Should We Administer Relative's Intestate Estate?

getmore4less

woodbine66 wrote: »

Thanks again to all who answered. We're going to press the person who appears to be handling some of our relative's affairs for more info. We may also need to take independent legal advice.


I need to ask a general, procedural question about intestate estates. When an administrator has, or is about to finalise the estate, prior to paying beneficiaries - which official or official body is responsible for ensuring that all entitled beneficiaries have been identified and are getting their share?


I ask this because an intestate estate seems more complicated than if there was a will, with potential for distant, estranged people (maybe abroad) who are valid beneficiaries being left out. What checks are made, and who makes them?


Still no reply from the agent to my initial email, sent almost a week ago. I will update any progress.

There is no official body that deal with estates other than the courts if someone asks them to get involved(disputes)

The probate office should check the person applying is appropriate and they are left to get on with it.

HMRC are only interested in the tax position of the estate.


The administrator should take reasonable steps to ensure the distribution is correct.

The basic tree are often relatively easy to traverse the problem comes where there may be "hidden" family.

woodbine66

Thanks for the information, getmore4less.


Also, had no reply from the estate agent, a week after I emailed him. This is a very strange situation, and I worry who is responsible for what. Questions like; who has access to her home? Is the home and the property in it secure? Are her belongings even still in her house?


She had some valuable silverware, china and a painting or two among other things handed down through the family. There's probably no record of these being in her possession, so if any were to disappear, it would be only our word that they ever existed. This is a bizarre situation, and seemingly anyone can assume control of a person's estate.

getmore4less

I would have gone to the town by now.

HampshireH

Have you not visited the estate agent for answers?

konark

Her house will almost certainly be uninsured as that would lapse at death and be for occupied not unoccupied property .The EA can't buy insurance for the estate as they have no financial interest in the house.

Flugelhorn

I hope you are heading off to check on the house today and calling in at the estate agents office to get some information.

re the contents of the property - not much you can do about that, she may have sold lots of things since she was last known to the family

woodbine66

Thanks again for your replies. I tried to telephone the estate agent on Friday, but his office said he was on holiday until Monday.


We don't know her address. The agent told us the town where our relative lives, but not the address. Don't know if he will give us the address. I phoned the council that covers the town and understandably they were unable to give me the address from their council tax records. I have tried the online 192 electoral roll search, and she doesn't appear on it. Not sure if she would have been removed following death.


Only way to definitely get her address is from a copy of the death cert from the council. Not sure how long this would take, but may be our only option. Will contact the agent on Monday.

Flugelhorn

woodbine66 wrote: »

T

Only way to definitely get her address is from a copy of the death cert from the council. Not sure how long this would take, but may be our only option. Will contact the agent on Monday.

You need to go to the registrar of the district in which she died - do you know if she died at home or in hospital?

woodbine66

Flugelhorn wrote: »

You need to go to the registrar of the district in which she died - do you know if she died at home or in hospital?

Thanks for your reply, Flugelhorn.

We know nothing about her death, except the date.

Flugelhorn

woodbine66 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, Flugelhorn.

We know nothing about her death, except the date.

Might be worth phoning the registrars office in the local area where she lived and if no info there ask them what offices would cover the local hospitals