Help Please - Credit cards in dads name

Braveheart50

Hi Guys,

Im new to this forum and require advice please.

My dad passed away a few days ago and through sorting all his bits out we need advice about his credit cards! ... they were all in his name about 6 with about 4,000 on each card. about 4 of those cards have PPI .. we need to look into wat kind of ppi he had. In my Dads will he has stated my mum to be executor. the house has transferred into her name automatically as they were joint tenants not tenants in common. We know we are not responsible for these cards. but we dont know how to approach these creditors what do we need to say in the letters etc? we are stopping payments to the cards and are wanting to send letters with Death certificates .. is there any templates anywhere?? ....

Just need sum really good advice .. can answer any more questions if i havent covered enough!

Thanks in advance!

CLAPTON

from
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingDebt/DebtsAndArrears/DG_10013093


'Joint tenants'

If you were ‘joint tenants’, you owned the whole property together and the deceased person's share passes automatically to you.
But even though it's now in your estate, you can't ignore the debts. Creditors can apply for an 'Insolvency Administration Order' within five years of the death. This can have the effect of dividing the property in two and can force a sale. So it's in your interest to try to come to an agreement with people who are owed money, and try to pay them yourself.
Information as to whether you own the property as 'tenants in common' or 'joint tenants' may be shown in the Transfer or Lease by which you acquired the property or in a Trust Deed or in a Will. The land register may also provide a clue, but Land Registry cannot advise you on which kind of ownership you have chosen.

• Check your property ownership details with the Land Registry Opens new window

Tixy

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=21_what_to_do_about_debt_when_someone_dies

Have a read of this factsheet to help mother sort out the estate and his debts.

chattychappy

Sorry to hear about this.

Some discussion of the issue CLAPTON has raised in here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2403433
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2447605

Perhaps after you've tried the links, you can ask again and people can help further.

FWIW, in my experience banks have been decent when handling situations such as this. Sadly some people do take advantage so they will want you to prove death, as you're expecting.

Braveheart50

The only thing we r sure of is that it was joint tenancy as the solicitor has stated this and also confirmed the house is now in my mums name.

i just want to be very careful at how these letters are worded as i dont want my mother to be responsible for these debts as she doesnt work and just need a stress free time of doing this as she is obv distressed from the loss of my father.

thanks guys for ur help so far.. im feeling more confident ... just hope the banks are easy on us!!

another question is .. is there different types of PPI? ... cause we know he had ppi on about 4 of those cards but sods law we just cant find the terms!!

Thank uuu

Braveheart50

Are they any templates i can send to creditors guy?? x

redpete

Braveheart50 wrote: »

We know we are not responsible for these cards. but we dont know how to approach these creditors what do we need to say in the letters etc? we are stopping payments to the cards.

Well, almost. The debt is owed by the estate for which the executor is responsible. It sounds like the house is safe but if there is money in the estate then this should be available to pay off the cards. If there is no money in the estate (once funeral costs are paid for) then the debt is written off by the CCs. I would contact each of the CC companies immediately and tell them what has happened.

If they act like Barclaycard did when my father died a year ago they will suspend interest and not require payments until the estate is sorted out; in our case there was no money outside shared accounts so the debt was written off. We had to send a copy (official copy, not just a photocopy) of the death certificate to Barclaycard and they did the rest.