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Legal, pensions and money

Advice re winding up estate.

(159 Posts)
HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 11:23:12

Just had a phone call from a lady in her late 30's.
Her mother has passed away and her father passed away some years ago.
There is a will.
The problem is she does not know where the money is but she knows the house is owned by her mother.
The only help I can think of giving her is to offer to help to search the house for evidence of money. I will not feel comfortable looking through other people's cupboards but I will do it if she wants me to.
Anybody got any other suggestions.
When my father passed away I had his money recorded on a spread sheet and I knew exactly where it was. I just think there is a chance a Gransnetter has been in this situation.

Frank

Ana Thu 21-Mar-13 11:34:42

Perhaps the solicitor who drew up the will could help. Otherwise, surely your friend could search her mother's house for paperwork herself?

Bez Thu 21-Mar-13 11:35:20

My thoughts exactly!

whenim64 Thu 21-Mar-13 11:41:37

Leave it with the solicitor and the execution of the will, Frank. Your frequent involvement with others' property and finances is becoming rather too much and could leave you open to suspicion!

Anne58 Thu 21-Mar-13 11:48:16

Surely this is something that should be dealt with by the solicitor and the executor?

Frank for heavens sake STOP putting your underpants on over your trousers and trying to be some sort of Superhero.

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 11:48:50

Ana and Bez

I hear what you are saying but she is doing a full time job and it is a big house with lots of furniture.
It will take up a lot of time to go through everywhere and I have heard some weird things in the past like a man put his late wife's jewellery in the tool drawer in the garage.
Obviously only searching will bring this sort of thing to light but I am trying to think of ways I could possibly help speed things up and take some of the pressure off her at this distressing time.
She told me the solicitor was not given details of the money at the time and in any case he is long retired.

Frank

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 11:50:35

phoenix

This lady is the executor.
I was my fathers executor.

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 11:55:35

Obviously if nobody can think of anything but I thought there may be somebody on gransnet who may have been in this situation.

Frank

whenim64 Thu 21-Mar-13 11:55:56

None of your business Frank. Keep out!

gillybob Thu 21-Mar-13 11:56:47

I can virtually predict the next thrilling instalment in the life of Frank .

"I am being accused of taking things that did not belong to me after
rummaging around helping a lady in her late 30's go through her late mothers house. Queer people are knocking on my door asking where I have hidden the money, jewellery whatever.............."

Oh for goodness sake........ I think I need some kind of counselling just for reading the bloody threads never mind replying to them confused

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 12:01:44

Thanks

Just trying to help somebody and get kicked in the teeth.

gillybob Thu 21-Mar-13 12:06:18

What?? Frank You got kicked in the teeth? Who did it?

Was it one of those queer folk??

Ana Thu 21-Mar-13 12:10:46

gillybob, don't! My ribs are still aching from yesterday! grin

whenim64 Thu 21-Mar-13 12:15:52

You're not helping Frank - you're creating suspicion about your motives and reinforcing concerns about all those other women you claim to have 'helped.' It goes some way to explain why these locals have been complaining about how you acquired your house, and why social workers have not been friendly towards you. If you are sending out signals that you regularly involve yourself in the finances of older people, you may find official visitors at your front door before long, not just women with some sort of grievance. Why don't you have a think about what you are telling us about yourself?

glammanana Thu 21-Mar-13 12:40:21

I find it strange that none of the properties concerned are everyday two up and two down houses confused and that none of the ladies concerned have male relatives available.
when your comments are so well founded.

Bags Thu 21-Mar-13 12:41:10

If Frank does not tell us why this lady in her late thirties rang him, then I think the whole story is fiction from beginning to end. Women in their late thirties do not just ring Hunters out of the blue and ask them for assistance after the death of parents.

"She doesn't know where the money is".

What money?

I think Frank is playing an online mystery game and is posting the problems he comes up against on gransnet in the hope that we'll solve the next bit of the game for him and he can move to another room or get another strange phone call or knock on the door.

It doesn't make sense otherwise.

sunseeker Thu 21-Mar-13 12:43:44

As I have mentioned before I think Frank is a student who is trying to wind up the wrinklies, alternatively he is a Walter Mitty type who has to dramatise everything that happens to him.

He gets stopped by the police and weaves a story about having been reported as a DUI.

Someone mentions that she has to sort out her father's estate and he tells the story that she needs his help and he would have to search the house for details of hidden money.

Someone mentions they thought his father had left something to a girlfriend and he is immediately the target of elderly people accusing him of all sorts of wicked things.

Then of course there all the different pensions he is receiving!

Sorry Frank but no-one has so much happen to them in such a short time.

It is entertaining though, I'll give you that

Galen Thu 21-Mar-13 12:49:40

Could be, hmm prefer Bags' theory!

sunseeker Thu 21-Mar-13 12:54:33

Galen you may be right grin

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 12:55:41

Hi sunseeker

I have agreed to help her search the house yet.
She has obviously approached me knowing I have dealt with my father's estate recently.
I just can not think what advice I could give her and helping her search the house is all I can think of but as people on here have said it might not be wise.

Frank

glammanana Thu 21-Mar-13 12:59:49

Am I wrong in thinking that we know where our parents had articles of value in their homes or am I from another planet altogether. ?

Nonu Thu 21-Mar-13 13:02:37

Just a tip , when and if you go searching for the money , do not forget to look on the underside of the drawers , as people often hide things there !!!!

wink

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 13:10:52

glamanana

I knew exactly where my father's valuables were.
I have just been on to Age UK and they have said they do a book of life in which people record where their money is and they are sending one to me.
My daughter has my will and the other a certified copy in their bank safe custody.
Most of my info is on my laptop and backed up at their houses.
I will have a look at this book of life to see if I have omitted anything.
Obviously this will not help this lady.
They have given me the name of a couple of organisations to try but I suspect this will come to nothing.

Frank

sunseeker Thu 21-Mar-13 13:14:34

I was sole executor of my DHs Will and as a mere older female managed to deal with it without calling on the services of a man. My DH was also something of a packrat and would hide money around the house. I quite simply searched one room at a time and am sure I have got it all.

Strangely enough I haven't had anyone ring asking for my help in sorting out an estate!

HUNTERF Thu 21-Mar-13 13:15:07

Nonu

Thanks for that. I will pass it on if I am involved in the search or not.
Its the most helpful advice I have had so far on Gransnet.
Thinking about it another place to look will be under furniture etc.

Frank