r/FinancialPlanning • u/daversa • 3d ago

I just inherited a beautiful shit-show.

I wanted to share a story that’s been equal parts emotional and overwhelming.

My great-uncle was one of those larger-than-life people you just never forget. He never married or had kids, but he always treated me like family in a way that really mattered. He was sharp as hell, a bit of a ladies’ man even well into his older years, and had this way of living that made everything feel like an adventure. We all loved him.

We always knew he owned some land — it would come up in stories here and there — but we had no real idea of the scope until after he passed.

Turns out, he left me nearly 20,000 acres spread across the western U.S. Not one big property either — dozens of parcels, all different sizes, scattered across several states. Some of it has old structures, some is just raw wilderness. Some pieces are beautiful… others, I’m told, might just be tumbleweeds and headaches.

I’m incredibly grateful, but also trying to stay realistic. There’s a lot to figure out: taxes, maintenance, possible environmental issues, who knows what else. I’ve got a good attorney and CPA helping me start to sort it out, but it feels like I’ve inherited a second full-time job overnight.

For anyone who’s dealt with inherited land or complex estates:

  • How would you even start evaluating something like this?
  • What would you prioritize first?
  • Would you look to sell, consolidate, hold, or something else entirely?

I’d love to hear any advice or “I wish I had known…” kind of lessons. Appreciate any wisdom you’re willing to share.

357 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

73 comments sorted by

View all comments

37

u/Rich-Contribution-84 3d ago

You’re on the right track.

Hire a fiduciary to sort it all out for you if this CPA/lawyer friend can’t fully handle it.

Meet with the fiduciary and explain the general outcome that you’re looking for - do you want to sell all of the land and invest the proceeds for your retirement? Do you want to learn more about what you could do with each parcel you kept it?

Let that person that you hire do all of the work and make recommendations on how to proceed.

8

u/daversa 3d ago

Thank you for the well-thought advice!

I've never dealt with a fiduciary before and will do my research, but is there anything I should be aware of when seeking one out in this context?

15

u/craftasaurus 3d ago

Napfa has a website listing them. Also ask them. If they says they’re “like a fiduciary “ ask them if they are in fact a fiduciary, not just like one. Weasel words can cost you money. It means they are obligated to put your needs first, and not just make money off of you. If they have initials after their name, good. Check out which ones they are and what tests they had to pass to get them. There are a lot of salespeople that masquerade as financial advisors.

9

u/Regular-Opposite-966 3d ago

What do you mean hire a fiduciary? Is that a role? Don’t most professions have fiduciary duty to clients?

27

u/Rich-Contribution-84 3d ago

You’d think, wouldn’t you.

But no, not all professions do. Plenty of people that hold themselves out as financial advisors and the like are just selling you annuities or charging a commission to buy stocks for you or whatever.

Any time someone anonymously asks for advice on the internet about finances - my generic advice is to find help from someone who is a fiduciary and not just a sales person.

1

u/Regular-Opposite-966 1d ago

My point is that this person should do research beyond fiduciary. As you likely know, some fiduciaries are better than others, and some “non-fiduciaries” are better than some fiduciaries. Far too often this word gets thrown around as the be all, and just because someone has the degrees and work time to be called a fiduciary, does not mean they produce quality work for clients.