2 Administrators of estate?

WillGetter

Hi. The short of it is:


Remaining parent died. No will. So the estate is intestate - meaning it should be shared 4 ways between the living siblings.


One sibling applied and got the Grant of letter of Administration last summer. Since then they have gone completely AWOL - seemingly refusing to answer any correspondence from anybody. It's been several months already.
I have actually paid the £10 fee and downloaded a copy of the grant of admin - with youngest siblings name on it - from the gov website.
I also have a copy of the death certificate (June 2018).


Does anyone know it it's possible for myself (as the eldest of the siblings) to apply to become the administer of the estate and basically take over? I could literally sort this out in a number of days - sending the 25% of the estate money to the others via bank transfer (the others are also none the wiser to what has gone on here).


Thanks for any help. I did contact a solicitor who said I would have to pay £360 before they would even speak to me. I'm trying to avoid those fees if ultimately possible, as it seems like the whole estate could go on Solicitor fees judging by that initial consultation fee.

74jax

If it will only take days, I'm guessing no probate, nothing to sell, accounts to close?

If there isn't anything in the estate, is it worth causing the upset?

Keep_pedalling

The only person with any authority to handle the estate is your AWOL sibling, I would suggest the rest of arrange to turn up at their house and not leave until you get an expenation as to what is going on.

You could get him/her removed through the courts but that would be very expensive.

nom_de_plume

WillGetter wrote: »

I could literally sort this out in a number of days - sending the 25% of the estate money to the others via bank transfer (the others are also none the wiser to what has gone on here).


I also have a copy of the death certificate (June 2018).

What does the estate comprise of? If it's just money in the bank is it a large amount or relatively small sums? If the latter, it's entirely possible you could turn up at the branch(es) armed with your copy of the death certificate and collect the funds yourself.



The death certificate would need to be an original copy and not a photocopy.

eddyinfreehold

One sibling applied and got the Grant of letter of Administration last summer. Since then they have gone completely AWOL - seemingly refusing to answer any correspondence from anybody. It's been several months already.


Before going any further, are you absolutely sure the sibling is alive and well and living in this country? Has he/she been in any kind of contact at all (phone, text, email) with any other sibling? One assumes that nothing tragic has happened to them, but from what you have posted this can't be certain.

Marcon

You're stuck until the sibling in question gets on and does something, so making contact is the top priority. Is this 'typical' behaviour of the sibling in question, or is complete radio silence wholly out of character? Assuming you have a current residential address, has anyone gone round and tried to make contact that way?

konark

Assuming there were assets, are you sure they haven't gone AWOL too?