u/Pwschwa

Background: MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS: My dad's cousin passed in 2021, he was not married and had no heirs. He didn't have much in assets to speak of and estate was never settled fully.

Fast forward to late 2023, a bank branch in his hometown closed, and in the process the city police found a deposit box containing around $45,000 cash. The City Attorney, who also has his own private practice (we're talking a city of less than 3,000 people), found my dad, told him about the money, and eventually evolved into my dad agreeing to become executor of his cousin's estate, and for this attorney to handle probate, etc.

Present day, the estate is still not settled, it is for sure less than 100,000 in assets, with little to no complexities as far as I know and from what my dad has told me. My dad continues to stop into the attorney's office to bring bank statements, and is on the title of his cousin's house (as am I) in this town. Which is uninhabitable, but my dad insists on keeping for the time being so the estate can be settled.

I've talked to my dad several times, and he says he stops into the attorney's office every two weeks ago, and the attorney either isn't in, or is on a phone call and cannot see my dad. Admittedly, my dad never calls beforehand, never sets up an appointment. But my dad typically leaves his information with the admin, but never seems to get a call back.

We want to get this wrapped up and get the house sold, and it is boggling my mind that this is taking this long given the size and simplicity of the estate.

I spoke to a friend who is an attorney, who told me that even if I walked in the office and said who I was, the attorney would not share any information with me as his relationship is with my father and not me, which I understand. But I want to keep things moving.

I've lectured my dad repeatedly that he needs to be more proactive/assertive, and follow up more regularly, and that it's crazy how he's okay continuing to pay property taxes and utilities on this derelict house all while this gets sorted (not saying he should stop paying, but more, it's like he's willingly dragging this out by not keeping the attorney on task to get this resolved and has incurred a lot more expense than is likely necessary through this whole ordeal)

Questions are:

1. Can I call the office, say my relationship to my dad, and just request that the attorney call back my dad?
2. Is it possible to just switch attorneys?
3. Does this conduct seem normal? To hear my dad's side of it, it sounds like the attorney is giving him the runaround. I don't feel like it's normal to take 3+ years to wrap up a low value estate like this.
4. What would you all recommend?

I was pleasantly surprised when I boarded the Adams & S. Wacker-bound bus from Foster & Sheridan this morning and noticed it was an accordion bus. I’ve been taking it for close to a year (not every day to be fair) and I’ve never noticed this before. It’s always been just a single bus. This is welcome, because although I have no problems finding a seat, by the time it’s ready to go express at Bittersweet, it’s insanely crowded and I’ve seen passengers get irritable with each other from the crowding.

I’m not sure if CTA is tracking rider statistics and upgraded the bus type on this route, or I just simply have never ridden the accordion before on this route, but I hope it’s here to stay.

See video link to leaking shower handle which is mid-torso height in our shower. Noticed it after the shower was off after using today. Do you all think this could be a simple gasket replacement if I take it off, or potentially something more serious like water behind the wall, and I should just call a plumber?

UPDATE: It is Hansgrohe Axor brand. They have a spare parts shop. I guess I need to find exactly what model I have to know which cartridge to get. Currently looking at up now.