Missing Accountant, business closed?
We have a quandry for sure and I would bet money that you can help. Some family had mineral rights out of state, for which a check was received once a year, through a local accountant in Illinois, the last time being in 2019. If there were not going to be checks, or if there was a loss, at least a letter was sent annually. The family members passed away, and their heirs are trying to reach the accountant. No response from leaving messages, then mailbox says it’s full.
So, I searched the accountant on Facebook and saw that his profile says “Former owner of Xyz Financial Services”!! How can we get this person to provide us information on these mineral rights or find out if he sold the business to someone else that could be the new contact?
I found nothing on IL Secretary of State site. I reached out to him on Facebook Messenger, but he might not see it or respond. A very distant relative said he was a nice guy, but heard that he was sick, possibly with something that affected mental capacity, so we don’t know if our little family mineral rights were even remembered. He is the only contact. Thanks for any suggestions.
Terry Says
Don’t bet too much money! The ONLY way you are going to be able to find out about this asset is through the actual company itself. I’m hoping that the bank keeps photo records of front and back of the deposited checks, and you can get some information there. And that assumes the check came directly from the mining company, and was not passed through the accountant’s bank account!
If this accountant is either senile or deceased, this becomes a very tough job. It might help even if the checks you received came from his account, and you can find one, to contact the bank and ask if the account is still active. Explain your situation. Money could be piling up inthat account — though they won’t give details. You might have to hire an attorney to subpoena bank records, or file a criminal complaint (though not much to go on). And check the obituaries!! Really!!
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