What happens if a non beneficiary takes something from an estate?
What happens if a non beneficiary takes something from an estate? Assistant at Law Assistant at Parklin Law When a non-beneficiary takes something from an estate, the person is taking property that isn't his. As such, it's theft. Whether he intends to keep it or resell it, the fact remains: if he hasn't been given permission to take it, and he does, he's stolen it. The issue of intent is one lawyers will often look at when determining whether someone has committed theft. If the person took something from the estate with the intention of returning it eventually, but then changed his mind and sold it instead, the law would view this as a theft. But if he took something from an estate with the intention of selling it for more than it was worth (in other words, taking advantage of the situation), he's probably committed a different kind of crime altogether-- perhaps fraud or deception--depending on what exactly happened when he sold it and to whom. If someone who is no...