A deadly tornado in Tennessee killed a couple in their home, but it left a page of their will in tact and carried it two counties away.
A tornado ripped through Perry County in Tennessee in December. Two of its victims, Antonio and Ann Yzaguirre, were killed in their home which was left in ruins. Their family searched through the rubble in an attempt to locate the couple's will but were not successful.
Amazingly, the last page of the will was found in another woman's yard 40 miles away. The tornado had left it there intact. The last page was important as it contained the couples' signatures and detailed what should happen to their property in the event of a natural disaster.
WBIR reported this story in an article entitled "Couple's will found miles away after deadly tornado."
It might seem disrespectful to make an estate planning point over this tragedy. However, it should be said that this illustrates why it may not be a good idea to leave the original copy of your will unprotected in your home. It should be in a safe place protected from natural events as much as possible, such as a safety deposit box or a safe.
While this case has a good ending, as far as the will is concerned, this is not the norm. Most of the time it would not be found if a tornado carries it off. There was some luck and good fortune in this story, but it would not be safe to rely on luck when it comes to your estate planning documents.
Your estate planning attorney can provide you with ideas for securing your important documents.
Reference: WBIR (Dec. 29, 2015) "Couple's will found miles away after deadly tornado."
