Death of a reservation holder

[v8eater]

Don't post much here as I'm not a current owner but have future plans.

My wife's Grandfather was a reservation holder. He passed early Tuesday morning at the age of 85. I was personally closer to him than either of my paternal Grandparents and we had many conversations about Tesla. I'd like to think I'm the one who turned him onto the idea of making the reservation. Before he passed, he said many times that if he lived long enough to take delivery he would want me to have the car after he died. It's a humbling statement given my respect for the man.

The family knows how much I love Tesla and has agreed to give me his spot in line given I do the leg work on how this process happens. I searched the web, and this site, but couldn't find anyone else with the same situation.

I assume the process would involve a call/letter to Tesla legal by the executor (mother in-law) of his will.

I have the financial means to buy the car after production and understand it may be two or more years. Not sure if him being a CA resident and me being active duty military complicates matters.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mike Freas

 

[JoaoD]

Don't post much here as I'm not a current owner but have future plans.

My wife's Grandfather was a reservation holder. He passed early Tuesday morning at the age of 85. I was personally closer to him than either of my paternal Grandparents and we had many conversations about Tesla. I'd like to think I'm the one who turned him onto the idea of making the reservation. Before he passed, he said many times that if he lived long enough to take delivery he would want me to have the car after he died. It's a humbling statement given my respect for the man.

The family knows how much I love Tesla and has agreed to give me his spot in line given I do the leg work on how this process happens. I searched the web, and this site, but couldn't find anyone else with the same situation.

I assume the process would involve a call/letter to Tesla legal by the executor (mother in-law) of his will.

I have the financial means to buy the car after production and understand it may be two or more years. Not sure if him being a CA resident and me being active duty military complicates matters.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mike Freas

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.
Send an email to Tesla or call them directly. They are the only ones who can help you solve this situation.
Just be patient with the response since everyone may be busy with today's event.
Best of luck.

 

[Yggdrasill]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

The first step is definitely to contact Tesla. They don't usually allow for transferring reservations, but I'm sure they'd make an exception in this case. I don't see how your state of residence should matter at this point, as it's only a reservation, not a confirmed order or the like.

I know there's an email for someone higher up in the system floating around. That may be helpful in cutting through the red tape, so to speak. Maybe someone here can provide the email.

 

[v8eater]

I appreciate the replies thus far.

I don't have any intention of contacting Tesla right away as we don't even have a death certificate. Also, given I'm not the executor of his estate, I'd doubt that would talk much to me about it.

I'd like to take as much burden of my mother in law as possible so if anyone else has a point of contact for someone who can make these types of decisions I'd appreciate it.

My son and I had plans to stay up and watch the delivery event tonight. I'm still beside myself that the family would consider doing this for me.

 

[SageBrush]

Deal with it when you can order.

 

[cpa]

My condolences on your loss. Grandfathers (whether one's own or another's) are special people.

Like others have said, I would wait until your situation smooths out. Have an original copy of the death certificate. Definitely contact Tesla via email (first) and explain the situation. With 400,000 or so reservations made and a lead time of up to 18 months, Tesla's executives had to have some sort of contingency plan (even though not expressly stated) available for reservation holders who die prior to being able to configure. I am not trying to be morbid here, but the odds of at least 1 in 400,000 reservation holders passing away in an 18-month period are an almost certainty.

At least I would hope that the powers that be have something in place.

 

[brucet999]

Don't post much here as I'm not a current owner but have future plans.

My wife's Grandfather was a reservation holder. He passed early Tuesday morning at the age of 85. I was personally closer to him than either of my paternal Grandparents and we had many conversations about Tesla. I'd like to think I'm the one who turned him onto the idea of making the reservation. Before he passed, he said many times that if he lived long enough to take delivery he would want me to have the car after he died. It's a humbling statement given my respect for the man.

The family knows how much I love Tesla and has agreed to give me his spot in line given I do the leg work on how this process happens. I searched the web, and this site, but couldn't find anyone else with the same situation.

I assume the process would involve a call/letter to Tesla legal by the executor (mother in-law) of his will.

I have the financial means to buy the car after production and understand it may be two or more years. Not sure if him being a CA resident and me being active duty military complicates matters.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mike Freas

You might want to talk to someone about whether his reservation might be considered an asset of the estate and therefor transferable by the executor. Such a finding would likely make it easier to get Tesla to go along with it.

 

[v8eater]

Appreciate all the input.

There is no hurry as I fully expect, even if I could transfer the reservation into my name today, to wait at least two years.

 

[Lloyd]

Tesla will want to apply a credit to the credit card that was used to place the deposit if you request a refund. Just FYI. Best wishes.

 

[Yggdrasill]

I suspect basically all current reservations will be delivered by the end of next year. Is that challenging for you, or are you *hoping* for the fastest possible delivery?

 

[v8eater]

I suspect basically all current reservations will be delivered by the end of next year. Is that challenging for you, or are you *hoping* for the fastest possible delivery?

Whenever is fine with me. It could be a year from now, or three. The wishes of him, and the family, is for me to have the car that he really wanted.

 

[v8eater]

Tesla will want to apply a credit to the credit card that was used to place the deposit if you request a refund. Just FYI. Best wishes.

We don't want a refund, we would just like the reservation to be changed into my name.

 

[Model 3]

I don't have any intention of contacting Tesla right away as we don't even have a death certificate. Also, given I'm not the executor of his estate, I'd doubt that would talk much to me about it.

I'd like to take as much burden of my mother in law as possible so if anyone else has a point of contact for someone who can make these types of decisions I'd appreciate it.

Sorry for your loss :/

You should still contact Tesla. But just to ask about how this process would be, and what point of contact your mother in law have to use and so on. That way you do as you statement in the last sentences quoted. For this you do not need the death certificate or have to be the executor of his estate.

 

[SageBrush]

We don't want a refund, we would just like the reservation to be changed into my name.

At least in terms in delivery date, I doubt it matters in two years. By then Tesla plans to make 3,000 cars a day

 

[tsla007]

If he notes in his will if the car/cars he owns or assets he owns goes to so and so (name) that person then has the legal rights of his model 3 order.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Technically, your wife's grandfather's reservation and the deposit he paid belongs to his estate. The executor of his Will probably will need to be involved, and Tesla may require it.

 

[X Fan]

My condolences for your family's loss.

You've received good guidance from others in reaching out to Tesla.

Btw: Thanks for your Service!

 

[v8eater]

Thanks everyone.

There is no specific guidance in his will about the reservation. He left everything to my mother in law who is the executor of his estate. We are early in this process and the family is still grieving. I just want to find out what needs to be done our our end for Tesla to consider our request.

 

[JonMc]

So sorry for your loss -- we'll definitely take care of this for you!

 

[v8eater]

So sorry for your loss -- we'll definitely take care of this for you!

Jon,

Wow, didn't expect a response this quickly given how busy Tesla is today. Let me know what correspondence you require via PM. We can discuss further off-line.