Joseph Stancak was a Chicago man with an 11 million-dollar surprise. When he passed away in 2016, the news shocked not just those who knew him, but the rest of the country, as Stancak’s estate quickly became recognized as the largest unclaimed estate in American history.

The Modest Millionaire

Stancak lived a humble life in a modest bungalow, an unassuming resident of his Gage Park neighbourhood. As far as anyone knew, he had no partner, no children, and the last of his siblings had passed away in 2006. But when Stancak himself passed away in 2016, a hidden aspect of his life came to light: the man had left behind an estate worth 11 million dollars, with no will to simplify the distribution of assets.

Until that point, the highest unclaimed estate had been 8.1 million dollars. But it seemed that Stancak’s fortune had unexpectedly set a new record, claiming the spot of the largest unclaimed estate.

Without a will, it became clear that the estate’s management would devolve into a lengthy legal process. With no direct next of kin, lawyers had to search for more distant relations to begin planning the estate’s distribution.

Over the next four years, they were able to identify a staggering 119 relatives, with so many new relations that they had to build a 15-foot-long family tree just to keep everyone organized. Most of Stancak’s family were across the sea in Europe, found in either Poland, Slovakia, or the Czech Republic, with only a handful located back in the United States.

Once the death made international headlines, a newly found will surfaced, which was claimed to be Stancak’s own. Supposedly, it left the estate’s wealth to the president of a company named Smart Kids Child Care Inc.

Given the convenient timing of the will and the lack of a matching signature – not to mention that the lawyer’s copy of the will was never found – it was quickly rejected. But it did underscore the need for organized estate plans!

An Important Lesson

Joseph Stancak’s story isn’t just about the vast sum of wealth he kept secret; it’s a necessary reminder of life’s unpredictability and the importance of proper estate planning. Without a will, assets can end up unclaimed, leading to exhaustive searches as seen here, with potentially unideal heirs and lengthy legal disputes. Without clear guidance, the process is often long, expensive, and exhausting.

By planning ahead, we can spare our families – and our lawyers – the ordeal of legal complications, and ensure that our hard-earned legacies are handled as we intended.

No matter how modest or substantial our assets are, a well-planned estate is the best gift we can leave behind.