Page 20 avvya yavvy eniiooravvy S iorn or v y io iori by Jim Miller How to Divide Your Personal Possessions Without Dividing the Family Dear Savvy Senior, Do you have any suggestions on divvying up my personal possessions to my kids after I’m gone without causing hard feelings or confl ict? I have a lot of jewelry, art, family heirlooms and antique furniture, and four grown kids that don’t always see eye-to-eye on things. Confl icted Parent Dear Confl icted, Divvying up personal possessions among adult children or other loved ones can often be a tricky task. Deciding who should get what without showing favoritism, hurting someone’s feelings or causing a feud can be diffi cult, even for close-knit families who enter the process with the best of intentions. Here are a few tips to consider that can help you divide your stuff with minimal confl ict. Sweating the Small Stuff For starters, you need to be aware that it’s usually the small, simple items of little monetary value that aren’t mentioned in your will that cause the most confl icts. This is because the value we attach to the small personal possessions is usually sentimental or emotional, and because the simple items are the things that most families fail to talk about. Family battles can also escalate over whether things are being divided fairly by monetary value. So, for items of higher value like your jewelry, antiques and art, consider getting an appraisal to assure fair distribution. To locate an appraiser in your area, try ISA-appraisers.org, Appraisers.org or AppraisersAssociation.org. Dividing Fairly The best solution for passing along your personal possessions is for you to go through your house with your kids or other heirs either separately or all at once to fi nd out which items they would like to inherit and why. They may have some emotional attachment to something you’re not aware of. If more than one child wants the same thing, you’ll have to make the ultimate decision. Then you need to sit down and make a list of who gets what on paper, signed, dated and referenced in your will. You can revise it anytime you want. You may also want to consider writing an additional letter or create an audio or video recording that further explains your intentions. You can also specify a strategy for divvying up the rest of your property. Here are some popular methods that are fair and reasonable: Take turns choosing: Use a round-robin process where your kids take turns choosing the items they would like to have. If who goes fi rst becomes an issue, they can always fl ip a coin or draw straws. Also, to help simplify things, break down the dividing process room-by-room, versus tackling the entire house. To keep track of who gets what, either make a list or use adhesive dots with a color assigned to each person to tag the item. Have a family auction: Give each person involved the same amount of play money or use virtual points or poker chips to bid on the items they want. Use online resources: For families who want help or live far apart, there are web-based resources like FairSplit.com that can assist with the dividing process. For more tips, see “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” at YellowPiePlate.umn.edu. This is a resource created by the University of Minnesota Extension Service that off ers a free video and detailed workbook for $12.50 that gives pointers to help families discuss property distribution issues and lists important factors to keep in mind that can help you avoid or manage confl ict. It’s also very important that you discuss your plans in advance with your kids so they can know ahead what to expect. Or you may even want to start distributing some of your items now, while you are still alive. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma ~ Legal Notice ~ NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION 906-910 EASTERN AVENUE, MALDEN, MA 02148 RELEASE TRACKING NUMBER 3-18088 A release of oil and/or hazardous materials has occurred at this location, which is a disposal site as defined by M.G.L. c. 21E, § 2 and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, 310 CMR 40.0000. On February 23, 2024, Crazy Good Kitchen Express LLC recorded with the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds a NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION on the disposal site, pursuant to 310 CMR 40.1070 through 40.1080. The NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION limits the following site activities and uses on the above property: (i) Use for residential, hotel, day care, school (for children under 18 years of age), public park, and/or community center (for children under 18 years of age) unless such use is conducted in accordance with the controls as identified below; and (ii) Excavation, drilling, or otherwise disturbing the soil unless controls are established as identified below. The following controls are necessary and shall be undertaken and/or maintained at the Property to avoid the above limitations: (i) The subsurface soils beneath building foundations, building slabs on-grade, bituminous or concrete pavement and existing topsoil/loam surficial soil layers on the entirety of the parcel(s) of land of the entire Property, (hereinafter the “Protective Cover”) are presumed to contain pollutants or contaminants requiring restricted exposure. The Protective Cover shall be maintained to continue its effectiveness in preventing exposure to the subsurface soils. In the event the Protective Cover is modified, altered, replaced or removed, a surface cover of equal protective function shall be reinstalled to prevent changes in exposure. If, in the opinion of a Licensed Site Professional, restricted access is not required, the Protective Cover does not need to be maintained; and (ii) Construction or site improvements, including utility-related activities, involving the excavation, disturbance, or movement of subsurface strata must be carried out in accordance with performance standards for Release Abatement Measures (RAMs) set forth by the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) at 310 CMR 40.0440, the performance standards for Utility Related Abatement Measures (URAMs) set forth by the MCP under 310 CMR 40.0460, the Soil Management procedures pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0030, and/or all applicable worker health and safety practices pursuant to 310 CMR 40.0018. Landscaping and groundskeeping activities, including but not limited to planting trees and shrubs, maintenance and resurfacing of parking lots, sidewalks and driveways, cutting and raking grassy areas are not subject to these requirements. Any person interested in obtaining additional information about the NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION may contact Jose Desouza of Crazy Good Kitchen Express LLC, 53 Summit Street, Malden, MA 02148; (617) 785-1151. The NOTICE OF ACTIVITY AND USE LIMITATION and the disposal site file can be can be viewed at MassDEP website using Release Tracking Number (RTN) 3-18088 at https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/portal#!/search/wastesite/results?RTN=3-0018088 or at MassDEP, Northeast Regional Office, 150 Presidential Way, Woburn, Massachusetts 01801; Main Phone: 978-694-3200. March 01, 2024 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 1, 2024 OBITUARIES | FROM PAGE 19 Maxx and Myles Smith, Beloved daughter of Stanley and Dorothy (Flowers) Knickle of Malden. Sister of the late Andrew E. Knickle. Lovingly survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Longtime companion of the late Kenan Smith. She is also leaves behind many close friends including Karen Schiavo, Colleen Baker as well as members of the Maplewood Baptist Church Youth Group. A graduate of Malden schools and the Northeast Vocational High School. She spent many years a private livein nanny for many families. A loving mother, she would do anything for her sons she also loved cooking shows as well as time spent in North Conway, NH. Family and friends were invited to attend Visiting Hours in the Carroll Funeral Home, Malden on Sunday, February 25. Committal Services were. In lieu of fl owers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to her children and sent to Stanley Knickle, 13 Marshall Avenue, Malden, MA 02148.
21 Publizr Home