Within the last two weeks, we learned how state laws might affect our decision to accept or deny an inheritance. We might want to deny an inheritance because it comes attached with exorbitant taxes or other fees. On the other hand, we might pursue what's coming to us, because it's worth the time, effort, and money. Let's look at one scenario:

A man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, knocks on your door. You answer, and he smiles, shakes your hand, and asks to speak with your husband. He isn't home, so the man asks if you know anyone in the GotLand family.

You say, "Gee, that name seems familiar, but I'm not sure?why?"
He responds, "Well, ma'am, in our attempt to settle a significant inheritance, we discovered that your husband, Mr. O. Doodaday, is a distant relation in line to inherit this specific property. We'd like to know if he's interested in a settlement."
You hesitate, "Well, I don't know?can you come back when my husband returns?"
He replies, "I could, but first I'd like your husband to do a little preliminary work for us?"

He hands over information on an attorney's letterhead. You take the papers and, after he asks you to call him at your convenience, he takes his leave. You glance through the paperwork and discover that your husband needs to produce documents that prove his relationship to this distant relative before the inheritance comes into hand.

Later that night you talk with your husband about this situation. He believes he might have a cousin named GotLand; however, he's not going to pursue the matter, because he never cared for that side of the family anyway. You drop it also, because you have no idea how to dig into your family relationships - or his, for that matter - and it all sounds a little pie-in-the-sky, anyway.

Does this sound like a scam? Well, for once, it wasn't. This situation actually happened in the 1940s, and this couple's decision lost them a great deal of money. The land in question was purchased by the government and is - today - part of a national park. This is one case, in my opinion, where inheritance taxes don't matter. As my father says, "So what if you pay three mill in taxes? You've made six mill!" (Comment made before the purchase of a fruitless quick-pick lottery ticket purchase).

Most good fortune comes with our own legwork, and it's much easier to conduct this research today than it was in the 1940s. Last week we covered how to conduct research at local county archives. But, what do you do when you can't visit that distant courthouse? Here are a few helpful hints:

1. Type the county, state, and the words, "court house" into your search engine. If you come up with zilch on that effort, go to the USGenWeb Project. This site offers free information on state and county archives and court houses, including phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and physical locations.
   
   
2. Call the court house (e-mail may prove fruitless) and ask to speak with a clerk. Tell him or her that you cannot visit the court house and that you need either certified or uncertified copies of original documents (see last week's article for the difference). You don't need to tell the clerk why you need this information. Most clerks don't care, so don't waste their time. You do need to ask about their charges. The clerk will probably tell you that they only fulfill snail mail requests because they want a check to accompany your order (many court houses do not handle credit cards). Standard practice for this routine is to send a blank check with a "do not exceed" a certain dollar amount on the bottom "memo" line on your check. If you feel uneasy about this practice, write "for deposit only" on the back of the check.
   
   
3. Be very specific about dates and types of document for each person in your inquiry. If your second cousin twice removed died sometime in the 1940s, you'll need that cousin's full name, exact dates of birth and/or death (or at least down to the week - most clerks will forgive that much), and your relationship to this person if the document is less than fifty-years-old. If you're after a specific document, you'll need the date the document was generated. In this case, an approximate year might suffice, because many older documents are indexed. Ask the clerk for their specifications, because each court house has different regulations about releasing new or older documents.
   
   
4. A number of sites can help with relationship information. For instance, WordIQ.com offers a breakdown of familial definitions, including that 9th cousin five times removed. Another site I find useful is Ancestry.com, because they maintain census images with indices for most decades (this site isn't perfect, but it works better than most in my experience). You can use census records to ascertain approximate dates of death, birth, relationships to other members of a family, and locations. If you only need a few hours' of research, use their free 14-day trial. Alternately, you can pay a minimal monthly fee for their information.
   
   
5. Land title companies located in the county in question can research historic property transactions for you, because this is not a county clerk's job. You'll need to find the land title company yourself, because clerks usually refuse to recommend a company due to bias.
   
   
6. Many foreign countries maintain their own genealogy/archival sites for your research outside the U.S. Once again, use that search engine to type in "genealogy" or "archives" and the country name. I can't offer further suggestions here, because I have limited experience with non-U.S. research; however, I understand that these sites are useful, and their webmasters and/or administrators are usually helpful.

Lastly, remember that the GotLand scenario above occurred about sixty years ago, and things have since changed. Most attorneys and their representatives don't knock on doors anymore. They send letters, not e-mails (inheritance letters received via e-mail are most likely scams). If that letter arrives one day, don't ignore it. You might have a real GotLands on your hands. But, decide whether you want to spend the time, money, and efforts to pursue the case before you respond. You'll save money, you'll become aware of your options, and you'll stay on top of developments if you conduct much of the initial research yourself.

Until Next Week,
Linda Goin