Oh the irony....hurricane Dorian and other events.

[John Schmidt]

As many of you know, with my Rita's recent passing the house and contents went to her kids. I was always told by Rita I could stay there as long as I wanted...until death if need be. Her kids told me they're not kicking me to the curb....and in the next breath told me they want to list the house by year's end. OK...so which is it? Sounds like they're talking out both sides of their mouth, so I moved out last week to be near my family since I have nobody in Florida but one granddaughter and her hands are full with two boys, a husband, and a fulltime job with the VA. My reasoning; I'm facing continued treatment for prostate cancer and have no idea what stage my health will be in or how strong I'll be 3-4 months from now. If health becomes a problem in the near future I don't want to be faced with moving at that time, so I moved out last week while I still felt strong enough to handle it(still took a hit but improving). I informed the kids I'm no longer paying for expenses if I don't live there and my name isn't on the deed, that includes the RE taxes that come out every November and homeowner insurance which was up for renewal this week. The ironic part...I'm not there, the house is unoccupied, I have no idea if there's insurance on it(and don't care), and we have a possible Cat 4 hurricane taking aim at Florida.

So, you want to sell the house? Fine...sell what's left of it. In 2004, hurricane Charley passed over the house as a Cat 1 with 105 mph winds and did $100k in damage. With a Cat 4 taking aim at Fla. they might just have a nice piece of land to sell on the golf course, no extra charge for the debris. I'm over 1,000 miles away so not worried, but will be watching to see if bad Karma makes an appearance. Frankly, I really hope they come out OK through all this. 

As for myself, I'm pretty well settled in a 2 bed, 2 bath townhouse with attached 2 car oversize garage. About 1350 sq. ft. w/a fireplace, now all I need is a bear(bare)skin rug.  The garage is more than large enough to hold my car, the Valk and the bike hauler trailer. Although alone, it's a new life and I'm quite satisfied with it. 

[Jess from VA]

I think you've made good decisions John (and the best you can under the circumstances).     (like you care what I think  )

Why would anyone sit in a home they don't own (with no offer of a share of the sale, or at least your expenses of staying) and continue making payments on tax, ins, equity, yada, to be kicked to the curb at year's end.  (With that hurricane looming, one hopes someone pays that insurance bill.)  

Told you can stay, then told it will be listed, sounds very much like a difference of opinions/votes between the kids.  

There's a few old sayings that seems applicable.

What goes around, comes around.

You reap, what you sow.

Be careful what you wish for.

White man speaks with forked tongue.

No good deed goes unpunished.  


I'm wishing you fair sailing John.  

[bassman]

Yepper....what Jess said.....

[hubcapsc]

you rip what you sew and reap what you sow 

-Mike

[Rams]

No advice or opinions here, just wishing you the best in your new journey.   

Rams

[old2soon]

           John-when it gits down to -30 F or colder-well I'm guessing here you may have a somewhat different take on things!  And I'll leave it at that-fer now.  Happy trails on every little ol thang John.  RIDE SAFE.

[f6john]

The new place sounds great for a recently widowed man of many talents such as yourself. Praying your health cooperates and when it does get cold all you have to do is snuggle in.

[BCoy]

So happy for you John, at least now you are living on your terms, I too hope everything works out well for Rita’s kids; however, KARMA can be a bitch. Please don’t be a stranger to the Florida board, I always looked forward to reading your posts, especially when working on your projects. I am glad to know that you have family close, especially with your upcoming medical appointments. Yes it gets cold up there but I believe you will enjoy the winters with your family so close.
Take care,
Bill Coy

[Patrick]

Well, good luck to you. It has to be a heck of a change.

[Oss]

Heck of a few years there John

Glad you are out of harms way of Dorian.

Hope the house survives the storm intact, and the kids paid the insurance

[Serk]

[Jack B]

Welcome to Wisconsin, if you want to meet up let me know l'm about 45 minutes south of you.

[John Schmidt]

Welcome to Wisconsin, if you want to meet up let me know l'm about 45 minutes south of you.

