Cheap Online NFA Trust Worked for me

[gravitas73]

I'm sure a lawyer would say there are certain benefits in enlisting their services to custom tailor a NFA trust for you and your needs and they would probably be right.

But I wanted to share with the class that I had success using Do It Yourself Documents&#174 - NFA Firearms Trust (Gun Trust)

Very cheap, I opted for the $69 option that is filled out by a paralegal just because I felt $30 was too good to be true and the extra peace of mind was worth it to me, but in retrospect it was unnecessary.

My SBR recently came back approved on my first attempt after a 10 month wait.

You just buy it, download it, fill in the blanks with your information where applicable, and go get it notarized. I opened a checking account at Forum Credit Union no questions asked. Well I take that back, the notary public that did it had never heard of the NFA and thought it was pretty cool.

Hope it helps someone save some money.

 

[Punkinhead]

I used a $30 online form for mine. Worked fine for getting my stamp. I researched it beforehand and couldn't find a single example of someone having a legal problem going this route. Lot's of doom and gloom from lawyers who make money writing these simple documents at 10x the cost, but not a single real life issue.

 

[EricG]

Great info. Thank you very much for sharing this!

 

[Giddaltti]

Hope to get one done today.

 

[turnerdye1]

This may be what gets me actually into NFA. I've wanted to go the trust route but didn't want to drop 350 bucks on a lawyer then another 200 for the stamp. 230 total is a lot more manageable for me at this time. I have a few questions with this stuff though. Do they just mail you the paperwork to be filled out by yourself then get it notarized? Then assuming I want to EFile for an SBR I just take my trust paperwork with me to my Class 3 dealer? Whats all that talk about having a separate bank account? I have never heard of this before.
They say they give instructions when you buy the kit but I kinda want some idea of what I'm getting myself into before I waste 30 bucks

 

[17 squirrel]

Your 69 dollar trust may be ok for a supressor or a 1200 dollar SBR but let's say you bought 6 transferable machine guns way back in the early eightys and now they are each worth 20 to 35 thousand dollars. Back when you bought them you were single and carefree, Fast forward 20+ years.( or you just bought a 5 to a 30 thou dollar MG ) and now you have a family & kids or your still single and you decide to do a trust to make sure your now highly expensive firearms go to who you want to have them in case of your demise. Are you still willing to gamble that your 69 dollar trust you bought online is written as well as a in state attorney that has passed the Indiana Bar and understands what verbiage is necessary for the state of Indiana ?
When you buy or pay for legal paperwork you get what you pay for and nothing more. You 69 guys will never know if your trust was done correctly, Its your aire's that will find out.
Oh and ATF does not care if your trust was written correctly. As long as your forms are filled out correctly you are GTG.
This is nothing more that what I have learned in my 35 years playing with NFA transferables.

 

[Aszerigan]

I'll agree with Squirrel on this one. I'd rather pay a few more bucks and know it's airtight. Cheap and thorough rarely meet.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

If a simple contract written between two people is binding in a court , wouldn't this form filled out by a paralegal be also binding?

 

[17 squirrel]

If a simple contract written between two people is binding in a court , wouldn't this form filled out by a paralegal be also binding?

No, A simple contract is not always binding in court. A missing word or the wrong verbiage, Incorrect verbiage and a host of other things can make a contract non binding in court.
Let's say you die and you left a simple trust that was drawn up by a paralegal, And the wrong verbiage was used. You have left 150 thousand dollars worth of NFA firearms to your brother.. And your sister that you have not spoken too in twenty years contests the will and she wins 50% of your trust in court because you used a 69.00 online or a paralegal for your trust. Remember neither one of these have passed the Indiana Bar and a working as a attorney in the state of Indiana .
The online company does not call you up years later when the state of Indiana make law changes that have to do with a trust. Your in state attorney will.
Its just advice, Nothing more than MHO.

 

[hfdcowboy]

The question is not weather or not the ATF will approve it, they have done it several times for online trust's. The question, and the true test is will it hold up on court? That is where you are going to need it anyway. At least going the lawyer route you have someone to fall back on if you find yourself in that legal battle.

 

[Punkinhead]

Like I said, lots of invented dire scenarios but not a single example of a person or his/her estate having a problem with an online generated trust.

 

[17 squirrel]

Like I said, lots of invented dire scenarios but not a single example of a person or his/her estate having a problem with an online generated trust.

Then don't heed any of this advice grasshopper, IMHO Its your money sir, Feel free to spend it as foolishly as you like.

 

[gravitas73]

Frankly, if I'm dead, I don't care what happens to my NFA stuff. I wanted a trust for the convenience.

But I'm also 32, single with no kids. If and when that changes, I can look into a lawyer's services then when planning the rest of my estate.

 

[ArevaloSocom]

I used John Odroniak in Scherville for my Trust...........rock solid.

 

[DownByTheTracks]

No problems have been found with an online generated trust.....yet. Really, how long has this been going on? Not long at all. And definitely not long enough to be challenged in court.

I have personally witnessed what can happen when the trust that you think is good turns out to be invalid in court...and it's not good. "But, I paid a lawyer a lot of money! But, it was filed and legal! But! but! It's a trust!"

When the wording DOES NOT meet the legal requirements of the law in your state, it doesn't matter if you paid $30, $300, or $3000, you still have a turd. That's why I recommend that you seek an attorney that understands how trusts work in Indiana. It's like finding a good body shop, mechanic, contractor, etc...You want to find someone that has a good record.

YMMV.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

When the wording DOES NOT meet the legal requirements of the law in your state, it doesn't matter if you paid $30, $300, or $3000, you still have a turd. .

It sounds like someone who knows where to get that info ( IN. ) and understands legalese should post it up and make it a sticky like all the others that have been very informative and helpful .

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I have personally witnessed what can happen when the trust that you think is good turns out to be invalid in court...and it's not good. "But, I paid a lawyer a lot of money! But, it was filed and legal! But! but! It's a trust!"

as much as you're able, would you be so kind as to detail this - if it's at all applicable to NFA-type trusts?

I suppose if it's nothing to do with this kind of stuff then it ain't all that relevant...

-J-

 

[DownByTheTracks]

This case was related to real estate, not NFA. BUT, one of the legal parties thought that he/she had legal ownership of the property, but in fact did not because the trust was so poorly worded. The real estate reverted back to the previous owner.

That being said, if this were to have been an NFA item instead of real estate, how would that have turned out?

 

[remauto1187]

I used John Odroniak in Scherville for my Trust...........rock solid.

How do you know its rock solid? Has it been tested in court yet? How do we know ANY lawyer is worth a shi^ for a NFA trust? Can they show specific examples where their specific NFA trusts went through the tests of court? Just because a doctor has degree on the wall doesnt mean he/she isnt going to screw a surgery, diagnosis, etc. up that could prove fatal to you or I. Same goes for a lawyer only you wont die from it....just might die in jail. Point is, there is no for sure way to know who is or isnt doing it right until its tested in court and that could depend on any judges' given mood, the weather, whether or not his old lady nagged him to death the night before, etc.

 

[jd4320t]

Frankly, if I'm dead, I don't care what happens to my NFA stuff. I wanted a trust for the convenience.

But I'm also 32, single with no kids. If and when that changes, I can look into a lawyer's services then when planning the rest of my estate.

Think of your family or friends. If something were to happen to you someone would come claim your belongings. By not having a trust you could set someone up for trouble and they wouldn't even know they'd done anything wrong.