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Safety Deposit Boxes

CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
edited February 2009 in General Discussion
We just found the key to my Grandmother's safety deposit box. It's been missing since she past away in 1977. She opened it in 1967. This box hasn't been opened in at least 31 years.

Dad has been paying for the box rather than pay to have it drilled.

I wasn't going to play this game. It was supposed to be drilled last month but the locksmith hasn't shown up yet. The bank President ws going to arrange to have it drilled. I would then view the contents with my aunt and the banker. If there was anything of value, we would play the game to obtain it. If there was nothing of value, we would walk away and let the box go into receivership.

Any bets on what is inside it. My guess is church Lady's Aid treasury papers. It was in my grandmother's name, not his. To me this is rather unusual for this era to have the box in the wife's name. Then again, it was customary for the wife to keep a nest egg unknown to the husband.

They were simply people so I doubt there is jewelry. I did ask my mom what if there is jewelry. My Aunt was my grandmother's only daughter. Mom and my sister discussed this on the way home from Peoria. My sister decided heck no, my aunt doesn't get all the jewelry, should there be any. My aunt was the one that said "Whatever is in that box is half ours" after I told her weeks early about the box's existence.

In any case, I expect there to be nothing of significance. Maybe a title for a 1970 Plymouth Satellite. The key was found in the little red envelope on top of a small dresser in the back of a walking closet tucked under a shelf. First time the key has been found in decades also. My parents, My grand parents, my great grandparents all lived in this house. It needs cleaning.



Any other guesses?
«1

Comments

  • brier-49brier-49 Member Posts: 7,023 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A few old coins,ear rings and papers.
  • LaidbackDanLaidbackDan Member Posts: 13,143 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Possibly locks of hair from her children and/or grandchildren and assorted remembrances?
  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    my dad had one during that time period.
    had the paid off mortgage, deed to some property and some worthless stock certificates.
    but you acn always hope for a title to a 1971 hemi cuda![;)]
  • JohnnylikesgunsJohnnylikesguns Member Posts: 2,887 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll bet nothing that you can sell. But something of great value to you and your family. ie keepsake

    Anyway I'm glad the key was located.

    Let us know what the find is.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Treasures from the past; priceless to some, worthless to others!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • Hunter MagHunter Mag Member Posts: 6,611 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Could be a few savings bonds....
  • M1GarandloverM1Garandlover Member Posts: 2,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It would be cool if you found some old War Bonds from WWII.
  • DBMJR1DBMJR1 Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll guess.

    Some birth certificates of family members. Old currency. Romantic letters to someone in a war long forgotten. IBM stock.(well, maybe not) Baptism records. A couple of old photos.
  • moonshinemoonshine Member Posts: 8,471
    edited November -1
    It was her in case stash.
  • scrumpyjackscrumpyjack Member Posts: 5,336 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You never know. We found the deed to my grandmother's house when we were cleaning it. The house and property were put solely in her name in 1917. Her parents bought the house for her and my grandfather and didn't want him to lose it gambling.[:D]
  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    90K in Silver Certificates, and 10K in bearer bonds. [:D]
  • 11b6r11b6r Member Posts: 16,588 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Cpt, she is not MY aunt- but if she were, would be awfully tempted to leave HER in the safe deposit box when I left the bank. Have had some relatives with an attitude that made me hope I was secretly adopted. Sounds as if you may have one of those, too. In all seriousness, some folks kept matters that they considered personal in safety deposit boxes- your Mom may have stored things like that, letters, etc. On the off chance that there are matters like that in storage, please remember that parents are people as well as being parents- and personal matters are nobody else's business. I know that my wife and I swapped letters in the early years of our marriage that were meant for each other, and not for our kids (or brothers and sisters!)

    I also went thru settling up my Dad's affairs, and I feel for ya, man.
  • slumlord44slumlord44 Member Posts: 3,702 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My dad bought the farm I live on in 1954. The owner and his wife had no children and my dad took care of the old couple. The wife always told my mom that if anything ever happened to the both of them, she wanted mom to have her hope chest. The wife died. Her husband stumbled across over $3,000 in cash in the bottom of the hope chest. He never had a clue. She apparently saved it from selling eggs. Mom never got a dime. You never know what may be in that box?
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,724 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    who legally owns contents now is the one to open box...none of bankers business......had a friends kids clean out her safety box 10 minutes after she died....a lot of things that she wanted to happen.. DIDN'T
  • wipalawipala Member Posts: 11,068
    edited November -1
    Jimmy Hoffa[;)]
  • ZebraZebra Member Posts: 5,762
    edited November -1
    Colonel Sanders secret recipe for KFC chicken?
  • Dakota308Dakota308 Member Posts: 4,162
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by spasmcreek
    who legally owns contents now is the one to open box...none of bankers business......had a friends kids clean out her safety box 10 minutes after she died....a lot of things that she wanted to happen.. DIDN'T



    [V]
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 20,983 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Location to where Jimmy Hoffa can be found along with who kidnapped baby Linberg. Also a reel to reel fim of who took out JFK and the names of the conspiritors.
  • footlongfootlong Member Posts: 8,009
    edited November -1
    A P-08 Luger in 45ACP[:p][:p][:p]
  • spanielsellsspanielsells Member Posts: 12,498
    edited November -1
    A couple ears of corn and a stack of $20s...