Jack, I plan to do just that but want to get the tags and driver's lic. switched, maybe I'll get that done next week....just one of 10,000 things that need attention when relocating.  Where's a good spot to meet up for lunch sometime, you'll have to pick 'cuz I'm a stranger in these parts. 

My son-in-law took the bike out for a ride a couple weeks back while I was in Fla. packing for the move. Had nothing but great things to say about it, how it handled, comfort, response blew him away, and at 6'5" he's comfy with the highway pegs mounted out on the engine guards. It's stored in his shop at the moment until I can organize my garage, thinks when I register it in Wisconsin I should put it in either his or my daughter's name. Sure hope he was joking! 

[John Schmidt]

           John-when it gits down to -30 F or colder-well I'm guessing here you may have a somewhat different take on things!  And I'll leave it at that-fer now.  Happy trails on every little ol thang John.  RIDE SAFE.

Dennis, I was born and raised in the "Land of the sod savages".....Iowa. Once out of tech school in the USAF, all my stations kept going further north: Lowery AFB tech school, Denver; Elsworth AFB, Rapid City; Pease AFB, Portsmouth, NH; Loring AFB, northern Maine. It took 53 yrs. in Florida just to thaw out. 

I'll be fine, yes....it will be a change for this old body but really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas with family for the first time in decades. 

[Jess from VA]

thinks when I register it in Wisconsin I should put it in either his or my daughter's name.

Boy, everyone is trying to help you out with estate planning.  Not. 

Hopefuly that was just his way of saying he likes your bike.

[Jack B]

Welcome to Wisconsin, if you want to meet up let me know l'm about 45 minutes south of you.

Jack, I plan to do just that but want to get the tags and driver's lic. switched, maybe I'll get that done next week....just one of 10,000 things that need attention when relocating.  Where's a good spot to meet up for lunch sometime, you'll have to pick 'cuz I'm a stranger in these parts. 

My son-in-law took the bike out for a ride a couple weeks back while I was in Fla. packing for the move. Had nothing but great things to say about it, how it handled, comfort, response blew him away, and at 6'5" he's comfy with the highway pegs mounted out on the engine guards. It's stored in his shop at the moment until I can organize my garage, thinks when I register it in Wisconsin I should put it in either his or my daughter's name. Sure hope he was joking! 

You could register your bike in my name

[MAD6Gun]

 Good to hear you are getting settles in John. It's crappy what happened with your home in FL.

 My family and I will be going to Anna Maria Island FL the week of Sept 14th. When we planned the trip last year I was thinking of making a run up to Orlando and pay you a visit. But you moved on me,lol. Oh well I guess I will have make a run up to WS instead.

[0leman]

Not sure how it is in  Wisconsin, but here in OR we can have two different names on the title of vehicles.   Might be a good thing to do if you, heaven forbid, get where you can't ride any more. 

Just saying.

Enjoy your new home, don't envy your winters up there.

[DDT (12)]

John,

Quite a story! Nothing like the loss of a loved one to reveal the true colors of kin folks. Sorry for all of the inconvenience and disruption forced upon you, but I'm happy, although not surprised at all, that you've adjusted nicely and moved on... literally! I wish the best outcome for you on all aspects of your journey... Thanks for checking in and letting us know how things have gone and are going... We'll be looking for you down the road...

DDT

[Jess from VA]

Adding someone's name to a title of ownership is a poor man's trust (just like joint bank/investment accounts), and helps to avoid probate when you die.  Ownership then vests in the survivor(s), with no transfer necessary.  Joint ownership is unaffected by a will; there is no transfer, just survivorship.

Wives and kids, or anyone else you can implicitly trust.  

But you add a name to a title, you can't then sell without their cooperation (they have to sign too), and if they get ornery they could always demand their share of the asset which they now own an equal undivided one half interest of (or fully drain any joint account).

And motor vehicles of all kinds usually have an abbreviated way to transfer ownership (without having to open a probate estate; with a lawyer) under most state laws.  You bring in the title, death certificate and a will leaving things to you, and the DMV issues you a new title for small money.  

