A Buena Park (CA) plumber's death left behind 69 cars and one big mystery

OC Register ^ | August 17, 2015 | Susan Carpenter

[chrisinoc]

The Orange County Public Administrator’s Office has dealt with its share of unusual inheritances.

There was the protection they once had to arrange for a $500,000 ring. And there was the pet eel.

But even for the agency that takes care of a decedent’s assets when no one else can act on that person’s behalf, the upcoming estate sale of Gerald Willits, a Buena Park man who died in August 2014 and left 69 cars in his yard, is “very unusual,” according to Elizabeth Henderson, chief deputy public administrator for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

[ozzymandus]

I don’t see the big deal. Is this the first time somebody who owned a bunch of cars died? They’ll have an auction, and the state and the lawyers will get all the money. Happens all the time.

[T-Bone Texan]

But but but.....tbis time it’s “very unusual”.

[Calpublican]

That is absolutely not what happens.
The article states, and I know it to
Be true, that the state does not get
The money except that the state makes
A claim against an estate is if the
Deceased was a Media-Cal recipient.
Then a percentage of what the state
Paid in benefits is taken. The remainder
Goes to the heirs. If there is no will
The next of kin is the recipient.

[smokingfrog]

He collected a lot of stuff and made some promises, but it’s not all included in a legal will, so there will be some litigation.

[nascarnation]

The auto auction, slated for Sept. 1, is expected to yield between $60,000 and $150,000 from 110 “lots,”

Hell the attorneys can burn that much dough just warming up.

[shotgun]

Looking at the pictures, there are a lot of old 20’s and 30’s cars and trucks that may have some salvage value if they were parted out, but the rest of it looked like plain old junk.

[jaydee770]

"That is absolutely not what happens.
The article states, and I know it to
Be true, that the state does not get
The money except that the state makes
A claim against an estate is if the
Deceased was a Media-Cal recipient.
Then a percentage of what the state
Paid in benefits is taken. The remainder
Goes to the heirs. If there is no will
The next of kin is the recipient."

Not sure what happend to your formatting, but it looks like you left off the last line:

"Burma Shave"

[taildragger]

Some real Street Rod / Rat Rod material their for sure. The VW Van with the rust finish will pull bigger bucks than they realize IMHO. The homebuilt airplane ( Tennie 1 ) looks like to have an early Flathead Continental Engine rare, but not a money maker.+

[Calpublican]

My smart phone isn’t that smart.

[Drew68]

I don’t see the big deal. Is this the first time somebody who owned a bunch of cars died?

No kidding. A buddy of mine had an "auto repair" business that basically consisted of a large shed and a lot overgrown with weeds and a few dozen non-running vehicles in various stages of decomposition.

"Businesses" such as this can be found virtually everywhere across the country.

I use "business" in quotations because my buddy didn't make much money fixing cars. Most of his work days were spent sitting in his shed smoking weed.

[ozzymandus]

Is your reply in the form of free verse?