Mother died with debt and no estate. Help needed

zzzLazyDaisy

Heather, what the debt helpline told you is not true.

No-one can be forced to become an administrator for the estate, and this is especially true of an insolvent estate, because if you agree to administer the estate and get it wrong, you can be held personally liable to the creditors.

Some areas have specialist Bereavement Advice Centres (for example Birmingham does, if you are anywhere near there?). Otherwise if you don't mind telling us where your nearest large town is, we can check this out for you.

Alternatively there is a national bereavement advice centre, which has a helpline here (note: I found this on google and cannot comment on how good they are, but they do say their advice is free)

http://www.bereavementadvice.org/about-us.php

heatherw_01

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Some areas have specialist Bereavement Advice Centres (for example Birmingham does, if you are anywhere near there?). Otherwise if you don't mind telling us where your nearest large town is, we can check this out for you.

Halifax or Huddersfield

zzzLazyDaisy

Hi Heather

I can't find anything specific to administering an estate in your area, but there seems to be a branch of Cruse in Huddersfield (Cruse provides advice and support to bereaved people). Hopefully they should either be able to reassure and advise you, or point you in the direction of someone who can.

https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/localorgs/orgdetails.asp?OrgID=556

RAS

AgeUK have a large office in Leeds who might be able to help - next to St John's church.

zzzLazyDaisy

There is also a probate office in Leeds

http://probateoffices.co.uk/leeds-district-probate-registry/

They are used to dealing with bereaved people. Obviously they normally deal with people who are applying for probate, but they should be able to confirm for you that you cannot be forced to administer the estate against your wishes. They may also be able to tell you what needs to be done where there is an insolvent estate and no administrator.

heatherw_01

Thanks guys.

I heard that sending off death certificates is technically dealing with the estate.

If I send a death certificate off (such as to the CC company that wrote to me directly) will I end up getting forced into managing the rest of the estate or can I still walk away even after sending off a death certificate?

zzzLazyDaisy

Personally I would not send off the death certificate. I would just tell them that you are not administering the estate.

This is an insolvent estate, and to be honest you should not touch it with a bargepole, without getting proper advice, as if you do administer it, the creditors can hold you personally liable if you make a mistake. It just isn't worth it.

I suggest that you speak to Cruse, or AgeUK and get some specialist advice before you do anything.

heatherw_01

Will try to contact more people for advice as suggested

What about the one that wrote directly to me? They are asking for a death certificate

margaretclare

heatherw_01 wrote: »

Halifax or Huddersfield

Kirklees. Used to be an advice centre at the Zetland Centre, before they built that big new shopping centre.

securityguy

heatherw_01 wrote: »

Will try to contact more people for advice as suggested

What about the one that wrote directly to me? They are asking for a death certificate

"I am not administering the estate, and do not know who is. Please do not contact me again."