Cat Given Another Chance At Life; Illinois Will Ignored

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
The headline Dead Woman's Cat Gets Stay of Execution caught my attention last week as I read the local paper.  Apparently an Illinois women wrote a will in 1988 that contained the clause "any cats owned at the time of her death be euthanized in a painless and peaceful manner."  The bank executing her will hesitated at such a clause, and through its lawyers, petition the court to ignore the request.  A Cook County probate court set aside the clauses, stating it would violate public policy.  And that is how Boots, an 11 year-old cat, got another chance at life.  Apparently these types of requests are not unheard of, as the article sites several other clauses that were also struck down by a court as being against public policy.

Image Credit:  Taken by author, Melinda Gustafson Gervasi -- featured is Reilly, her 13 year old cat.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
A Parting Gift: 9 Things To Tell Your Personal Representative or Executor By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi June 9, 2023 For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned. -Benjamin Franklin A will and a power of attorney are the basic foundational documents of an estate plan.  For those wishing to make the end-of-life paperwork as easy as possible for loved ones left behind I encourage you to roll up your sleeves and dig a bit deeper.  Here are 9 things to write in a letter to your Personal Representative (the term we use here in my home state of Wisconsin, but known as Executor elsewhere in the United States): Personal data, including: date of birth, dates of marriage(s) and divorce(s); Social Security Number; educational achievements along with the institution and date awarded; People's contact information -- the phone number, email, mailing address of those named in your documents, relatives, close family friends, support network (childcare, pet sitter, etc.); Pet care in...
Read more

Welcome Sharon!: Modern Day Grave Robbers

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
Over the past year I have grown accustomed to flipping through the mail at home and seeing at least one mailing addressed to my mother, at our home address rather than the 1121 Valley Stream Drive of my childhood.  She, my mother, left this earthly world February 16th of 2014, but her junk mail lives on.  Most of the time I mark the enveloped "deceased", leaving it for the carrier to cart off the next day, hoping the life insurance company or peddler of products to keep seniors in their homes will update their mailing lifts.  Sharon no longer needs their services. And then one day a mailing caught my attention, it was from a huge on-line bank.  Tearing it open the warning I issue to clients here in my legal office struck home - identity theft of the dead.   Sharon -- Welcome to [insert Bank Name here]!  Here are the account numbers for your new 29 savings accounts!   A whirlwind of emotions ensued.  Sadness for a mother who was gone from my li...
Read more

Pocket Peace of Mind: Estate Planning and Probate Lessons from Rome's Pickpockets to Today's Tech Scams

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi
Image
Pocket Peace of Mind: Estate Planning and Probate Lessons from Rome's Pickpockets to Today's Tech Scams By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi May 16, 2025 Streets of Rome, Italy. Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi Taking in the sites of Rome, Italy this past winter break, our itinerary read like the list of “Top 10 places for Pickpockets in Rome”: Roma Termini Train Station; the Colosseum; Trevi Fountain; the Vatican Museum; and Bus #64.  Yet, we felt prepared and did not experience the dreaded missing wallet or phone while traveling.  I read up about common pickpocket techniques in advance, purchased of a Baggallini anti-theft purse, and prepared a few responses to unsolicited offers of help (a common ploy thieves use to distract you abroad).  The trip was a success: we enjoyed the sites and returned to the States with our wallets, phones and passports!  Keep this story in mind as your life kicks into the high-gear of summer living. Yes, your life is about to get busy.  From...
Read more