It's all about trust.  Single, my idea is to wait till the end is near, then add names to titles at that time.  Course if you go under a semi or have the big heart attack, you have no time left to do that.  I do have a will.  My estate planning takes care of me during my lifetime, and if my heirs have a bit of trouble or extra expense after my death, well sorry about that.

The way to avoid probate on bank and investment money, is not to make people joint owners, but instead list them as survivor beneficiaries.  They can't raid an account while you're alive, and only get it after you're dead (with a death certificate).  

And if you are leaving someone out of your will (like a wayward child who would ordinarily be included), you should say so in your will, not just be silent about it (which can let them file a claim arguing you simply forgot about them).  And you don't say I'm leaving Bobby out because he's a rotten little bastard (even if it's true); you say, Bobby only gets $1 (without editorial comment).

If you have big money, you can help save your people big taxes (state and fed) by creating an inter vivos pour over trust during your lifetime.  See your lawyer on that one.   My dad had decent (but not big) money, and he paid for the trust because he didn't want the G getting any of it.  I'm a chip off the old block. 

[JimC]

John,
AS far as the title goes in Wisconsin you can put it in your name, with another name also.
The title can then be set up so both need to sign, OR, either needs to sign, depends on how you set it up the first time.

CAUTION !
The new governor of the State of Wisconsin passed a bill recently raising the cost of motor vehicle titles by $100 each or more. I'm not sure if that includes motorcycles or not, but either way I would transfer your plates quickly to try and beat the cost.

Jim

[old2soon]

              My S I L fronted me the money for my Pontiac. Title is in my name with her name listed for the T O D-transfer on death. When I pay it off the T O D will change to the Church I attend. RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

...
But you add a name to a title, you can't then sell without their cooperation (they have to sign too), ...

I'm a bit confused.  Where I've lived multiple names on titles may be connected by "or" or "and".  The or allows either to sell while the and requires both together.

[JimC]

...
But you add a name to a title, you can't then sell without their cooperation (they have to sign too), ...

I'm a bit confused.  Where I've lived multiple names on titles may be connected by "or" or "and".  The or allows either to sell while the and requires both together.

Wisconsin is the same.

Jim

[John Schmidt]

...
But you add a name to a title, you can't then sell without their cooperation (they have to sign too), ...

I'm a bit confused.  Where I've lived multiple names on titles may be connected by "or" or "and".  The or allows either to sell while the and requires both together.

Florida is also that way. The title on my SUV was John or Rita so it wasn't a problem to get it changed following her passing. Wouldn't have been before that actually with the "or" in there. I'll probably not change the title since the bike and car were bought/paid for in Fla.

[cookiedough]

I have all my cycles and ATVs and vehicles titles in an OR format with wife mostly and kids cycle he paid for in OR as well me and him since he was under age 18 when he bought it needing ADULT co-owner at the time.  My kid tomorrow is going to college tomorrow moving into dorm and he mentioned selling his 2005 yamaha fjr1300 since will be sitting not driven for a long while not being home anytime soon much at all 3 hours north of us.  I think he put only like 500 miles on it tops all summer long, if that even vs. when he was age 16 on the 97 honda magna he put on a whooping 6K miles in 1 summer here in WI and that is a heck of a lot of riding. 

One thing you will notice here in WI is that you will NOT be riding your cycle not even 1/4th as much as when you lived in Florida since between the rain and April thru early November is like ONLY 7 months tops of riding per year.  HINT:  on your cycle and any other vehicle you do not use in WI winters contact your insurance company and put them on winter layaway if your insurance company has such a policy will save you some bucks for your HEAT bills in the winter..   

Am sure one of your family members up here in WI near Green Bay is trustworthy enough so YOU can make the decision to sell, etc. when you see fit since YOUR vehicles technically, but is nice to know that your family member can when the time comes easily sell your cycle/cars etc. in an OR format.

