Update for Week #2 – Finding the Public Notice Newspaper
First I wanted to update my status for week #2, Finding the Public Notice newspaper for my county. I got a lot of evidence pointing me towards the Daily Record and found a great website that allowed me to search all the public records in Morris County *for participating newspapers. This lead me to to call the Morris County Surrogate’s office last Friday in order to get a more definitive answer. I actually left work early to try and get to the court house before it closed as I’d rather talk to them in person then call them up, but I got stuck in traffic and would not have made it in time. So I called them up at 4pm (they close at 4:30) and got the voice mail. Since they are closed all weekend I had to call them back this morning and I wanted to hold off posting until I completed my week #2 task.
This is very funny! I called up the Surrogate’s office and was transferred to this nice lady, who upon hearing my probate question said…
Oh I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier to wish you a Happy Birthday. I left my cell phone at home. How are you doing? How is working treating you on your birthday?
I was thinking, how in the world does this person know who I am? I thanked her for the birthday wishes (since my bday was yesterday), and she still kept talking to me like she knew me. Still very confused, I had to put a stop to this so I said…
I think you have me mixed up with someone else, but the funny thing is my birthday was yesterday.
Turns out she thought I was her son. hahahaha way to funny! Needless to say she was more then willing to help me out with any questions I had.
Unfortunately for me, I found out, that in 2005 New Jersey passed a law saying that there was no longer a requirement to post Notice to Creditors or Death Notices in a news paper. The reason was that NJ was giving creditors 9 months to collect debts instead of 6. I pretended like I understood why that extra 3 months mattered, but in the end it means I’ve got to go to the Court house or buy a list…bahhh!!
The good news is that on Wednesdays the Surrogate’s office is now open till 6:30pm, giving me about an hour to do some research after work.
Now onto week #3
Probate Monday #3 – Is Real Property Involoved
Presumably we now know where to get a probate notices. But what to do with them? Well the first thing you’ll want to do is start recorded information from those probate files and create a list.
What you want to record
- Date
- Case or File Number
- Deceased name and address
- Personal Representative (executor) name, address and phone number if available
- Date Probate Filed
- Attorney’s name, address and phone number
You may not be able to get all this information in the file or from the notice, and that is okay as most likely it all won’t be needed.
The Personal Reps information is required however. This is where the postcard/letter will be mailed to. If the public notice does not contain this information, then you are going to have to join me in a trip to the courthouse.
Ron Mead suggestion..
I would highly encourage you to use some type of
worksheet. You will very quickly have a number of files
that you will be working and it will be impossible to keep
track of them all without a worksheet and a filing system…
Create Your Lead Lists
This week I want you to decided how you are going to make your Probate Lead Lists from…
- Public Notice Newspaper (if available)
- Court House
- Buy from USleadlist.com (thanks Taylor) or USProbateLeads.com (thanks JP and Jason)
I’m going to go back about 3 months to create my list. I’ll also create a worksheet and post it for anyone to use if they wish.
Don’t go off mailing to this list just yet, the reason for that you’ll have to wait till next Monday :p
Related but Unrelated
If anyone has any interest in following along with Ron’s Course 31 Days to Profit in Probate Real Estate you can purchase it from the link over in the right column under “How I learned” (or click on the course name previously mentioned)
If you purchase it through my link I do get a commission, but if you would like you can go directly to his site and purchase it there. http://www.buyprobateproperty.com/
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Scott,
I followed his advice and picked up nice ivory colored paper. I'm trying out some stuff from Office Max. They have a sale going on buy the paper, get the envolopes free.
My county courthouse is about as far away in the county as possible for me. They only have 2 computers and both are non functioning atm. Thanksfully I still have the paper notices. Perhaps you can try out their 25-50 leads per month deal, or take a day off, determine what you need to find at the courthouse and pay a local college kid to find the leads for you.
Do you plan on changing the format of Ron's letter at all?
One of those two options you mentioned are gonna have to be done. I just wonder how good those lists are and if they include all the information I'll need like that PR's address.
As far as Ron's letter goes, i”m going to use it as is for now. If it works for him, who am I to change it
Scott,
I followed his advice and picked up nice ivory colored paper. I'm trying out some stuff from Office Max. They have a sale going on buy the paper, get the envolopes free.
My county courthouse is about as far away in the county as possible for me. They only have 2 computers and both are non functioning atm. Thanksfully I still have the paper notices. Perhaps you can try out their 25-50 leads per month deal, or take a day off, determine what you need to find at the courthouse and pay a local college kid to find the leads for you.
Do you plan on changing the format of Ron's letter at all?
One of those two options you mentioned are gonna have to be done. I just wonder how good those lists are and if they include all the information I'll need like that PR's address.
As far as Ron's letter goes, i”m going to use it as is for now. If it works for him, who am I to change it