ESTATE SALES & FAMILY TRUSTS

When a home is held in a family trust and its contents must be liquidated, an estate sale can do far more than clear the property. It creates an organized process for converting personal property into funds that can be distributed among beneficiaries. In many estates, several family members may be entitled to share in the proceeds. 

Estates with nice furniture and collectibles, held in a trust with multiple beneficiaries, generally make excellent candidates for estate sales.

Before an estate sale company steps in and the liquidation process begins, specific items in the estate that were bequeathed to specific family members should be removed from the property, as they are not part of the estate sale. 

Once Mercanti begins our work with an estate, no items should leave the property, as we are preparing all of these items to be part of the estate sale. Family and friends should not be visiting the property and removing items. This boundary is actually a relief for some estates where the division of personal property may become contentious amongst beneficiaries. If a family member is putting pressure on another trustee to retrieve items from the estate, the trustee can simply communicate, "Now that we have hired an estate sale company nothing can be removed from the property. It's in the contract." 

Keep in mind that family members, close friends and beneficiaries can purchase items from the estate once they have been property evaluated and prices by a professional estate liquidation company like Mercanti. 

Typically the Executor of the estate has the legal right to make decisions and hire an estate liquidation company. Keep in mind that clients may need additional authorization before hiring an estate sale company when the property is owned by a trust without an Executor, is in probate or under a conservatorship. When in doubt consult with a legal aid before making major decisions like liquidating the contents of an entire property.