate lawyer to help probate an estate and move assets in the estate through the probate process.  The Texas probate lawyer can help probate the will, identify the proper beneficiaries or heirs, file an application to probate a will, file a suit to determine heirship, work with the administrator or executor to be sworn in and obtain letters of administration, collect estate assets, negotiate potential debts, collect non-probate assets, collect death benefits, provide proper legal notices, work with ad litems, and file necessary court documents.

Many Families have Spread Out Across The United States and Throughout the World, Therefore it is Often Helpful to Hire a Texas Probate Lawyer to Assist with the Texas Probate Process and to Handle Estate Issues
 
Many families have spread out throughout the United States and around the World.  For many families, gone is the time where several generations live with in a few miles of each other in the same town, city, or county.  This lack of proximity can make it difficult, when a family member in Texas passes away. For the family member that lives out of state and has never been through the Texas probate process, Texas probate law and Texas probate courts can be overwhelming.  At a time when they want to grieve the loss of their loved one, they are forced to deal with difficult probate issues including:

    1) Who should be in control of their loved ones' estate?
    2) What needs to be done to have an administrator or executor appointed?
    3) What is probate & non-probate property?
    4) What should be done to protect estate property?
    5)  How are estate assets collected?
    6)  What can be done with Estate property?  
    7) Can assets be sold or transferred?
 
It is often helpful to speak with and hire a Texas probate lawyer to help take care of many of the probate issues.  A Texas probate lawyer can help "out of town" relatives  through the probate process and taking care of the estate.  This is extremely helpful when relatives and loved ones want to focus on the grieving process instead of learning Texas Probate Law and navigating Texas Probate Courts.  Hiring a Texas contested probate lawyer can also be extremely important when someone has tried or may try to unlawfully take estate assets that do not belong to them.

 Helping Central Texas Families and Families with Real Estate in Central Texas Transfer Assets and Title to Assets By Central Texas Probate Lawyer and Austin Estate Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Through Wills and intestate laws, Texas courts determine who are proper heirs and beneficiaries, and allow tremendous amounts of wealth to be transferred to heirs and beneficiaries each year.  A large amount of this inherited wealth includes real estate including family homes, lake houses, condominiums, and mineral interests.  As a Central Texas Real Estate Probate Lawyer, Jason Coomer helps families, heirs, beneficiaries, executors, and administrators move Texas real estate, Texas mineral interests, Texas lake houses, and other Texas real estate through probate.

For more information on moving Central Texas Real Estate through probate including Austin family homes, Lake Travis lake houses, Lake LBJ lakes houses, Austin condominiums, and Texas mineral interests, feel free to go to the following web page Lake Travis Real Estate Probate Lawyer, Lake LBJ Real Estate Probate Lawyer, Travis County Real Estate Probate Lawyer, Travis County Contested Probate Lawyer, Texas Real Estate Probate Lawyer, and Central Texas Real Property and Lake House Inheritance Lawyer. 

The Probate Process and Inheritance is Expected to Become More Common with Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Property Being Passed Down Each Year and in the Future Trillions of Dollars in Inheritance is Expected to be Passed Down
 
It is estimated that in the United States over $200 Billion each year is passed down through inheritance to heirs and beneficiaries.  It is expected with our aging population, that the amount of inheritance that will be passed through the probate system will continue to increase in the next 20 years as Trillions of Dollars in wealth will be passed on through inheritance. 
 
Unfortunately, many families that have no experience or limited experience with the Texas probate system will be faced with numerous Texas Probate Law decisions on estates with hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of assets.  It is therefore extremely important for families that want to protect their wealth and are going through the probate process, to hire an experienced Texas Probate Lawyer that is able to work with out of state or inexperienced heirs and beneficiaries to handle estate probate issues.

Central Texas Contested Probate Lawsuits, Travis County Will Contest Lawsuits, Texas Forged Will Lawsuits, Texas Probate Fraud Lawsuits, Texas Estate Fraud Lawsuits, and Texas Inheritance Fraud Lawsuits by Austin Texas Contested Probate Lawyer and Travis County Estate Lawyer

