I spent a couple of hours in the Social Security Administration’s Hammond Office today, waiting to get an 1099 for my aunt’s estate so that I could do her final taxes. One of the things that I learned from the last time I had to go to SSA is that I should have made an appointment. It was mobbed there. I also learned that I should have gone later in the month as the beginning always has people coming for benefits.
The final thing that I learned is that I do not have the patience that I thought I had. It took forever to get a stupid piece of paper that they almost didn’t release to me. They wanted me to fill out a forwarding address form. I told them that (1) she was dead and (2) we sold her condo. Wouldn’t the new owners be pleased when they found all their mail being forwarded somewhere else?
With that, the person at the counter went to speak to a supervisor. I think it helped that I had a death certificate and a copy of her will designating me as her executor. With those two pieces of paper, the supervisor authorized my receiving the form I needed to pay her taxes.
I hope it’s not this hard getting the information from Morgan-Stanley…