Council finance department dealing with late father's affairs

mustbemad

Unfortunately, I had lost contact with my father for the last few years, I have been trying to locate him since without luck until recently when I came across his online obituary notice 😕

It turns out he had been moved to a different area and was living in a nursing home. My query is this, if the council financial department had not even got around to obtaining a deputyship due to his declining mental health, what authority would they have to be dealing with his affairs? We have advised them that he did make s will several years ago so they have apparently paid for certainty to locate it. They tell me that until they have a will with a named executor or notification that no will can be located they will not release any details to us, his 2 daughters. All we want his access to his possessions to see if any photos have survived.

Sorry for the ramble, I hope someone can help

Mbm

Keep_pedalling

Deputyship is obtained through the courts once the person has lost capacity. How do you know they did not obtain it?

Deputyship ceases on death, but as you informed them that there is a will, then they are duty bound to deal with the executor(s). Have you any idea who drew up the will?

getmore4less

Check the list

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list

The authorities should notify if they were unaware of beneficiaries.

mustbemad

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

Deputyship is obtained through the courts once the person has lost capacity. How do you know they did not obtain it?

Deputyship ceases on death, but as you informed them that there is a will, then they are duty bound to deal with the executor(s). Have you any idea who drew up the will?

Hi, the lady dealing with his finances says that he was referred to them a few months prior to his death but they had not made the application for deputyship yet.

Unfortunately we do not know who drew up the will, he lived several hundred miles from us. Unless he made a later will, my sister and I were both named as executors. Apparently the council official checked through his things and found no paperwork regarding the will.

Thanks for your help, mbm

mustbemad

getmore4less wrote: »

Check the list

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list

The authorities should notify if they were unaware of beneficiaries.

His affairs had not been referred to the bona vacantia list, we found out he had passed away just a few weeks prior and had missed his funeral service by just a few days :sad:

Mbm