Posted by Peacemaker on November 27, 1998 at 15:09:17:
According to the law of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico when a husband dies 50% of the estate automatically goes to the widow. The remaining 50% is distributed as follows: 33% goes to the widow, 33% goes to the children, and 33% is of free disposition. If there were no children in the marriage then the 33% that would go to the children and the 33% of free disposition would go to the brothers and sisters of the deceased, if claimed. If however, one of the brothers or sisters is also deceased, then the children of the deceased brother or sister would be due his or her part of the inheritance.
The net result is that the widow would receive 66.66% of the inheritance where there was no written will. Now if there is no claim set for the remaining 33.33% then everything is clean cut and relatively quick. However, if there is a claim on the 33.33% the full amount (100%) of the estate is frozen until the claim is settled.
Because there was a claim it was therefore necessary to contact each of the living brothers and sisters as well as to certify via death certificates as to those who were deceased. Then, all the children of the deceased had to be contacted and informed of the impended probate distribution.
Most of the kindred contacted signed releases and endorsed their part back to the widow. However two of the sisters, Iris and Rafaela, fought their claim to the bitter end. This caused the liquidation of the estate to be delayed for many years. When the liquidation finally took place and after the probate took his fee, there was very little money left.
In the meantime, Donna had decided to remain in Puerto Rico despite the fact that her children (previous marriage) wanted her to go back to Michigan to take care of her. She was heart broken and spoke of her deceased husband as if he were still alive. She visited his tomb at least once a month. As a matter of fact Donna even kept one of the rooms of the house she and her husband had lived in as if he were still there. She would tell Yuli and Diana when they visited her that her husband's spirit was still in the house and that she would never leave that place.
Because the inheritance took so long Donna quickly went though her savings and had to get a job as a "Domestic Helper". At her advanced age she babysat, cleaned house and cooked for others to make ends meet. Her family from Michigan became bitter against the Arreches as they saw Donna deteriorate under financial pressure as well as the bitterness of the legal conflict.
The Arreche family slowly but surely put her in oblivion.
She died heartbroken and alone but still in love with her husband Tony!
She had expressed her wished of being buried next to her husband in Puerto Rico but her family from Michigan completely ignored her wishes. They maintained that she had already been hurt enough; it was time to come home.
[John 8:32] And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.