Sewell, NJ Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

The reason you will have to go to probate is to be able to deal with her assets, even though the assets have very little value.  The way that you will get the authority to do this is by probating her will.  Probate is VERY easy and will cost probably no more that $200.  You will then be given letters testamentary which will be evidence that you are the person who has been given the authority.  Having those letters will allow you to sell the car, and dispose of everything.  Because there is no beneficiary named on the life insurance policy, that police will be made payable to the estate, and you will be responsible for distributing the proceeds the way your grandmother wanted.  After probate, reimburse yourself for any costs, pay her last debts, open an estate account at a bank, deposit the proceeds of the life insurance and what ever you get for the sale of the car, and then distribute everything to the people named in the will. 

If you put your husband's name on the deed you can do it as joint tenants with right of survivoship.  That way the townshouse will pass to himautomoatically upon your deaht, and will pass to you automatically upon his death.  Without changing the deed, the property will not pass automatically to him on your death even though you are husband and wife.  

The Power of Attorney is no longer valid and really doesn't bear any weight.  I have had this issue before.  I am of the opinion that there is no "majority rule" when it comes to the Executors because all of them need to sign off on things.  For example, if you were selling property, and one executor did not agree and would not sign the deed, then I do not believe that clear title would be passed.  If there is a disagreement among the three, then proper thing to do is to go to court and either seek to have the one executor removed, or if they just refuse to sign, get a court order indicating that the two remaining executors are authorized to sign on behalf of all three.