My mum just passed away and Philips and Cohen are chasing debts

TBagpuss

I'm very sorry for your loss. As TonyMMM says, they are trying to work out if it is worth their applying to administer the estate.

Do as KeepPeddling says. Tell them that the state is insolvent, that you are not the executor or administrator and are not in a position to provide any further information, and that they are not to contact you further.

If they continue, tell them you will consider further contact to be harassment. Make a note of the name of the person you speak to and ask them to ensure that they note on their records that you are not to be contacted.

If necessary, follow through. Log it with the police, get a crime reference number.

Nina1986

Thank you guys so much for replying. Sorry I haven't replied sooner, everything just seemed too much to deal with. Taking it one step at a time. My sister and I are going to write to Vanquis and Phillips and Cohen probate again. We've been dealing with RIAS car insurance as mum was a policy holder and asking them to stop sending us demands for direct debit mum had. Apparently it is our responsibility to deal with this but after reading your comments, we've sent out a letter explaining we aren't dealing with the estate as there are no assets.

I really appreciate all your responses. Thank you xxxxx

eddyinfreehold

There is always a period of confusion with administration. In order to simplify things you should inform all those organisations your mum was involved with of her death and enclose a copy of the death certificate. The bank will then freeze her account (I suspect they have already) regardless of whether it is empty or not. Similarly the car insurance policy will be cancelled and they will stop bothering you.

Margot123

eddyinfreehold wrote: »

There is always a period of confusion with administration. In order to simplify things you should inform all those organisations your mum was involved with of her death and enclose a copy of the death certificate. The bank will then freeze her account (I suspect they have already) regardless of whether it is empty or not. Similarly the car insurance policy will be cancelled and they will stop bothering you.

If only this were true in practice. In my previous experience, some do not 'leave you alone' until you threaten them with legal action.

On informing British Gas, and Direct Line of a person's death, I was issued with demands for outstanding bills directly to my home address and in my own name. The information was gathered when I called them. Then came debt collection letters (in my name).

Some 5 months later, I finally have 'condolences' and bills addressed to 'the executor'. I was given £20 compensation by one company but the other has never acknowledged their mistake and the stress they caused.

BTW it took two 28 mile round trips to the deceased's bank with the death certificate, 8 phone calls to their 'bereavement dept' (which is actually a generic call centre), 2 letters, and 3 months for them to freeze the account.

What they claim to do for 'the bereaved' on their websites, and what they actually do are very different things.
Maybe i just had bad luck, but I do wonder.

UPDATE: by strange coincidence I have today received a letter from EON stating they are instructing Phillips and Cohen. How odd as the account is very much up-to-date and not one penny is owed. This type of behaviour again demonstrates how these companies deal with bereaved people.

Nina1986

Interestingly RIAS's letter was worded 'on your a' which isn't true, it's not our account, we aren't the policy holder and we actually can't drive! I'm wondering then if they would get debt collectors in our names too.

The Phillip and Cohen business says they take care and sensitivity to the deceased family but we've had phone calls and letters from them. As soon as I informed Vanquis it took them two weeks to get Phillips and Cohen involved. Mum's funeral was on the late November, we got letters that week demanding payment. It's so stressful. Their idea of bereavement training is probably to negotiate and persuade families to pay outstanding debts.

eddyinfreehold

This is fundamentally WRONG, both legally and morally. I did not have an issue with any of this a year ago. The bank and all the connected bodies were excellent. The closest might possibly have been a gas delivery of £700 to my late father's static tank which had been ordered a month before the death. As the estate was solvent and the gas was needed the bank authorised the gas payment. Using a factor or bailiff to attempt to collect outstanding debt from the personal finances of the executor of an exhausted estate is sharp practice at best, illegal at worst. Firms should be named and shamed.

Firms who are trying to extort money from executors of insolvent estates need showcasing on Radio 4 Moneybox or Radio 4 You and Yours to make a wider public aware.

My personal thinking is that like voting, parliament, taxation, the constitution, rights and the law, the legalities of death should form part of the PHSE curriculum for all pupils 16-18. The UK is so up itself with things like this...far too embarrassing to talk about, like your payslip or personal wealth.

Death, taxes, local and national government happen and we should know how they work. Otherwise when the time comes we are all left in a personal mess and the professionals pick up the pieces for us less a 20% cut for their fees. Sorry, Rant Over.

Margot123

Nina1986 wrote: »

Interestingly RIAS's letter was worded 'on your a' which isn't true, it's not our account, we aren't the policy holder and we actually can't drive! I'm wondering then if they would get debt collectors in our names too.

The Phillip and Cohen business says they take care and sensitivity to the deceased family but we've had phone calls and letters from them. As soon as I informed Vanquis it took them two weeks to get Phillips and Cohen involved. Mum's funeral was on the late November, we got letters that week demanding payment. It's so stressful. Their idea of bereavement training is probably to negotiate and persuade families to pay outstanding debts.

My update above is proof that they DO NOT listen to anything. All the bills are paid up to date on the estate I'm dealing with and yet they are still sending letters. They certainly are using the guise of 'bereavement support' to intimidate those closest to the deceased.

My next step is a complaint to the ombudsman, as I have had no response from EON in the 6 months it's been going on regarding this.