It started with a phone call—the kind that carries more than just words. A daughter, grieving and unsure, reached out after losing her father. She didn’t need a lawyer right away. She needed someone who could listen and help her make sense of a gut feeling that something was off.
And she was right.
Her father was 93 and suffering from memory loss. Just a few weeks before he passed, he signed a new will. The strange part? It handed control of his estate to a home health care worker—not his daughter, not a close relative, but someone who had only been around briefly.
That raised a red flag.
The will had been notarized too, though how that happened, no one really knows. When someone’s dealing with cognitive issues, notarizing legal documents should be a big no. But somehow, it happened. And since no one stepped in quickly, the new will held up.
The daughter lived out of state and didn’t realize how fast things could go sideways. While she was still processing her grief, the home health care worker began selling off items in the house—antiques, heirlooms, maybe even tapping into financial accounts. At first, she kept in touch. But soon, she stopped answering calls, texts, everything.
That’s when I got the call.
I’m Anthony Nitz, a probate real estate agent. I help families navigate situations like this—messy, emotional, and high-stakes. I also wrote The Fixer Upper Trap to show people how to protect the equity in a family home. Because once it starts slipping away, it’s hard to get it back.
When the daughter finally spoke with a probate attorney, she learned just how hard it would be. She needed to pay a retainer—$10,000 to $15,000—just to get things moving. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the lawyer also wanted 25% of the entire estate when the case was resolved.
That’s a heavy price for staying quiet too long.
This wasn’t just about inheritance. It was about fairness, closure, and honoring her father’s true intentions. But because she didn’t know how quickly things could unravel, she was now fighting an uphill battle.
Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
Here’s what you can do:
- Start the conversation with your parents now about their estate.
- Review the will and double-check who’s named as executor.
- Understand how probate works, especially if you don’t live nearby.
Just having a will isn’t always enough. Some people look for gaps to sneak through—especially when they know family isn’t close by or emotionally prepared to step in.
Don’t give them that chance.
If you’re unsure where to start, The Fixer Upper Trap is a great first step. You can find it on fixeruperttrap.com or Amazon. It’s not full of legal jargon—just real talk, from someone who’s seen how easily things can go wrong.
And if you’re dealing with something like this yourself, reach out. You can schedule a call with me on my website. No pressure. Just guidance.
What happened to this family shouldn’t happen to yours.
Call if you need help. Anthony Nitz – 714-900-2710
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