Real-life Brokeback Mountain, but without the "happy" ending...

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

It just drives home the need to make sure your will is perfect.

True and in most jurisdictions it is REALLY easy to ensure your will is valid. heck in most jurisdictions , signed by the testator and 2 non-beneficiary witnesses and you are fine.

This same story could happen to a straight couple in many jurisdictions so I don't think it necessary that it be characterized as a gay issue

[Flubber]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Without the proper signatures etc. that make it a legally binding document the judge can't even consider it. He has to rule as though it doesn't exist at all.

Yup -- In most jurisdictions the formalities of a valid will are set out in statute and are very very clear. Judges don't really have any discretion to say they will ignore the fact that a will is not valid and apply it anyway

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Sprayber


I'm not a legal expert but how can they sue for back rent and expect to get anything? It wasn't theirs at the time the other man was living there.

I'm assuming they are suing from the time of the death until the present day. On the day you die , much/all of you property automatically becomes the property of the estate. Imagine if the dead guy had owned a rental property, the estate could collect the rents. In this case I am assuming that a court appointed administrator is acting on behalf of the estate to try to maximize the funds to the beneficiaries.


I don't think this is about the years he lived there with his partner. That would be silly as opposed to this which is just heartless and cruel

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
Sucks to be Beaumont.

How Christian of the cousins. How very ****ing Christian.

They can claim to be Christian all they want -- but in my opinion, they are not following the true teachings of Christianity by espousing such greed and bigotry.

[Q Classic]

MrFun, being Christian has nothing to do with following these purported and very liberal mockeries of what Christ's teachings were.

[Sava]

that sucks


oh well


get a gun and hunt them down

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
MrFun, being Christian has nothing to do with following these purported and very liberal mockeries of what Christ's teachings were.

And neither does the greed of the relatives have anything to do with being Christian, as you implied.

[Q Classic]

Oh, don't be funny, MrFun, I didn't imply anything.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by SpencerH
This kind of stupidity just solidifies my opinion that the gay rights movement in particular (and those of us who merely support liberty) has to focus its efforts in small steps ie gain common-law rights THEN fight for marriage rights.

True. This is something that even conservatives (Except for the religious crazies) should get behind. This gay man wanted his property to go to his gay lover. Why should his property wishes be thwarted just because he's gay? Don't conservatives believe in the right to distribute their property in the way that you see best fit?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Wycoff
This gay man wanted his property to go to his gay lover. Why should his property wishes be thwarted just because he's gay?

He left no legal documents to that effect.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

This seems like it fits in here. From Friday's "Broadsheet" feature in Salon:

N.J. county rejects dying gay cop's pleas -- again

Thanks to Pandagon for keeping us posted on terminally ill New Jersey cop Laurel Hester's latest meeting with the county board that won't let her transfer her pension to her domestic partner when she dies. Hester is dying of lung cancer, and her partner, Stacie Andree, stands to lose the couple's home unless the local Board of Freeholders relents. The latest news is not good: At their meeting this week, the five Ocean County freeholders watched a video of an obviously frail, bald Hester using a breathing tube and asking that they change their minds, and then they said they had no intention of changing county policy before Hester dies.

Their decision, while tragic and infuriating, isn’t too surprising -- the all-male, Republican, "pro-family" board shrugged its collective shoulders at Hester's in-person appeal at a meeting last month, too. One board member said granting Hester's request would, that's right, "violate the sanctity of marriage."

Have something to say to the Ocean County freeholders? Here's their e-mail address: CountyConnection (at) co.ocean.nj.us. And the Big Gay Picture has more suggestions for how to help posted here.

[MrFun]

That New Jersey County is filthy with bigotry.

[Q Classic]

Wrong, MrFun. That New Jersey county is filled with the light of Falwell's Lord and Savior. How very ****ing Christian.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
He left no legal documents to that effect.

On the contrary, it seems as though he left the documents, it was just that they failed due to technicality.

Regardless, I think that intestacy laws should be changed to allow for domestic partners to inherit if no legally sufficient will is present.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by MrFun
That New Jersey County is filthy with bigotry.

Thanks