Morey Leonard lived alone. He was a quiet man of 75 who dealt with his five-year bout with illness in a private way. No complaints to friends or acquaintances. His kitchen and refrigerator were stocked with nourishing stuff. No junk-food, no high cholesterol or high sugar-foods. No booze – unlike earlier times, times that were now catching up with him. His maid found him on the living room floor unconscious when she made her regular Tuesday cleaning-day round. She immediately called the Red Cross.
Perhaps Leonard hadn’t been the ideal husband or father; perhaps he had. His mail indicated that both could be true. But he was smart. He was making notes on Albert Camus’ now classic existentialist novel, “The Stranger,” open on his bedside side table. And he’d begun a comprehensive list of things to be done to settle his affairs in case his health worsened.
Leonard was a bit too late in finishing both projects. When he died three days after being found, Leonard was two-thirds of the way through “Stranger” and about half-way through organizing a comprehensive list aimed at pulling his affairs in order. These appeared to also be aimed at shielding his heirs from the Mexican government and legal entanglements. This latter can be more difficult than most foreigners image.
Leonard´s notes on this were mostly outlined in a succinct list, which he began with admonitions to a Mexican will (in Spanish), with someone identified (with telephone, address email) as beneficiary. Details of this and similar notes were discussed in this space last week (Reporter, January 7). There are several other matters in this category and they are important.
If you own your home or any other real estate, a copy of your last annual real estate tax (predial), last water bill to SIMAPA and last telephone bill are needed.
All checking accounts and investment accounts should have the name – and signature – of participants on such accounts (including address, telephone, and email). Your PIN number of these accounts should also be placed in an accessible but safe place.This financial information should include credit cards and numbers as well as PINs for each, plus last statements for each account.
Execution of a will calls for a number of documents. Major among these is the naming of an executor of the Mexican will (in Spanish) with address, telephone and email.
A properly drawn will includes:
- Birth certificate or passport.
- Marriage license.
- Divorce papers.
- Death certificate “original” of spouse.
- Medicare card (for U.S. citizens).
- Immigration papers.
- Social Security card.
- Current Mexican immigration documents.
- Medical information.
- Current ailments.
- Current medications (method of use, amount, for what illness).
- Allergies.
- Name, address, email of attending local physician.
- Prescriptions for glasses.
- Miscellaneous but helpful informantion.
- Membership in local religious, fraternal or other organizations.
- Military data: discharge papers, pension of any kind, and all pertinent information regarding these.
Morey Leonard’s marginal observations prompted by this task appear to reflect his sense that his efficient clerical diligence was a summing up. For instance: “who you are is who you become when you’re alone,” and “as long as you can read well about things that matter, you will never be alone.”
(This the second of the two part series).