California Law
Community Property With Right of Survivorship vs. Joint Tenancy
Married Californians holding title as joint tenants may be giving away a full step-up in basis. The CPWROS alternative, the double step-up, and when a trust beats both.
Read →How to Transfer a Mobile Home After a Death in California
Most mobile homes aren't 'real estate' — they're titled through HCD, not the county recorder, and AI tools get this wrong constantly. The actual forms and steps.
Read →How to Refuse an Inherited Timeshare in California
You are not required to inherit a timeshare. The 9-month disclaimer window, the one mistake that locks you in, and what happens to the maintenance fees.
Read →Can a Nevada Trust Avoid California Income Taxes?
Mostly no — California taxes trusts based on where fiduciaries and beneficiaries live, and its throwback rule catches accumulated income. What out-of-state trusts can and can't do.
Read →Affidavit of Death of Trustee: Transferring California Real Estate
The recorded affidavit that moves a house to the successor trustee after a death — and the county and BOE filings with real deadlines that go with it.
Read →Does a Power of Attorney End at Death in California?
Yes — every power of attorney dies with the principal. What actually gives you authority after a death in California, and what to do if you've been using…
Read →The Bank Won’t Accept My Power of Attorney: California Fixes
California banks must honor a valid statutory power of attorney — and can owe attorney's fees if they unreasonably refuse. The exact escalation steps that work.
Read →What Happens to Your HSA When You Die? Beneficiary Rules
A spouse inherits an HSA tax-free; anyone else owes income tax on the whole balance that year. The exact rules, plus California's HSA tax quirk nobody mentions.
Read →Want a straight read on where you stand?
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