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Posted

I need to head to Lindale, Texas in a week or two for a funeral.  If you folks can recommend a good, inexpensive hotel or motel in the area I'd appreciate it.  I may be there for a couple days, or I may be there for a week.  It kind of depends on how much help my brother's widow needs getting bank accounts organized and transferred over to her.  For some reason, my brother never added her to his savings and checking accounts and only had them listed as Transfer on Death.

 

My sister and I are going to straighten out that mess while we're down there for the funeral.

 

Thanks,

 

Angus

Posted

I asked a few friends for recommendations. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

If you are going to be staying several days I would look into a vacation rental. (VBRO).  Will be a lot more comfortable than a hotel room and likely cheaper in the long run as you won't have to eat out every day.

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Posted

I believe my sister found a hotel in Lindale.  I'll probably book at the same place.  One hiccup is waiting to get a Death Certificate.  No point in the trip if we can't get anything done while we're there.  Can't do much of anything without a Death Cert.

 

Meanwhile, his Mrs. doesn't have a Driver's License.  She let hers expire some time back when she couldn't get her car repaired.  Why?  Don't ask.   So, she has no valid ID.  We're trying to make sure she can find her Birth Cert., Marriage License, Title to his car and official mail with her name on it for when we get there.  Anything else TX requires for a Driver's License?

 

I know she'll have to take a written, as well as a driving test.  Can she take them on the same day in TX?  Her church is helping her out somewhat.  I'm hoping someone can pick up a driver's test booklet for her.  She's been told, repeatedly, NOT to drive.  If she drives, she gets arrested for driving without a license, the car gets towed and she'll never see the car, or its contents ever again.  Even if the car was in her name she couldn't afford the tow fees or storage fees to get it back.  She needs an attorney but can't afford one.  She probably wouldn't trust them anyway. 

 

Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out how to get to Lindale, TX.  There does not seem to be an easy way to get there from here in under 12 hours.  I've got a route, but very little is Interstate.  ~9.5 to 10 hours drive time.

 

This whole thing is a nightmare I'm not looking forward to.  

 

To everyone else here, I wish you a Happy New Year.

 

Angus

 

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Black Angus McPherson said:

I believe my sister found a hotel in Lindale.  I'll probably book at the same place.  One hiccup is waiting to get a Death Certificate.  No point in the trip if we can't get anything done while we're there.  Can't do much of anything without a Death Cert.

 

Meanwhile, his Mrs. doesn't have a Driver's License.  She let hers expire some time back when she couldn't get her car repaired.  Why?  Don't ask.   So, she has no valid ID.  We're trying to make sure she can find her Birth Cert., Marriage License, Title to his car and official mail with her name on it for when we get there.  Anything else TX requires for a Driver's License?

 

I know she'll have to take a written, as well as a driving test.  Can she take them on the same day in TX?  Her church is helping her out somewhat.  I'm hoping someone can pick up a driver's test booklet for her.  She's been told, repeatedly, NOT to drive.  If she drives, she gets arrested for driving without a license, the car gets towed and she'll never see the car, or its contents ever again.  Even if the car was in her name she couldn't afford the tow fees or storage fees to get it back.  She needs an attorney but can't afford one.  She probably wouldn't trust them anyway. 

 

Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out how to get to Lindale, TX.  There does not seem to be an easy way to get there from here in under 12 hours.  I've got a route, but very little is Interstate.  ~9.5 to 10 hours drive time.

 

This whole thing is a nightmare I'm not looking forward to.  

 

To everyone else here, I wish you a Happy New Year.

 

Angus

 

 

Well Angus, you're a good man to take this on. I think "nightmare" is putting it politely. Good Luck Pard.

Posted (edited)

The roads from St Charles Mo to Lindale TX are not bad. You'll get there quicker if you avoid the interstates. 
 

Send me a PM if you would like a good route. I live about an hour away from Lindale and regularly visit my Mom in Sedalia. 

Edited by Sedalia Dave
Posted

Your best route is south on 67 all the way to Little Rock. Then take I-30 to Texarkana. DO NOT  take I-55 The traffic slowdown at the I-55 / I-40 interchange will cost you more time than you think you'll save.

 

Been a while since I drove 67 in MO but 67 in Arkansas is really good road with much of it being interstate quality.

 

In Texarkana you can 59 south to 155 or Stay on I30 all the way to Mt Vernon the go South on 37. Either way the roads are good.

 

Most important advice I can give you is to not be speeding as you go through the little towns.  The cops love to write tickets to people that don't slow down soon enough.  All those little towns WILL NOT allow you to be 5 over the posted speed limit.

 

With fuel stops it'll take about 12 hours for you to make the trip.

Posted

You'll save a lot of money if you and your sister split an Air B&B or VBRO.  I have stayed in several and have never been disappointed. 

