General information about asset records and transfers. Title, contracts, beneficiary forms, and local law determine the result.
Tangible personal property can include furniture, jewelry, tools, art, collections, household items, and keepsakes with financial or emotional value.
Map the asset before choosing a document
- A memorandum works only when the will and state law permit it and the writing meets the required form.
Records that answer the ownership question
- dated inventory with photographs, location, and ownership notes
- the will provision authorizing any memorandum and the current signed memorandum
Transfer and administration decisions
- Which items need appraisal, special handling, or a specific gift?
- Can the memorandum be changed without amending the will under local law?
Risks to pause on
- A trust reference to a separate list does not automatically make the list effective; the trust terms and state law must be read.