Deeds, titles and documents
The papers someone will ask for while you are away
Somebody will need a paper while you are gone. A title to sell the car. A tax notice. A policy number. What matters is whether they can find it, and whether they may use it.
Paperwork keeps arriving after a person goes away. Property tax bills come every year, and in Florida, property tax left unpaid leads to a tax certificate sale and, later, a possible tax deed sale under chapter 197 of the Florida Statutes. Someone has to see the bill, and someone has to know where the deed and the mortgage papers are. See keeping a house during a sentence.
Originals scatter. The deed is in a filing cabinet, the car title in a glove box, the will with a lawyer who has since retired. During a move or an eviction, a carton of papers is easy to throw out, because nobody knows what is in it.
Gather the originals in one place and make a list: property deeds, vehicle titles, the will, insurance policies, birth and marriage certificates, recent tax returns and account statements. The list matters as much as the papers. A family member who holds the list can tell an attorney or a tax office what exists without anyone opening the box.
Holding a paper and having authority to act on it are different things. Whoever deals with a sale or a bank on your behalf will need legal authority to do it. Ask your attorney whether that means a power of attorney and which powers it should carry, and read how agent access works here. Papers that are, or may be, evidence in the case stay where the attorney says.
What matters
- Gather originals into one place and write a list of what exists.
- Property tax keeps falling due. Name the person who will watch for the bill.
- Holding a paper does not give anyone authority to use it.
- Give the person you name a copy of the list, and keep the originals in the box.
- Papers that may be evidence stay where the attorney says.
How we handle it
- If you live out of county, mail the documents in. We place them in your box and mail the key back.
- Every paper is listed on the signed intake inventory, and you keep a copy.
- Boxes start at $795 a year for the smallest size, 3 × 5 × 24 inches.
- Visits are by appointment, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM, at 3562 N Ocean Blvd, Fort Lauderdale.
Where we stop
We do not read, interpret or file your papers, and we give no legal or tax advice. Your attorney decides what an original is needed for.
Short answers
- Should the original will go in the box?
- Ask the attorney who drafted it. Some people leave the original with that lawyer and store a copy; others keep the original themselves. Whoever you name should know which it is.
- Can a family member take out a title to sell the car?
- Only if the rental agreement lets them into the box, and only if they have authority to sign for you. Ask your attorney about the second part.
- Do I need to sort the papers before I bring them?
- No. Bring them as they are. The point of intake is the list: what goes in is written down on the inventory, and you sign it.
Questions people ask about this
More on what to store
Jewelry
Rings, chains and earrings disappear quietly over a long absence. Photograph each piece, list it, and name one person.
Watches
A watch is proven by its serial, box and papers. Keep the three together and record who can reach them.
Coins and bullion
Coins and bullion counted, listed and stored in one place. We hold the metal and never buy, sell or value it.
Passports and IDs
Passport, birth certificate and Social Security card listed and stored together, once you have asked your attorney about surrender.
Family heirlooms and photographs
Photographs, letters and keepsakes worth little to a buyer and everything to a family, listed and kept in one place.
Settle it before the date, not after.
A short call is usually enough to know whether a box is the right answer. If it is not, we will say so. Attorneys and family members are welcome to call on a client's behalf.