Executors duty to debtors?

Trapdoor

My mum passed away a week ago today ... Grand old age of 91 so can't complain really

I am the sole beneficiary and also the sole executor of her estate (mostly made up of her house). Being 91 she paid everything by cheque or cash ... Direct debits and debit cards were a complete no-no for her.

The problem is that there will be bills starting to appear from the likes of British Gas, Eon, BT, the water company etc, for her utilities, and she had already received the renewal for her contents and buildings insurance. Her only bank account has now been frozen by Nat West, though I'm going to see them about setting up an executor account.

My query is, are the utilities 'expected' to wait until grant of probate before having their account settled, and if so, would they expect to charge interest on the outstanding accounts. And also, because we want to ensure that her house doesn't deteriorate over the winter, we want to run some background heat and a dehumidifier, so don't want to be 'cut off' in the interim.

Has anyone any experience of this? If push comes to shove, I will pay the bills myself, but being self-employed I'd rather not have to fund the utilities huge profits, and the CEO's bonuses and bills discounts at my 'expense'. Both her previous gas and electric bills are frightening :eek:

Thanks in advance.

trulys

Firstly, I'm sorry to hear of your loss. 91 is certainly an age to be proud of though.

I found the following from the British Gas website which shows how they deal with things. So from this, it looks like you'll be OK and they'll wait for payment until Probate is granted. There's a tel. no. at the bottom you can call. Not sure how they'd deal with ongoing electricity usage, but they will want a meter reading now so that they can produce an accurate bill. With my father's property, the account is now in the name of "The Executors of....", and I've paid the bills, which are minimal considering there's nobody there, as and when they've cropped up.

What are the probate procedures for a private property?

In certain circumstances, we will be able to simply change the name on the account and retain the same customer reference number. However, there are some situations where we will need to close the account and open a brand new one in the correct name. We will explain this process fully when you contact us.

Is there a close relative still living at the property?

For private properties where a close relative is still living in the property, we can simply change the name on the account, retaining all the same account numbers.In order to do this we will require the person living at the property to inform us about the change of name before we can amend the details as required. We understand that this may be an ordeal for you at this time. However, it is a legal requirement that we talk to you before we can place your name on the account. Please see below for contact details.

Is the property ready to be sold?

For private properties that are due to be sold, we will need a meter reading from around the time of the customers passing. If this information is not available then an up-to-date reading is ok. From this we will send an up-to-date bill to the solicitors or executors. This bill is for reference purposes only, to register our interest in the estate.We will then put a hold on this account until the Grant of Probate is received, this prevents inappropriate contact by British Gas. Please be aware that we may be in regular contact for updates on the progress of the estate as a matter of courtesy. You will need to contact us as soon as the Grant of Probate is received so we can change the account ownership into the beneficiaries / executors details.

Call our Probate Department directly on 0800 294 3125.* Our lines are open weekdays 8am-8pm and Saturdays 8am-6pm.

Alternatively, write to us at:

British Gas Probate
PO Box 4805
WORTHING
BN11 9QW

BT are very flexible, and a phone call to them will sort things out. I should imagine most companies will deal with bills the same way as British Gas, but a phone call to them will confirm this for definite.

You'll have to contact the buildings insurance company to let them know that you mother has passed away and that the property will now be unoccupied, so won't be needing to renew that existing policy which is now due for renewal. They might offer you a quote for insuring the property, but I found that Fresh Insurance offered me a very competitive price for unoccupied house insurance - there are certain provisos like you have to keep the property heated through winter, and visit the property regularly, etc.

You won't have to pay any Council Tax as the property will be exempt for 6 months after the date of Grant of Probate (this can differ from Council to Council I understand, so do check yours!). Just ring the local council and they'll send you a form probably. On another note, the bank will pay the funeral directors' invoice for you - just give them a copy of the invoice and they'll sort this out for you from her account.

Most companies are very understanding at these times, so hopefully you won't have to pay too much out at this stage.

Fire_Fox

Welcome, sorry it's under sad circumstances. It's worth reading a few of the other threads, paying bills has been covered a few times. You will need to deal with the insurance fairly urgently, they must be informed your mother has passed and the house is now unoccupied. The bank may pay the insurance for you if you explain how soon it is due, just as they will pay the funeral director.

You won't necessarily need a dehumidifier, the vast majority of damp is condensation which is a lifestyle issue - water released by breathing, air drying laundry, showering, washing up and cooking. Simply airing the property may be sufficient even in the coldest weather. Cutting off utilities is relatively rare, that usually happens after a lengthy period without contact and failed attempts to change to a prepayment meter.

Trapdoor

Thanks for all the information. Still struggling a bit to deal with the practicalities ... Seems a bit cold and harsh, but has to be done.

Meeting solicitor who holds her original will and the bank to setup an executors account on Friday.