Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 13, 2024 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 15 Here’s what’s going on at the Saugus Public Library Five bucks for a bag of books! The New Friends of the Saugus Public Library are off ering quite a bargain: $5 for a bag of books. Purchase a New Friends of the Saugus Public Library mesh book bag at the Main Desk for $5 and fi ll it with as many books as you’d like. Proceeds benefi t the New Friends so they can support public library services in Saugus. Foreign language books for adults coming soon! Books will be located on the second fl oor past the Young Adult Fic- LEGAL NOTICE - COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Essex Probate and Family Court 36 Federal Street Salem, MA 01970 (978) 744-1020 Docket No. ES24P1864EA Estate of: ANNIE JOSEPHINE FARLEY Also Known As: ANNIE J. FARLEY Date of Death: 02/22/1992 CITATION ON PETITION FOR ORDER OF COMPLETE SETTLEMENT A Petition for Order of Complete Settlement has been filed by Bernard L. Sturniolo of Saugus, MA requesting that the court enter a formal Decree of Complete Settlement including the allowance of a final account and other such relief as may be requested in the Petition. IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this court before: 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 01/20/2025. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an affidavit of objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you. WITNESS, Hon. Frances M. Giordano, First Justice of this Court. Date: December 09, 2024 PAMELA A. CASEY O’BRIEN REGISTER OF PROBATE December 13, 2024 tion section. Spanish, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Arabic and Haitian Creole books will be available to check out. Read in your native language or practice a language that is new to you! Please come to the Teen Manga and Cosplay event in the Brooks Room at the Saugus Public Library on Monday, December 9, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Please join us for the Teen Book Club on Monday, December 16, at 5:30 in the Brooks Room. We will be discussing “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. Chestnut Woods Rehab begins “Operation Santa Paws” Chestnut Woods Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Saugus, where residents often benefi t from animal-assisted therapy visits, has launched “Operation Santa Paws” to collect pet supplies and donate them to the Protection of Animals in Wakefi eld Society (PAWS). Through Dec. 22, the skilled nursing facility at 73 Chestnut St. welcomes donated items, such as blankets and towels, dog and cat beds, unopened pet food/treats, pet toys, grooming products, collars and leashes and food/water bowls. Therapy animals play a vital role in long-term care residents’ lives, particularly those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Benefits of animal therapy for seniors include emotional uplift, increased self-esteem, improved social skills and reduced risk of depression and anxiety. For more information, visit ChestnutWoodsRehab.com. A Video for Vets Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and Veterans’ Service Offi - THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 21 Say nior Say nr Sa y Senior Senio by Jim Miller What Happens to Your Debt When You Die? Dear Savvy Senior, Can my kids inherit my debt after I die? I have taken on a lot of credit card debt over the past 10 years or so, and I’m worried that my son and daughter will get stuck with it when I die. Indebted Senior Dear Indebted, In most cases when a person with debt dies, it’s their estate, not their kids, that is legally responsible. Here’s what you should know. Debt After Death When you die, your estate – which consists of the stuff you own while you’re alive (property, investments and cash) – will be responsible for paying your debts. If you don’t have enough cash to pay your debts, your kids will have to sell your assets and pay off your creditors with the proceeds. Whatever is left over is passed along to your heirs as dictated by the terms of your will, if you have one. If you don’t have a will, the intestacy laws of the state you reside in will determine how your estate will be distributed. If, however, you die broke, or there isn’t enough money left over to pay your “unsecured debts” – credit cards, medical bills, personal loans – then your estate is declared insolvent, and your creditors will have to eat the loss. “Secured debts” – loans attached to an asset such as a house or a car – are a diff erent story. If you have a mortgage or car loan when you die, those monthly payments will need to be made by your estate or heirs, or the lender can seize the property. There are, however, a couple of exceptions that would make your kids legally responsible for your debt after you pass away. One is if your son and/or daughter is a joint holder on a credit card account that you owe on. And the other is if either one of them cosigned a loan with you. Spouses Beware If you’re married, these same debt inheritance rules apply to surviving spouses too, unless you live in a community property state, which includes Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. In these states, any debts that one spouse acquires after the start of a marriage belongs to the other spouse too. Therefore, spouses in community property states are usually responsible for their deceased spouses’ debts. Protected Assets If you have any IRAs, 401(k)s, brokerage accounts, life insurance policies or employer-based pension plans, these are assets that creditors usually cannot get access to. That’s because these accounts typically have designated benefi ciaries, and the money goes directly to those people without passing through the estate. Settling the Estate You should also make your kids aware that if you die with debt, and you have no assets, settling your estate will be fairly simple. Your executor will need to send out letters to your creditors explaining the situation, including a copy of your death certifi cate, and that will probably take care of it. But your kids may still have to deal with aggressive debt collectors who try to guilt them into paying. If you have some assets, but not enough to pay all your debts, your state’s probate court has a distinct list of what bills get priority. The details vary by state, but generally estate administrating fees, funeral expenses, taxes and last illness medical bills get paid fi rst, followed by secured debts and lastly, credit card debts. Need Legal Help? If you or your kids have questions or need legal assistance, contact a consumer law attorney or probate attorney. If you can’t aff ord a lawyer, go to LawHelp. org to search for free legal help in your area. 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. ior
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