Family names

[indigo_rose99]

There is nothing quite so guilt-inducing as an automated phone call that says, "We are searching for [John Rose].  If you are not [John Rose], please hang up."

I hung up.  I am not [John Rose].  However due to some painful lack of naming creativity in my family tree, that first name belongs to my... great grandfather, grandfather, uncle, first cousin, and brother.  And of course they all share my last name.

This is the second such phone call I have gotten in the past month.

So none of these relatives live now or have ever lived in my house.  But if I had taken the call... could they have told me interesting things?  My grandfather recent died.  Perhaps this is an enormous unclaimed inheritance?

Ugh.

Comments

[ovrclokd.livejournal.com]

i would stay on the line, if it happens again. you were the executor for either your father's or grandfather's will, correct? given your relationship and past caretakership of their estate, it's probably worth sticking around to at least hear what the call is about.

[indigo-rose99.livejournal.com]

Clearly I have been tempted to agree with you. Two things hold me back at this point:

* My previous experience with creditors on phone calls. They are (understandably, given their job) rude, inclined to take offense, inclined to hold blame, and will grasp on to the slightest indication of financial responsibility. I do not want to have any creditor deciding that I "will do" and endlessly harassing me simply because they can find no one better.

* My recent conversation (since writing this post) with the executor of my grandfather's estate. It leads me to believe that the "John Rose" IS my grandfather, and that they are actual creditors looking for money. Since the estate already owes me hundreds of dollars for the lawyer fee I got suckered into paying... What could I tell them? I am not him. He is dead. Yes, I have the correct executor contact information for them... but so should they (mail forwarding). And is it really the right thing to do to give them the executor's contact information? He will not thank me for it.