Are we under obligation to pay Dad's debts?

I believe you send them a death certificate and some dismiss the debt, but they can come after the estate, last I heard anyway.

Well that makes sense….

Yeah, I think @KNOWITALL is correct. If it’s something comparably small, say $1,000 they may let it go but if it were to be like a crazy amount like $500,000 then yeah, they’d go after whoever to get that money.

Yeah it’s small debt like $1500 or so, from what I know.

In Germany at least, you can choose to reject the inheritance as a whole, debts included.
Not after the fact, though.

They let my grandmothers credit card balance go, less than 1000, with the certificate. My grandfather, the tightwad, was thrilled.

It’s about the estate. Debtors who are alert and care enough to try to collect the debt might make a claim against the estate, but if the estate isn’t net positive and you don’t want something of value from it, then it won’t tend to affect you.

They can go after the estate. I paid my aunt’s credit card debt. I might have been able to get away with not paying it, her last bill was around $600 I think, but she had charged the items so I paid.

They will go after the estate. House, cars, things of value, land, stocks and bonds, investments, etc.

if it’s a small balance, a few thousand, it’s easier for them to write it off than to go after it (which means time and court, etc.).

As stated above, the estate has the debt. Think of it as a zombie, which inherited all the assets and debts on the owner’s death.

Zombie Dad owes money, owns stuff, and can be taken to court.

If you have joint accounts with Zombie Dad, you may be obligated for the debts.

No joint accounts.