Yah,  have heard over 100 bucks now for autos here in WI but so far not so sure on cycles though.  For a long time it was like 75-85 bucks but our govt. is becoming greedier in more recent years going up and up and up in price. 

[JimC]

Yah,  have heard over 100 bucks now for autos here in WI but so far not so sure on cycles though.  For a long time it was like 75-85 bucks but our govt. is becoming greedier in more recent years going up and up and up in price.

The article I read stated $100 OVER what they are charging already for titles.

John,
When you come to Wisconsin and get plates, they will require that you get a Wisconsin title.

Jim

[Crackerborn]

When I moved here from the Sunshine State, I had to take the bikes to the Sheriffs office to have the VIN verified on the bikes. Due to mods and age the local DMV would not accept the VIN on the FL titles.

In a side note, I am wondering if I will be flying into O-ville on Wednesday or if Dorian will play nice and stay in the Atlantic like a nice little category 5 hurricane. I grew up in the hurricane state and have never seen a hurricane make a hard left in the northern hemisphere, only clockwise. I was planning on bringing my mom up for a while before she thinks she will need a parka to visit.

[scooperhsd]

...
But you add a name to a title, you can't then sell without their cooperation (they have to sign too), ...

I'm a bit confused.  Where I've lived multiple names on titles may be connected by "or" or "and".  The or allows either to sell while the and requires both together.

Florida is also that way. The title on my SUV was John or Rita so it wasn't a problem to get it changed following her passing. Wouldn't have been before that actually with the "or" in there. I'll probably not change the title since the bike and car were bought/paid for in Fla.

John - you do NOT have a choice in this - Wisconsin WILL want a title and registration in their state for each vehicle. You also have to get a Wisconsin Driver's License within a set period of time ( in Kansas it is 90 days).

[John Schmidt]

Seems ridiculous to require a new title. A good title from any state should be accepted througout the nation and a change shouldn't be required for registration in a new state. That's nothing but pure greed....I realize I'll not be able to change it. Maybe a letter to the governor at least expressing a pure distaste for that and a few other things I've run into. If I'd known all this mess I would have stayed in Florida and simply moved to a different location. Oh well...another big expense I was planning on. I don't have a title for the bike hauler trailer, wonder how that will be screwed over.

Did a little browsing and looks like the increases go into effect Oct. 1st. Sure hope so, I plan to take care of it all this coming week.

[JimC]

John,
I Wisconsin, you do not need a title OR plates for you motorcycle trailer, as long as it is used for recreation, and gross vehicle weight is less than 3.000 pounds.
Jim

[John Schmidt]

John,
I Wisconsin, you do not need a title OR plates for you motorcycle trailer, as long as it is used for recreation, and gross vehicle weight is less than 3.000 pounds.
Jim

Jim, it's my bike hauler not a tow behind for the bike. The hauler weighs in about 450lbs., I might opt for tags just to be safe if traveling/hauling out of state since many states do require tags on a trailer that size....Fla. being one of them. Would save me some "discussion" with a LEO down the road. 

[cookiedough]

you will be fine NO title/registration/plates for an open smaller trailer here in WI even if go to another state traveling.  I have an open 7x8 foot open ATV trailer weighs 350lbs. no registration/title/plates needed but my 23' enclosed trailer needs yearly plates which sucks. 

WI sure hits me with titling and registration on all my cycles/cars/ATVs/trailer making WI rich.

[mrtlc]

John look into the Hobbyist plates. Pay one plate and never again. Oh yaw  You can't drive in January 

[Jack B]

John look into the Hobbyist plates. Pay one plate and never again. Oh yaw  You can't drive in January 

You can't put Hobbyist plate's on everyday vehicles. They are meant for hot rods, home built and modified vehicles and I think they have to be at least 20 years old.
You can put collector plates on your Valkyrie if it's 20 years old.
It will cost more at first but it's good forever.

[mrtlc]

Yes Jack it has to be 20 years old. When you put a car tire on it, it is modified. Or anything that isn't from mother Honda. I have three bikes and a motorhome on hobbyist plates.