From Sunshine Review
Lewis and Clark County is one of 56 counties in Montana. Lewis and Clark County is located in west central Montana. The estimated population of the county is 55,716. Helena, the state capital of Montana, is also the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
[edit] Website evaluation
[edit] The good
- The website includes comprehensive information on the County Commission, including contact information and meeting times, locations, agendas, and minutes.[1]
- The website includes good budget information for recent years (2006 and 2007). [2]
- Comprehensive information on zoning and permits.[3]
- Good information on local taxes, including a property tax inquiry search function and a breakdown of the taxes collected by respective departments (Department of Motor Vehicles, for example]. [4]
[edit] The bad
- No information on county audits.
- No information on how to file an request for public records.
Sorry for pasting this, but MT Govt provides no where to go. I love your site and agree that Montana deserves a D-, if not an F in National standards, but also an F- for not even following our own constitution that allows open government! I've spent days looking things up, to no avail. my current issue should be simple: a will. Cant find out where to find it or the mysterious letter. Not surprising since these people involved partied and perhaps had sex with half the capital. Obviously, Ms. Rylander, has connections.==External links==
The Montana public records law states that citizens are entitled to public records in the state, however, the Montana Constitution states that no person may be denied such records. The Constitution trumps statute, so anyone may request public documents in Montana. "No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies". I wonder why it is still so difficult to find even basic documents from the state, and one must hire someone to “discover” them. Where is our site for public records?
We need to find filed Lewis and Clark District court document, but cant find a website. Specifically, we are looking into a copy of a Will, filed February 14, 2007, by Paul Raymond Rylander. We have a copy of the Will, but this will refers to, in the Third part, to a “separate written statement to dispose of certain items of tangible personal property not otherwise specifically disposed of by this Will. I herby devise to the person or persons named in such written statement the said items of tangible personal property”. Was this “separate written statement” filed?
We are not attorneys, thus obviously oblivious about how to even find how these documents are filed: Documents that are to be open to the public. Can you help us?
While this isn’t required, but you probably want to know, this information is desired because this Will is ripe to be contested. First of all, without a will, Mr. Rylande’s estate would be divided between his current wife, and Mr. Rylander’s children. We can imagine this aforementioned letter spoke about items that had huge sentimental value to those children, that had none for his wife, Marquerite Annette Rylander, and the one who inherited all. Secondly, this will does not mention anyone in the event that Ms. Rylander should die before him, or at the same time, which speaks of pressure while Mr. Rylander was dying. Thirdly, Mr. Rylander specifically promised his Sons specific sentimental items to his Sons, for example, Mr. Rylander promised a dobros, classical base, sapphires (which Ms. Rylander didn’t even have the number to the safe they were kept in, that were collected with his sons) and other items which Ms. Rylander has no monitary or sentimental reasons to continue to horde, disrespect (such as Mr. Rylander’s paintings that Ms. Rylander immediately took off the walls and stored haphazardly in a junk room, with other “junk”, including musical instruments, and other sentimental items she didn’t want, but didn’t even offer to his children), or discard, and otherwise not appreciate nor offer to Mr. Rylander’s children.
No one dare ask Ms. Rylander for items in junk storage or even her garbage. Mike Rylander caused a stir just this winter by finally insisting that his Father promised him a Dobro. This created undue stress on all his family who did not want to upset Marg (Ms. Rylander), but he was finally given just this winter, a Dobro, the worst of 3 Marge had collecting dust, promised by his father years ago, and finally receive the worst of 3 dobros in Ms. Rylander’s Possession, collecting dust, and unplayable, until Mike had a well known professional fix it (only after arguing with everyone about his father’s promise, vs. his family’s insistence that he not even question the current Ms. Rylander).
Yes, this is a very “screwed up” family, even before the question of inheritance comes into play.
But this is a great opportunity for the state to question such irrational wills that disclude Sons from even scavenging things their step-mother throws away, let alone, things that have meaning to them, and none to her. It also seems obvious that this is not what Mr. Rylander had in mind, otherwise he would have given her the combination to the box that stored the sapphires he had collected with his father and sons. Ms. Rylander jokes about how her lover (current, and preceding her husband’s death, and her husbands friend) figured out the combination. Paul Rylander obviously didn’t mean for them to have these rocks, and such disputes this entire will, where his unfaithful wife takes control of everything, and would rather put things in the garbage or junk room, rather than even bother to ask if his Son’s wanted anything.
I’m guessing this was spelled out in the “letter”, that he trusted Marg to follow, that no-one has seen.
[edit] References