    Sorry, man, can't resist the joke.

    I will say this much, though. Have fun cleaning out the house if your family has been there that long. When my wife's grandmother could no longer live alone safely in her old house, the entire family (I mean the ENTIRE family) came out to help pack her up. The things we found were amazing. On my wall (sealed behind glass), I have a MINT copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune from April 23, 1849.

    I got the paper because April 23 is important to me (it is my birthday).

    Nobody, including the grandmother, could even imagine why this particular paper was kept. I did read it, the news is fascinating. But, it had nothing to do with family members, etc.
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by spanielsells
    A couple ears of corn and a stack of $20s...

    Sorry, man, can't resist the joke.

    I will say this much, though. Have fun cleaning out the house if your family has been there that long. When my wife's grandmother could no longer live alone safely in her old house, the entire family (I mean the ENTIRE family) came out to help pack her up. The things we found were amazing. On my wall (sealed behind glass), I have a MINT copy of the Chicago Daily Tribune from April 23, 1849.

    I got the paper because April 23 is important to me (it is my birthday).

    Nobody, including the grandmother, could even imagine why this particular paper was kept. I did read it, the news is fascinating. But, it had nothing to do with family members, etc.



    Beat me. I have not got around to take a picture of it yet, but there is a Chicago Daily Tribune from ...I don't remember the date exactly but I think it was 1917. Just before WWI. It calls ther Germans as "the Krauts" and talks about what they are doing in the world.
  • WarbirdsWarbirds Member Posts: 16,814 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whatever happens don't fight with family over the contents, even if it is bars of gold.


    Personally I think storage of sensitive things is much better off in a cigar bar in a personal cigar locker. You are much more anonymous for your dollar, and nobody every wants to rob off a cigar when they can rob a bank instead.
  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,666 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    money! a lot of old people didn't believe in banks[;)]
  • mango tangomango tango Member Posts: 3,833 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    What if the key is for another safety deposit box that doesn't even exist anymore? Does it have the bank's name on it?
  • GotteskriegerGotteskrieger Member Posts: 3,170 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Safety deposit boxes are a bad idea!
  • drobsdrobs Member Posts: 22,527 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was over at my best friend's place a couple of weeks ago. His cousin gave him a heavy metal lock box that belonged to the cousin's father that had passed away not too long ago.

    My friend was going to take it to a locksmith to get it opened. Both my friend and his cousin had tried to open it using a screw driver unsuccessfully.

    The box had some decent weight to it. We all wondered what was in it.

    I pulled out my trusty small Swiss Army pocket knife and picked the lock in about 3 minutes of fiddling w/it. The box contained probably 5 or 10 silver coin mint sets, banking info, car titles, letters, a diamond wedding ring, some ruby jewelry, safety deposit keys, a bunch of 2 dollar bills, Silver Dollars, and probably 50 buffalo nickles.

    I looked at my friend and said, I think your cousing is playing a trust game with you, to see if you will steal from him. My friend joked that I had roled a 20 on my lock picking roll (Dungeons & Dragons terminolgy) and agreed that it was kinda strange that his cousin would let this box out of his sight.

    I told him that he should tell his cousin that if he ever thinks about selling the coins he should put an offer to my friend.
  • texaswildmantexaswildman Member Posts: 2,215 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Probably not much - a few $100 bonds, birth certificates, old loan papers, house deed, and a few thousand shares of some old stock she bought in 1960 (without her husband knowing) from a company called Humble Oil and Refining.....
  • mango tangomango tango Member Posts: 3,833 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Captplaid
    We just found the key to my Grandmother's safety deposit box. It's been missing since she past away in 1977. She opened it in 1967. This box hasn't been opened in at least 31 years.

    Dad has been paying for the box rather than pay to have it drilled.

    I wasn't going to play this game. It was supposed to be drilled last month but the locksmith hasn't shown up yet. The bank President ws going to arrange to have it drilled. I would then view the contents with my aunt and the banker. If there was anything of value, we would play the game to obtain it. If there was nothing of value, we would walk away and let the box go into receivership.

    Any bets on what is inside it. My guess is church Lady's Aid treasury papers. It was in my grandmother's name, not his. To me this is rather unusual for this era to have the box in the wife's name. Then again, it was customary for the wife to keep a nest egg unknown to the husband.

    They were simply people so I doubt there is jewelry. I did ask my mom what if there is jewelry. My Aunt was my grandmother's only daughter. Mom and my sister discussed this on the way home from Peoria. My sister decided heck no, my aunt doesn't get all the jewelry, should there be any. My aunt was the one that said "Whatever is in that box is half ours" after I told her weeks early about the box's existence.