In addition to uncontested probate lawsuits, Texas contested probate lawsuits including Texas Will Contest Lawsuits, Texas Trustee Fraud Lawsuits, Texas Guardian Fraud Lawsuits, Texas Will Fraud Lawsuits, and Texas Administrator Fraud Lawsuits are increasing.  Caretakers, strangers, and some family members have found that it can be profitable to take advantage of elderly people or to steal estate assets from a family after the death of a loved one.  These vultures can often take advantage of grieving and out of town relatives.  For more information on Elder Financial Fraud and Financial Elder Abuse, please go to the following web page: Texas Elder Financial Abuse Lawsuit & Elder Financial Fraud Lawsuit Information.
A Will Contest occurs when there is something wrong with a Will. There are several reasons that a Will may be contested including 1) the Will was written under the influence from another person, 2) the Decedent was not of sound mind when the Will was written, 3) the Will is a forged or fraudulent document, 4) the Will is not up to date and leaves out children or does not take into account a divorce or remarriage, 5) the Will was not witnessed or signed correctly, and 6) the Will was improperly done and does not comply with Texas law.
In some instances the Testator did not have actual "testamentary capacity" or "testamentary intent" to draft a proper Will. In such a situation the Will is not valid and interested parties including a beneficiary or heir that was disinherited or lost inheritance through the invalid Will can contest the Will as being invalid.  In other instances a Will was executed under undue influence and not the last wishes of the Testator.

Locating Probate Assets, Claiming Estate Assets, Claiming Unclaimed Property, Claiming Death Benefits, Transferring Estate Real Property Assets, Collecting Estate Property for Heirs, Collecting Life Insurance for Beneficiaries, Collecting Probate Assets for Heirs and Beneficiaries, Transferring Estate Mineral Interests, and Collecting Estate Royalties
 
In addition to obvious assets and family wealth that can be passed through the probate process, there is a significant amount of unclaimed wealth including bank accounts, houses, oil interests, safety deposit boxes, stocks, and other wealth that is forgotten about or is unclaimed.  Much of this wealth is collected by the states and held for rightful owners including heirs and beneficiaries.

In claiming lost wealth, it is usually best to check with the state where the decedent was living to determine if that person's assets have been collected by the state.  The following link can be used to check Texas Unclaimed Property.  However, this is not the only place that should be investigated as many financial institutions, oil companies, banks, trusts, large corporations, and insurance companies, keep assets for an extended period of time or send the property to other states.  For more information on collection of unclaimed property, please follow this link to Texas Estate and Probate Unclaimed Property Lawyer. 

In Texas, the state is currently safekeeping over $2 billion in assets entrusted to it from a variety of sources, including unclaimed utility deposits, dormant bank accounts, unclaimed wages, safety deposit boxes, insurance policies and uncashed checks.  In fiscal year 2010, the state returned more than $160 million in such assets.  Many of these assets will need to go through probate before they can be distributed to the heirs of estate or beneficiaries of an estate.
 
Travis County Probate Lawyer, Travis County Estate Lawyer, Travis County Will Probate Lawyer, Travis County Contested Probate Lawyer, Travis County Real Estate Probate Lawyer, and Travis County Inheritance Lawyer
 
If your family is in need of a central Texas probate lawyer to help transfer central Texas real estate or other assets through probate to the rightful heir or beneficiaries, please feel free to follow the links above and below for additional information.     

  
Texas Contingent Probate Lawyer, Contingent Death Benefit Lawyer, and Texas Contingent Estate Collection Lawyer Helps Heirs and Benefits Collect and Transfer Estate Assets Including Royalties, Real Estate, and Mineral Interests by Texas Contingent Probate Lawyer and Texas Contingent Estate Asset Collection Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
 
In some situations family assets cannot get transferred or collected by their rightful heirs or beneficiaries because the heirs and beneficiaries cannot afford the cost of probate and other transfer costs.  In these situations, a Texas Contingent Probate Lawyer or Texas Contingent Death Benefit Lawyer that works on a percentage of the estate property can help heirs and beneficiaries transfer estate property to rightful heirs and beneficiaries. 
 
In these situations, the Texas Contingent Probate Lawyer or Texas Contingent Death Benefit Lawyer will typically need to see that there are actual significant assets in the estate and who the rightful heirs and beneficiaries are of the estate.  In these cases, bank statements, life insurance policies, royalty statements, mutual fund statements, retirement fund statements, real property deeds, property tax information, and other evidence of the estate assets can be useful in determining the approximate value of the estate and if a contingent contract for probating the estate can be viable. 

 For more information on Texas Contingent Probate Lawsuits and Texas Contingent Death Benefit Lawsuits, please feel free to go to the following web page: Texas Contingent Probate Lawyer and Death Benefit Collection Lawyer.