Identity of beneficiaries

Biggles

My mother's will, of which I am an executor, provides for a couple of small bequests to children (adult, now married) of my brother's ex. They are now in the States and, though my brother has addresses, they go back some six years or so, so may not be current.

When I write, is there some way I should ask the person replying to identify themselves, so that I can be sure, when I do send a cheque, it is going to the beneficiary, not just to the person who now lives at that address?

SailorSam

Maybe your first letter may only suggest that you are researching your family history. Explain who you are, your parents etc and ask them for any information they have about their roots, you could mention your brother and small things that they would recognise from the past.
Maybe they will reply to an email address, whereas they may not bother to sit down and write a letter. If you get a reply you can then write and mention the bequest.

Errata

You could write to them saying you're writing in connection with a legal matter and to make sure they're who you think they are you'd be grateful if they could confirm their parents names, mothers maiden name, dates of borth for both, their grandparents names and places of residence for them all - town and county - in the UK.

Biggles

Not sure what a solicitor would do and don't know one to ask (free!).

I guess I might ask for photocopies of their birth certificates and passports.

EdInvestor

Surely the brother can ID them on the phone?

Biggles

EdInvestor wrote: »

Surely the brother can ID them on the phone?

In fact he is going to try the phone numbers he had to see whether there are still current. But I've still asked him if they'll send some ID for me to file away in case there were ever any queries about the distribution. Covering my own back, in other words! ;-)

Mrs_pbradley936

Something similar happened to a friend of mine, an aunt who had emigrated to Australia decades previously died. She did not have any children of her own and left my friend and her two siblings everything BUT the money it cost to trace them ate almost everything away no family members doing the tracing - just lawyers and private detectives.

Mojisola

Errata wrote: »

You could write to them saying you're writing in connection with a legal matter and to make sure they're who you think they are you'd be grateful if they could confirm their parents names, mothers maiden name, dates of borth for both, their grandparents names and places of residence for them all - town and county - in the UK.

If I received a letter from a stranger asking for all this information, it would go straight into the bin! I would be worried about identity theft.

I don't think you have any choice but to pay a lawyer to verify their identities. Remember that the cost would come out of the estate, not your pocket.

Biggles

Mojisola wrote: »

Remember that the cost would come out of the estate, not your pocket.

The estate is my pocket!

Mojisola

Biggles wrote: »

The estate is my pocket!

I'm not sure what you mean - is the estate entirely yours apart from these bequests? If so, I can see why you don't want to spend huge amounts finding strangers.

sloughflint

Mojisola wrote: »

If I received a letter from a stranger asking for all this information, it would go straight into the bin! I would be worried about identity theft.

But none of that particular info was about them. I thought it was a good idea under the circumstances.