NoTlazidazi

Can anyone give me any information about a Federal Government retirement plan that isn't Social Security?

I inquired about filing for social security benefits under my past husband who works for the Fed Govt. Taking his SS#, the woman at the SS punched some things into the computer, then told me that he hasn't paid into SS [so there's no benefit to me there], but he may have paid into "another" plan the Fed Govt has, and she couldn't give me anymore information, nothing other than a generic name, not any contact info, nothing. And she was put-off by any suggestion on my part to obtain further information.

Does anyone know, or can you direct me to where I might research, about another Fed Govt retirement plan, other than/independent of social security?

Thanks much!

Three siblings are heirs to my mother's estate. Mother has a legal Will and Trust. The Trust held all her financial holdings, but did not include her real estate. The Trust states that all assets shall be divided equally among we three children [trustees], requiring any decisions be made by a 2/3 majority. The Will states that my brother is the "personal representative". As such, my brother claims that he is in sole control of the disposition of the real estate - that he alone makes the decisions regarding same.

Here is the exact Article in the Will whereby he interprets his being in control: "I give the residue of my estate...as follows: To the trustees of the Trust, to be added to and disposed of as a part of the remaining assets of that Trust. Provided, however, that my personal representative shall distribute any assets that would be immediately distributable under the provisions of said Trust, to the beneficiaries entitled to such assets under the terms of such Trust;"... and I hereby incorporate said Trust, as it now exists, in this Will, be reference."

I need to know if the above wording in the Will, requires that the real estate asset be handled "under the terms" of the Trust - which require a 2/3 majority decision-making - rather than allowing my brother [the personal representative] to be in full control of the real estate asset.

Fyi, it is a MN Will & Trust; the property is located in MN.

PLEASE HELP! Time is of the essence. Thanks very much.

I don't want to buy another receiver if one I have will do the job. I have a couple of older [20+ years] receivers in great condition. I don't need a 6-speaker system, two speakers will do; I'm just looking for reasonable quality stereo sound when watching TV or movies [which may not even meet the definition of surround sound].

If my older receiver will NoT work, what is the best receiver, and best speakers - for the cheapest price?

If my older receiver WiLL work, what are the guidelines for hooking everything to the TV?

And, what do I need to look at on my current TV, to know that a receiver and speakers can be connected?

Help is much appreciated. [As is obvious,] I don't know much about this.

[There are other questions here about removing Dodge van, sedan and Ram seats, but none about the Dodge Dakota Sport Truck.] Yes, there are four bolts holding each seat to the floor, BuT the inside rear bolt on each seat looks like it attaches the entire front seat section - It looks like you have to remove BotH seats including center console. Is this so? Can I not take out the driver's seat only?

Please HeLP if you can! I crashed my beloved Dakota and bought a replacement. Problem is, the guy who owned the replacement Dakota was huge and smushed down the driver's seat. I need to take the good driver's seat out of my crashed truck and put it in the replacement truck. They are both 1998 models.

Thanks Very Much!

I Do NoT like scrub oaks. Is it okay to clear the forest of them?

I'm looking at a 7.5ac parcel as potential purchase for my final ponderosa: Home site previously cleared, remainder fairly heavily wooded with some mature longleaf pines, younger pines, cherry, a few dogwood, mature and young oaks, aNd LoTs and LoTs of scrub oaks.

As my final R&R, I don't want to look at nor deal with [come up against in any form or fashion] scrub oaks; they're not a pretty site. I want to look at a lot of green, mature, lush growth.

It will require a lot of planting work to augment the landscape as suits me. I'm thinking grandiose ~ a dogwood and azalea lined drive, hedgerows of dense evergreens - etc., and of course, a perimeter fence w/automatic gate.

So to get at the landscape I most want, I am considering getting rid of all the scrub oak - just getting the stuff out of the way. Then determine what stays and what gets planted & where, from the look of the land VoiD of scrub oak. Is this plausible?

Could one get a small dozer, or small bobcat with attachment, that could wander around and wipe stuff out, pull it & push it into a pile? Better to chainsaw it down then burn/bushhog? [7 acres worth!] And what might it cost to hire this work done?

Is the desire to wipeout the scrub oak living too close to the don't-fight-the-land concept?

ADDitional Info: Property in SE GA; sandy loam; briars abound; asking price $48000.

Will much appreciate the benefit of YouR eXPeRience.

When plugged in, each handset's lights work, but when I push "talk", LED reads, "not in range" = no dial tone. Another portable phone in the house on the same phone line [different jack] still DoeS work; and the corded phone still works. Yes, I will try a different battery in the base of the 3 handsets that now don't work. But if that makes no difference, then what? How can I determine that they were actually effected by the lightning? Is there anything I can do to fix them? They're several months old, but came with only a 30 day warranty. Bummer! Don't want to have to get rid of them if there's any chance they'll still work.

I want to build my own garage doors, but can't find where to buy the components - panel sections, hardware, etc. - on which to build it myself. [I don't mean, hardware for installing the doors;] I mean the hardware sections on which to put my own wood, to make an overhead garage door. Have been google-ing to find such a "kit", but cannot.

Anyone know where such a kit can be purchased?

I plan to put 3 homeruns from my 220amp panel. I know that 12/2wg is recommended [but I have a spool of 14/2wg left from another project]. Even so, I don't want to wire the garage with 14/2 now, only to be smitten with problems later.

That's why I've specified three homeruns: to keep the load on each circuit low. I'll be certain never to put more than 80% amperage load on any circuit [14/2 with 15amp breaker].

