Father passed, no will MIL problems.

Tuesday_Tenor

For £10 You can check when Letters of Administration were granted, and roughly what the estate was valued at at that point.

https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate

(note: probate office will 'round up' the declaration: for an estate valued at about £125K they might say 'estate valued at no more than £150k' or words to that effect.)

Solicitor would want copy, as first step, anyway.

AnotherJoe

My daughters house rose from £325 to £425 in about 18 months over a similar time period so I don't see that the value has risen out of reality.

Of course, what value it has now and in 3 months is another matter what with all the Brexit panic going on.

Yorkshireman99

TBEight wrote: »

i believe she has applied. the house sale is currently going through and completion is close.

i understand the maths behind the intestacy but I'm more so questioning how a house's value can jump 100,000k in 2 years, even by London's prices thats a joke. Doesn't common sense kick in and someone realise the figure she obtained back then was false?

The property belongs to the estate not your step mother. Unless she obtained LOA she has no right to sell. In any case she is not entitled to all the increase in value. The intestacy rules apply as at the date of death. You need a solicitor with expertise in the field to help. Don't let her get away with what is not hers.

myrnahaz

There will be IHT to pay on anything over £325k, so the increase in value of the house will be reduced quite significantly (I think IHT is 40%??).

konark

The low valuation may have been to avoid IHT but that sort of rise in 2 years does not surprise me in London; the Russian maf1a have deep pockets you know.

Finst

To add to the comments on London house prices, I am aware of a house purchased in late 2012 for £360k that sold for £590k in early 2016 (albeit with renovations). The increase in house price stated here is entirely possible and not evidence of any underhand tactics.

bouicca21

Not surprised at a rise of £100,000 in two years - one might even expect it to be more.

TBEight

thank you everyone for the input, i forgot to mention after obtaining the first valuation she had it up for sale for £470,000 within 3 months.

either way i've hit a brick wall, the solicitors employed to help with the matter won't give me an answers. it seems no one seems to be able to help

Yorkshireman99

Have you obtained a copy of the LOA? This should tell you more.