When their son died, “Myra Smith” and “Gus Turner” wanted to recover his belongings from his apartment. Unfortunately, the landlord was not in a position to allow removal of their late son’s personal property until after the statutory 60-day waiting period, or until there was an order from a probate court for the personal representative of the estate to remove it.
Gus and Myra turned to JALA for help, and because Gus was a veteran, the Turners were referred to JALA’s Veterans Services Unit.
Declan Duffy, the unit’s managing attorney, got in touch with the attorney representing the apartment complex, and she agreed to allow them immediate access to the apartment if they signed a waiver and release of liability. Duffy drafted the waiver according to agreed-upon terms, explained it to his clients, and obtained signatures from both parties.
Duffy provided Gus with a point of contact at the apartment complex so he could access to the apartment and retrieve his late son’s belongings, including a necklace which had great sentimental value to Gus.