The garage includes a workshop, and I'll be using power tools. As long as I don't use the tablesaw at the same time that the [small] compressor is on, for example, won't this be alright? In other words, couldn't I wire the outlets, such that [for example] the table saw isn't on the same circuit as the compressor, thus protecting myself from overloading the circuit? In this scenario, I could wire the garage door opener [for example] with the table saw, since those two things won't be used at the same time.

Please let me know if I can make the 14/2 work. Thanks!

Breaker is on; and I've flipped it again just to be sure. I had turned it off while gone for several weeks. All else from electrical panel is working. I had hot water 3 wks ago when I left, but now only cold water thru the hot tap. All taps and toilets - all water lines in house - are functioning, so it doesn't seem it could be a clog of any sort, and water pressure is normal/good. The hot water heater [electric] is under the house, and I dread the thot of having to go under there to check it out, tho I know I'll have to. What, exactly, do I need to check when I do visit the hot water heater? Please help if you can, by telling me all the possibilities to check - and Thanks Very Much!

My Mom is finally going to replace her Jenn Air downdraft cooktop and likes the idea of the glass/smooth surface because it should be much easier to clean than coils. As long as one is careful NoT to use anything abrasive on it, and uses the right cleaning product, are they easy [or hard] to clean? and keep clean???

Also, she's worried about the possibility of breaking the glass top. I know many people have...and she's worried that she may accidentally drop a pot and ruin her new stove. Does one have to be extremely careful? not to break it? It seems to me, one has to simply learn a whole new way of caring for/cleaning and a new way of cooking, basically. Is this right?

We'd just like some help from those of you with experience with this type of cooktop. Is ceramic really best, or should she be satisfied with coils? Thanks Very Much!

Small town, USA. My property has been surveyed; survey markers located in ground; Surveyor has come out, twice, to doublecheck; he sees no dispute about where property lines are. But, one of the survey markers falls within a public access alley. The Town has no record of this alley ever being deeded/where it actually lies. But there are Deeds to the property on either side [mine & hers]. The only reason that my survey marker falls within the given alley is because the alley has moved, a little each year, toward my property, as the adjacent owner's shrubs have grown and their size has moved the traffic my way. The surveyor mark for her lot line is right in the middle of her huge shrub. The alley is encroaching on my property! I put up a fence post & an anonymous jerk pushed it down; the Mayor told me to "Quit blocking the alley!" The Mayor is related to Shrub owner; Shrub owner's daughter is on Council. They're trying to take my property. I want to put up a fence. HELP!!!!!

Yes, I'm chicken ~ afraid that I could mess up my beautiful old doors. I'm afraid of taking the drastic step of drilling the 2 1/8" hole [for starters]! I've got 3 doors that need locks; they're all beautifully refinished, heartpine [house is 100yrs old]. [& I hate the idea of messing them up anyway with a newly purchased lock, but the skelton key isn't quite adequate.] These doors already have the original cut-out in the edge of the door for the skeleton key mechanism insert which holds the knob. Of course, the new Dead Bolt would be put above this.

It's curious that I'm chicken to do this, because I have done eVeRy manner of house renovation task ~ from wiring and plumbing, to roof work and carpentry!

Maybe I should hold out and hope to find an old mechanism that will fit into the existing door edge cut-out, that has a keyed [not skeleton] element.

Please, tell me I don't need to be afraid to forge forward w/dead bolt installation; and what to be careful about.

I'm doing this [humongous] job myself. Southeast GA, USA. Large house, 100yrs old, clapboard/pine siding [hardwood]. Hasn't been painted in decades; I will be removing eVeRy bit of old/existing paint.

I want to use Latex. I don't want to use Oil, if I don't have to. Most say that the best/most long-lasting job will result with the use of an oil-based primer, and two top coats of Latex. This is exactly what I did on the last [also old/same type of siding] house I painted. [sprayed oil primer; brushed latex top coats] And yes, it held up extraordinarily well; current owners are just now prepping to repaint - 19 yrs later. [Have I answered my own Q?]

I would just like NoT to have to MeSS with Oil paint. But it's a BiG issue, not to be certain whether Latex primer will do as good a job as oil primer. Any of you been successful with Latex primer and top coats? Or is everyone absolutely convinced that Oil primer should be used?

I guess I've learned the hard way: we've got hard water; and NeVeR forget to wipe the ceramic tile walls after showering!

I didn't know it was needed, and didn't wipe the tile after showers for several months after tiling in a new bath. The tiles are dulled/covered by waterspots. I've tried everything I know to remove the water spots: brillo, comet, tilex, Mr. eraser, a good-for-nothing steam cleaner thing, elbow grease, and MoRe elbow grease. Geez ~ It's just water! [I know, calcium...] But, What's the deal? Why is it so hard to remove?

I now know what NoT to do and will never leave a shower without first wiping it dry. But for damage already done, what can I do to get the tiles back to shiny new, with no water marks?

House is 100yrs old; not original roof, but old tin in decent shape. I pulled loose nails [replaced w/washeredscrews], flashed chimneys, patched holes, and recoated with Black Jack fibered aluminum roof coating over 15 yrs ago; It's time to re-do! Since it did a good job last time, I've looked for same, but cannot find the same product/BlackJack 5167. Our local Lowe's has "Silver Dollar" fibered aluminum roof coating, but how do I know if it's good enuf? [$42/5gal]. Plus, the roof is leaking!!! and when I get up there canNoT find anything that looks suspiciously like the culprit. Have been in the attic, tho not while it's raining...[the only true test time]; still, all indications are that the leak comes from the ridge cap or close to it. But up on the roof, it looks solid in this area. Any suggestions? If you know of a site that rates or reviews roof coatings [other than selling them], I would appreciate being apprised of same. Again, what's the best fibered aluminum coating?