Don't give someone a glass of water when their real problem is hydrophobia.  Many of the questions here should be prefaced with, "What else do I need to ask my client?" (Sometimes, it should be "my client has given me way too much information, what do I really need in order to do the tax return?")  Speaking of rabies, I think some preparers have been bitten by a client and are now afraid to approach any for more information.

Having said that, let's assume that these people created the biggest mess possible, because that's usually how it turns out.  My guess is that the brother left his sister a life estate, with remainder to his kids.  Then the sister, thinking she might need the county to pay her nursing home, gave her kids a remainder interest in her half, keeping a life estate.  So how did this client acquire title, when, and what was it?  (We know it wasn't an even 9-way split because she got only $30K out of $515K.)  And what did she have to sign in order to get it, or did someone just forge her signature on a quitclaim deed?