    In any case, I expect there to be nothing of significance. Maybe a title for a 1970 Plymouth Satellite. The key was found in the little red envelope on top of a small dresser in the back of a walking closet tucked under a shelf. First time the key has been found in decades also. My parents, My grand parents, my great grandparents all lived in this house. It needs cleaning.



    Any other guesses?



    So, did there turn out to be anything good in the new found safety deposit box?
  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,698 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Captplaid
    It was supposed to be drilled last month but the locksmith hasn't shown up yet. The bank President ws going to arrange to have it drilled. I would then view the contents with my aunt and the banker.


    I hope if the box has been opened, the banker was NOT allowed to view the contents.

    All the banker has a right to do is verify who has the legal right to open the box (and thus has a right to the box's content). After that is established, he has NO business viewing any of the contents.
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    UPDATE:

    Silver Dollars
    1879
    1881
    1923
    1922
    1922
    2 Buffalo Nickles
    28 $1 Silver notes from the 50's
    9 $2 notes from the 20's
    1908 dime
    2 Buffalo Nickles
    and a 1923, 1919 , & 1944 penny.

    $51.18 in old monies

    I'm going to bed now. There is still some controversy here.
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    OK. My dad and aunt signed the card in 1977, the year my grandmother died.

    Across those two lines was written "INVENTORY" After that my Dad opened the box four or five times. Mostly in 1980. Maybe 3-4 entries in 1980. Now the question is whose stuff is it now?

    I could argue the box was inventoried 1977 and I see no reason why not to believe my grandmother's estate was not settled then. While, my aunt does not remember inventorying the box. Her signature is on the card. I could understand in 1980, my Dad started using the box as his own, as he had an account in the bank. But he never opened the box again after 1980.

    I am tempted to thing what is in the box belongs to my dad and not apart of an estate that was "closed" 32 years ago but the box was left in her name.
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dad has been paying for the box rather than pay to have it drilled.

    There is your answer.
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by select-fire
    Dad has been paying for the box rather than pay to have it drilled.

    There is your answer.


    nope
    sloopy book keeping
    1 year the shared farm account paid for the box. Another year he paid for the box. I've only looked at the past three years for canceled checks.
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bank should have all the records who paid for the box. If you take out the expense of keeping the box up to date.. well that pretty well takes care of the contents.
  • competentonecompetentone Member Posts: 4,698 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Captplaid
    OK. My dad and aunt signed the card in 1977, the year my grandmother died.

    Across those two lines was written "INVENTORY" After that my Dad opened the box four or five times. Mostly in 1980. Maybe 3-4 entries in 1980. Now the question is whose stuff is it now?

    I could argue the box was inventoried 1977 and I see no reason why not to believe my grandmother's estate was not settled then. While, my aunt does not remember inventorying the box. Her signature is on the card. I could understand in 1980, my Dad started using the box as his own, as he had an account in the bank. But he never opened the box again after 1980.

    I am tempted to thing what is in the box belongs to my dad and not apart of an estate that was "closed" 32 years ago but the box was left in her name.


    It looks like, at most -- if some items were in extremely fine condition, the contents would only be worth a few hundred dollars.

    You can get some idea on the values here:

    http://www.coinsite.com/default.htm

    It probably wasn't worth the cost of the box rental all these years. And probably isn't worth arguing over with family members now (if your above comments imply that different family members want the contents).

    Every family member who wants something, should each take turns taking one item until all the items are distributed. That would settle things quickly.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Captplaid, when are you going to draw the line?

    Sure seems your family is running all over you. Your Aunt surely knew what was in the box. Nothing of any real value. Yet she wants "half". She HAD her oppertunity long ago.

    IMO your family is pretty petty. I would have told them to stuff it a long time ago.
  • CaptplaidCaptplaid Member Posts: 20,296 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by freemind
    Captplaid, when are you going to draw the line?

    Sure seems your family is running all over you. Your Aunt surely knew what was in the box. Nothing of any real value. Yet she wants "half". She HAD her oppertunity long ago.

    IMO your family is pretty petty. I would have told them to stuff it a long time ago.


    Yeah I think that might come today.
  • mrseatlemrseatle Member Posts: 15,467 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    her secret jewish pedigree?
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Tell them you found another key in the safety deposit box. It is to a bank in Switzerland. Their blood pressure should go up.

    My MIL and FIL had this ( notice I said had ) this huge multi million dollar lawsuit for malpractice. Wifes sisters had some of the money spent and even went out and bought new cars, furniture... Well their attorney called my wife up and said the lawsuit wasn't going anywhere. They were out of state. I couldn't keep from laughing when I called the MIL up to tell them. Money grubbing people. [:D][:D][:D]
  • 1911 Gunslinger1911 Gunslinger Member Posts: 747 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    42 year old porn! [:0]
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