Can I stop people pestering me about my father's estate.

Hi Faye

You are perfectly right in saying ''Being a friend does not give someone the right to inherit a house''
I have heard it said by ladies on many occasions that some elderly man has a nice expensive house but half of it belongs to the children ie they are registered as owners at the land registry and they think if they go and live with a man for a few months they will get the house and the children will lose their right to their half.
This is not true. The children own half the house whatever happens but I am not sure what will happen if the man gets married again and brings the new wife in to the house. I do not know if the children can throw her out when he passes away, sell the house and give her half of the proceeds or if the children will have to wait for her to pass away.
In my case I am not sure if anybody else could get title to my half of the house as there is a clause on the land certificate saying no sale, transfer, or charge is to be given over the house without the consent of my children.
If I have to go into care I think it is possible the council may not be able to get any of my house.
Unfortunately my wife has passed away but there is no way I will get married again owing to the complications it could cause my or possibly her children.

Martin

I think CAB would give you the same advice - police and if all else fails, a solicitor's letter to the offenders.

Try the police first, as they are free! Some of them are very helpful.
Citizen's advice may also be worth a try.

emmah. This is harrassment, how dare they bother you when your father had recently passed away. My mother died in November last year too, I can imagine it must have been a very difficult time for you. I would immediately report this to the police. Being a friend does not give someone the right to inherit a house. You might need some evidence, a peephole camera and some recordings would help. Good luck

I can confirm that this woman had been told my name was in the land certificate. My father told her in front of me the other half of the property would become mine.
My father decided to split with her as he had been left with the bill on about 4 occasions for meals for her and all of her grandchildren.
She also wanted to go on a cruise and wanted Dad to pay and he did not have the money in a liquid form at the time and she approached me for the money.
I spoke to Dad in private and he said he did not want to go on a cruise and no way did he want me to pay.
Oddly enough we went to France on the cross channel ferry a few weeks after they split up and Dad did not feel too well on the boat going to France and coming back so I could fully understand why he did not want to go on a cruise.
The sea was reasonably calm and Dad has never really been well on any boat.
I will have to involve a solicitor which is the general advice in this thread. It is just annoying as solicitors are not cheap.
The house and my pensions are my largest asset.
The house is also my home. My parents purchased the house in 1953 so it has been the family home for 59 years.
I hope one of my daughters will be in a position to take the house over if I have to buy somewhere smaller.

Emma

That is appalling and you have my sympathies.
I agree you need to talk to either a solicitor or a local community police officer.
I wonder - what if every time this happened you smiled serenely took out your mobile phone and took a photo of the person, or just pretended to.

emmah I would go down the route of putting a notice in your local paper stating any further harrassment will be dealt with by a court of law to the people concerned,I also feel that solicitors letters will also work as those whose address you do not know will be informed of your intentions by the bullies whose address you do know and have received said notice from your solicitor.How strange it is that when people pass away all sorts of claims come out of the woodwork and people you have hardly ever had anything to do with suddenly have a vestred interest in the person concerned.

I really think you have got to contact a solicitor as I think these people will not go away.
The situation may be difficult if the woman had not known of your existance and your father had willed the house to her and she did not know of your part ownership.
In this case however she clearly knew you were there although you do not say if she knew of your part ownership.
I think the main point here is your father terminated his friendship with her over a year before so she can not say she was financially dependent on him and if she has contributed to the house she should have queried ownership as you were there.
She therefore has no right to the property.

Martin

I agree with the advice given here. You are your Father's sole beneficiary according to his Will and therefore she has no entitlement.

Is she saying she made contributions towards the upkeep of the house, or that she took care of your Father on the promise that he would leave her the house?

If they had been living together for several years and she had made contributions to the household then she might have some claim but from the sounds of things this wasn't the case.

I would contact a solicitor (a lot will do a free initial consultation). This woman has obviously told everyone her side of the story and so they are taking her at her word. The house has been your home for 10 years - don't let the bullies win.

That should read 10 months Emma, sorry.

I don't believe in luck, unless it's making your own. If you want this resolved then do something about it, especially if this has lrrady been going on for 20 months. Good advice has been given - send a solicitor's letter, starting with the club. You might also want to post in the personal section of your local paper, if you feel able to, saying that any future harassment will elicit legal action.

Surely harrassing someone in this way is a criminal offence?

Good luck, emmah. Don't give in to the bullies. Even if half of them got the lawyer's letter, it might do the trick.

Sorry I forgot to mention there are about 20 people involved in this harasment.

I have the contact details for about half of them as at 2010.
Oddly enough I was a member of a social club along with my father and my membership expired in December 2011.
Most of these people were members of that club and I presume the club would have their contact details.
The commitee sent me a letter stating they wanted me to attend a disiplinary hearing as it was alleged I had not been honourable in my dealings.
I was not intending to renew my membership anyway so I never bothered to go.
Some of these members have been long standing members of this club including the woman I mentioned.
As far as I am concerned the house is mine and I intend to go on living in it.
I am not giving it up because several people think I should.
I have now joined a more suitable club anyway.

Emma

Good idea Bags. I was similarly pestered/bullied after DH died about something of his that another person felt they had a right to. I tried reason, explanations, ignoring them. The communications became increasingly unpleasant but stopped immediately once I instructed a solicitor to write to them.

If you know who they are, could lawyer's letters be sent to them asking them to desist from harassing you?