I was executor of the estate of my cousin who died in April of 2000.
She left sums of money to 40 people, ten charities and the remainder
to a hospital research department. The process (extensive research
needed) was completed in Nov. 2001. The money was determined by
amounts and not percentages. She has two nieces, who were left sixty
thousnad dollars, but other than that, I am her only relative, being
her third cousin. I received the contents of her home and her car,
along with fifty thousand dollars. As executor, I received 17,000
dollars. The entire estate was worth $650,000.

My question is this: I found $20,000.00 in stocks that I did not know
about. The company sent me a letter informing me of the funds. The
estate has been closed and everyone paid. The attorney that handled
the matter with me states that the stock goes to me. The estate work
is done, and I should get the death certificate and executor
certificate, obtain the stock certificates (since they were lost) and
have them transfered into my name. Then I can take the funds and keep
the stock or liquidate it. I live in Atlantic County NJ, my cousin
lived in  Bergan County, NJ.
She was never married and had no children, and as I stated, has two nieces
that have had no contact with me or with the deceased in decades,
except for the time I signed the checks for the funds she left to
them.

Is this stock rightfully mine? Should it go to the research hospital
who received the remainder of the estate after all of the people and
charities received the amount stated in her will? Two lawyers
explained that the stock was mine since the work on the estate was
completed several years ago.

Thank you in advance for your help. If you need clarification, please let me know.
Sarah Ann