Littlewoods query. Can anyone help please?

fascinated

Hi guys,

Not sure if I am posting this in the right place. A relative of mine has recently died and we have discovered she had a Littlewoods account with rather a huge debt owing on it.

I have tried to telephone Littlewoods to discuss the procedures today but the department I needed was closed until tomorrow. I'm terrified about the debt and it doesn't look as though she had the payment protection insurance. There isn't enough money in the estate to even cover the funeral so there isn't enough to pay this off in full.

I have tried to ascertain Littlewoods policy on such instances on their website but have not come up with anything. I know I can find out tomorrow when I ring them but I just wondered whether anyone has any practical experience of this or any advice to offer.

Many thanks.

Fasci xx

MrsTinks

If a debtor dies then the debt is paid from the deceaseds estate - if there is not sufficient in there to pay any debts then the creditor will be unable to go after anyone else for their debts Yes they will get "theirs" first out of the estate, but if there isn't enough (say she owed £1000 and there is only £200 then £200 is all they get and they will have to dream about the remaining £800... they CAN NOT come after any relatives or executors of wills personally for any other debts - although some WILL tell you they can and they may try - if they do report them!

fatbelly

It sounds like Littlewoods will be getting nothing at all out of this one.

If you alert them to this possibility tomorrow you may get unwelcome pressure to pay them before the funeral expenses.

Giving them your phone number may also be a bad idea.

Personally, I think you should write and ask them for a balance figure.

...if you are the executor

Primmer

I would simply write them a letter to inform them of the death of your relative and inform them that there is insufficient money in the estate for them to receive any payments.
They cannot force you or anyone else to pay this debt if there is insufficient money in the estate to pay it.

fatbelly

I agree with Primmer except I would just say at this stage

'I am collecting information relating to the assets and liabilities of the estate of the late...'

Break the bad news to them later. Make them wait.

fascinated

Thanks everyone. When I speak to them tomorrow I'll just inform them of the death. It is still very early days so accurate details of all the assets and liabilities are not truly known, although obviously we have a pretty good idea that there is no way this is going to be covered. TBH I was just concerned that the deceased's partner would be forced to continue making the payments which I just don't think he can do, at least not at the rate of the minimum payments.

Thanks for all your help.

Fasci xx

RAS

Hi

He can only be required to pay the debt back IF he jointly signed the original Consumer Credit Agreement. Was it a credit card or store card? And if this documentation was legally sound, which a lot is not.

If someone has a joint debt, when they stop paying then the liability passes to the other party immediately. If it is a sole debt, the liability dies with the debtor.

Warning however less scrupulour creditors (not Littlewoods but any DCA that gets hold of the debt) will tell him otherwise.

Do make sure someone advises the Councilt tax and benefits people promptly as well, or he risks being overpaid.

fatbelly

RAS - sounds like it was a catalogue debt in the name of the deceased.

You & I know that it was probably unenforceable anyway as it is likely to be pre-April 2007 and no signed agreement.

But no need to go there...

BlueIsTheColour

Just send them a letter when you have the death certificate,(with a copy of it attached) explaining there is no estate and as such they should write off the O/S debt, I have just had to do a similar thing for a relative of mine.

Also with regards to funeral expenses, depending on the circumstances, it is possible that the Environmental Health department of the council where the person passed away will help by providing a basic funeral free of charge. This only includes the actual service, no cars etc, but could be worth enquiring? Again, this is what I had to do recently and was handled marvellously by the EHO concerned.

Sorry to hear but hope you resolve it quickly, dont take any carp from them

custardy

when my mother died littlewoods wrote of her account balance without any quibble IIRC

Peekay32

I work in a DCA and we write off deceased accounts no quibble if they're small, sometimes if the accounts are £300+ our clients will want a copy of the death certificate.