Posted

im wishing you a safe trip , as few irritating redtapes as possible and a satisfactory result , 

 

my wife has been dealing with being power of attorney and caretaker for her mother [who is now in nursing home at 95] and her brother who has a TBI at 55 , its been a lot so i can sympathize , her brothers situation involves settling the estate of his 35yo daughter who was his caretaker 

Posted

The last time I drove thru Texas to Houston I was on the 2 lane road and the speed limit changed every 200 yards. I got pulled over and officer was not being very nice and remarked I should be on an interstate if I want to go fast. I was already a bit unhappy and my comment back to him was the limit changes every 100 yards and the signs are hidden and if I knew where there was a interstate to drive on, I would be on it. Then I asked how close the interstate was so I could get off this dam road. ( My actual statements were more colorful) He started to say something and his partner pulled him away back to the car. A few minutes later his partner came back with a warning ticket and told me there was not a interstate close by for my trip and just to be more careful watching for the signs. I drove back home from Houston by driving east on Interstate 10 and drove north on I55  to Illinois. It made about the same time and it was a much better drive.

Good luck and be careful.

  • Sad 2
Posted

Looks like everything is being delayed until the middle of January.  Just enough time for the weather to get really nasty.  Can't get the Death Certificate for about 3 weeks anyway.  The Sister-in-law was warned, again, that driving without a license could get her arrested, the car towed/impounded and likely loss of the car and all contents.  She laughed about it.  OK, not my circus, not my monkeys.  I'm just trying to help out.

 

I found out yesterday that her estranged son, who has not wanted anything to do with her for the last 10(?) years, has decided he wants back in her life.  He drove 2-3 hours, the day after he found out about my brother's death, to spend 12 hours "helping her clear out his room".  For some reason the word "looting" comes to mind.  I'm sure she was either in bed or on the couch watching tv while he helped himself.  Whatever he found of interest went out the front door in trash bags.  Any cash he found is her loss.  The only thing my brother had that I would have wanted is a gold pocket watch that belonged to our grandfather.   They were a long way from rich.

 

Again, that's a lot of "Not my circus, not my monkeys".  I just hate seeing people taken advantage of.  The same thing happened to my grandmother.  And she actually had some items of value and some money.  Most disappeared, including at least one $20 gold piece and her engagement ring, while a "friend" helped her run errands and things.

 

It's aggravating, but there's not much I can do from this far away.  Plus, she's a hard person to help because she doesn't trust anybody and thinks everyone is trying to take over her bank accounts and run her life.

 

For those who asked:  No will, no trust, no insurance.  The closet to a will he got was putting "Transfer On Death" on his bank accounts and car title.  Why her name wasn't already on the accounts or title nobody knows.  It's not like it wasn't suggested to him.  They were an odd pair.

 

Angus

 

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Posted

I've got a POS niece like her son. Amazing

Good Luck Angus

Posted
32 minutes ago, Black Angus McPherson said:

Why her name wasn't already on the accounts or title nobody knows.

 

Working in IT for 40 years you get exposed to payroll.  It's just part of the terrain.  You would be surprised (or maybe not) how many times it is the case where the wife does not know how much money the husband makes or how much he has.  Sometimes it's the other way around, but not very often.  When my last employer went direct-deposit-only ~15 years ago there were a lot of incensed people.  Why?  Because their MO was to take the paycheck to the bank and deposit it, less their secret "play money".   When we went DDO there were a lot of wives that thought a big raise had come along with it.

 

Sounds like a mess, Angus.  Good on ya for doing what you can to help.  I'm sure you know that situations like this can tear families apart, so take care.

 

To everyone reading, get your affairs in order.  If you don't have a will, get one done... NOW. 

 

A lot of folks scoff at the idea of a will and say, "When I die my wife/husband gets it all anyway."  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Are you sure?

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Posted
4 hours ago, Stump Water said:

 

Working in IT for 40 years you get exposed to payroll.  It's just part of the terrain.  You would be surprised (or maybe not) how many times it is the case where the wife does not know how much money the husband makes or how much he has.  Sometimes it's the other way around, but not very often.  When my last employer went direct-deposit-only ~15 years ago there were a lot of incensed people.  Why?  Because their MO was to take the paycheck to the bank and deposit it, less their secret "play money".   When we went DDO there were a lot of wives that thought a big raise had come along with it.

 

Sounds like a mess, Angus.  Good on ya for doing what you can to help.  I'm sure you know that situations like this can tear families apart, so take care.

 

To everyone reading, get your affairs in order.  If you don't have a will, get one done... NOW. 

 

A lot of folks scoff at the idea of a will and say, "When I die my wife/husband gets it all anyway."  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Are you sure?

 

 

I know what you're saying about people wanting to hide some income.  I know folks like that.  It wasn't a case of my brother trying to hide money.  He didn't have much and hasn't worked for 20 years.  As for direct deposit, forget it.  Several years back she had some money due her from a previous employer.  Maybe $1500.  They would only do direct deposit and she refused to give them the info needed to get it done.  We begged her to give them the info so she could collect, offered to have the money deposited into one of our accounts so we could write her a check (I don't actually know if that would have been allowed), told her to open a new account with $20 and close it out after she collected the money.  No go.  As far as I know she has never collected that money.  For the record, I don't understand why the business wouldn't just write her a check either.  Funny thing is she wanted to sue them for the money.  They didn't have money for an attorney, wouldn't have trusted one in any case, and any money recovered would have had to pay the attorney, who, they would have complained, cheated them.

 

As for tearing up my family, that's not a worry.  Neither my sister nor I ever expected to get anything from my brother's estate so we have nothing to fight over even if we were so inclined.  As for her family, I suspect her son will no longer have any use for her as soon as he figures he's gotten all he can from her.

 

Such is life.

 

Angus

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