metro
by since I was
er moving to Fox Run,
a mg pictures around
d now we've started a
Fox Run photography club."
Put It In Writing
Careful estate planning can deflect
family disputes.
. • -
Ruth Moltz put instructions in her will
for her much-valued Thanksgiving table-
cloth to be shared by her two daughters.
I
Barbara Lewis
Special to the Jewish News
—Fox Run resident Dr. Leonard Stein
p
4-m14
Living at Fox Run in Novi, Dr. Leonard Stein has time to
work full-time as an optometrist and develop his eye for
photography. Since dining, maintenance and 24-hour security
are all handled by our expert full-time staff, Fox Run residents
have more energy and opportunity to pursue their passions.
Fox Run is a great place for seniors who enjoy an active lifestyle.
Learn more about independent
retirement living at Fox Run in Novi.
Call 1-800-989-0293 today for
your free brochure.
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24
March 21 • 2013
R
uth Moltz sensed a family
dispute developing.
Fifteen years ago, her
younger daughter suggested having
everyone at the annual Thanksgiving
dinner table sign the tablecloth. So
Moltz bought a large white tablecloth.
Every Thanksgiving, the 15 to 20
guests signed their names and Ruth
embroidered over them, using a differ-
ent color thread every year.
"A few years ago, my younger
daughter started calling it 'her' table-
cloth:' said Moltz of Beverly Hills.
Maybe it was because the tablecloth
was her idea, or maybe it was because
she had been widowed and wanted to
keep the cloth that included her hus-
band's signature.
But Moltz's other daughter also
wanted the tablecloth. Her parents-in-
law and brother-in-law were frequent
Thanksgiving guests, and their signa-
tures were embroidered on the cloth,
too.
"They had equal investments in
terms of memories:' said Moltz.
So Moltz decided that the tablecloth
would remain hers as long as she lives
— and then it would rotate, going to
one daughter one year and the other
daughter the next. They could trade
years by mutual agreement, but each
would "own" the cloth every other
year. She put her wishes in writing and
Embroidered handprints show years of
growth.
attached the document to her will.
Moltz was smart. Deciding how to
settle an estate after a loved one dies is
a frequent source of family strife, says
Robert Kass of Huntington Woods, a
specialist in estate planning with the
Detroit law firm of Barris, Sott, Denn
& Driker.
Kass recently spoke on "Shalom
Bayit (Peace in the Home): Keys to
Achieving Peace and Harmony in
Settling an Estate" to the Eleanor
Roosevelt group of Hadassah.
Friction often focuses on the estate
executor, he said. Family members can
be unhappy with the deceased's choice
of executor. They may feel the execu-
tor isn't moving fast enough to settle
the estate, or is skimming off assets
or taking excessive fees for the work
involved.
Often it's personal property with
emotional meaning that causes the
most problems. A second wife can pre-
vent children from the first marriage
from getting their mother's personal
things, or siblings will fight over who
gets Mom's fruit bowl or Dad's tallit.
Kass suggests making gifts of personal
property during your lifetime to avoid
arguments later, or making a written
list of who gets what. Ask people what
they especially want. Avoid oral prom-
ises or sticky notes pasted on items. If
you own things that are particularly
valuable, have them appraised.
Creditors who are not part of the
family can sue for portions of an
estate, even though the deceased had