My father’s partner refuses to give back his possessions we desperately want
Location: Wisconsin
My father passed away suddenly a few months ago. My parents were separated by not legally divorced yet and in another state. He had recently moved and was living with a new woman in Wisconsin, where this issue has arisen. He did not have a will as far as we are aware.
We have taken a trip there to retrieve his possessions from his partner, which she has somewhat complied with. She gave back majority of the items, but won’t let us into the house itself. She is placing items in a storage unit so we do not have direct access to her home and relying on us not remembering specific items. The remaining outstanding possessions are memorable, valuable, and highly sentimental. We have a list of the items which she is making excuses for not giving back.
There was a specific set of items that eventually turned up, but is missing the most significant part of the set. When I asked her about it, she told us he’d given it away to one of her children. I know she lied about this based on pictures my Dad had sent me of the item in her home. Is there any way to call legally call bullshit on her still having it?
As far as I understand, we (his children) are entitled to all possessions as next of kin, because my mother doesn’t want anything. Because him and this woman were not married, I want to confirm she is not entitled to any of these items legally, although they are in her house. They were not acquired during their relationship, if that matters. Am I correct in directly telling her she has no right to his items? Is there any way to retrieve what she has been lying about?