utility bills in debt

74jax

I would return any mail (bills etc) with a simple 'addressee has died, please return to sender'. That way you are giving zero information about yourself. 

Marcon

es5595 said:

wheeler1970 said:

also to mention would me closing his bank account class as administrating the estate?

Yes it would. Simply contact the banks, explain the situation and offer them a copy of his death certificate. 

Explain clearly and explicitly, in any written correspondence, “you are not administering the estate, simply providing the death certificate to aid their administration”. Repeat again and again. 

As previous posters have mentioned, give as few as personal details as possible, claim to be calling from a friends phone, no email and currently couch surfing, if possible!

Better idea: don't do anything except return post to send marked 'addressee deceased'. It feels really hard to do that when it's a close relative, but there is no requirement for you to contact anyone or do anything and you are far safer doing nothing.

thegreenone

Mojisola said:

You can inform all the agencies and companies without giving any contact details for yourself.

Most companies require an original Death Certificate, so if you don't tell them who you are, where do they return it to?  You are only allowed 5 copies now, at £11 a piece.  Even if you email a scan of the DC, the companies will have your email address, so how does your theory work?

Wheeler, once you have the DC your first stop is Tell me Once and then take the original DC, in person, to your late brother's bank/s.  They will register the death, take copies of the DC and send to the Bereavement Dept. You need to tell them he died Intestate and you are his sibling and only person to do this job.  Ask for the latest bank statements.

As he was in private rented, his deposit should be returned unless he owed his landlord money.  Any monies will need to go to creditors. That will probably be your only tricky bit.

Wheeler, please do not bury your head in the sand.   This needs to be dealt with and the quicker you do it the better (well, that's how I found it).  It does sound as though your brother was in more debt than mine was, when he died in 2012, but everything has to be shut down.  No Will.  No Executor.  No company should pursue you for his debts.

TBagpuss

thegreenone said:

Most companies require an original Death Certificate, so if you don't tell them who you are, where do they return it to?  You are only allowed 5 copies now, at £11 a piece.  Even if you email a scan of the DC, the companies will have your email address, so how does your theory work?

Wheeler, once you have the DC your first stop is Tell me Once and then take the original DC, in person, to your late brother's bank/s.  They will register the death, take copies of the DC and send to the Bereavement Dept. You need to tell them he died Intestate and you are his sibling and only person to do this job.  Ask for the latest bank statements.

As he was in private rented, his deposit should be returned unless he owed his landlord money.  Any monies will need to go to creditors. That will probably be your only tricky bit.

Wheeler, please do not bury your head in the sand.   This needs to be dealt with and the quicker you do it the better (well, that's how I found it).  It does sound as though your brother was in more debt than mine was, when he died in 2012, but everything has to be shut down.  No Will.  No Executor.  No company should pursue you for his debts.

But where OP is not administering the estate, *he* doesn't have to provide n original death certificate just because they require one. He would ne notifying them of the death as a courtesy. 

It's not 'burying his head in the sand, and it *doesn't* have to be done. 

He has no obligation to undertake the administration of his brother's estate and due to the risks of becoming personally liable if you administer an insolvent estate and get any of it wrong, it's safer not to try.

IF the bank wants an original death certificate they can apply for one. If a creditor thinks there is any money in the estate they can apply to administer it. 

Of course the bank (or creditors) may try to push OP to deal with it - it makes their life easier and is less trouble for them. But that isn't OP's responsibility. Your advice is fine if he decides he is going to administer the estate (although that's risky ) but  he doesn't have to do anything at all. 

He can perfectly well send the bank a photocopy of the death certificate, saying "I am informing you as matter of courtesy that [brother's name] has died and I attach a copy of the death certificate. To the best of my knowledge the estate is insolvent, there is no will, and no-one is acting as administrator of the estate." 

And at the end of the day, if that s not sufficient for the bank to close the account - so what?  That's an administrative blip for r the bank, it is not OPs problem or his responsibility. The same goes fr the utilities and any other bills. 

OP, I am very sorry for your loss. 

74jax

thegreenone said:

Mojisola said:

You can inform all the agencies and companies without giving any contact details for yourself.

Most companies require an original Death Certificate, so if you don't tell them who you are, where do they return it to?  You are only allowed 5 copies now, at £11 a piece.  Even if you email a scan of the DC, the companies will have your email address, so how does your theory work?

Wheeler, once you have the DC your first stop is Tell me Once and then take the original DC, in person, to your late brother's bank/s.  They will register the death, take copies of the DC and send to the Bereavement Dept. You need to tell them he died Intestate and you are his sibling and only person to do this job.  Ask for the latest bank statements.

As he was in private rented, his deposit should be returned unless he owed his landlord money.  Any monies will need to go to creditors. That will probably be your only tricky bit.

Wheeler, please do not bury your head in the sand.   This needs to be dealt with and the quicker you do it the better (well, that's how I found it).  It does sound as though your brother was in more debt than mine was, when he died in 2012, but everything has to be shut down.  No Will.  No Executor.  No company should pursue you for his debts.

I would advise against this.

Please do not contact the landlord, take receipt of any monies etc. You do not have to do this. And could cause so many issues going forward. 

thegreenone

Okay, I found it very easy to shut down my late brother's accounts and was never asked for a penny.

Wheeler, I'll bow out and let you take advice from the others.

wheeler1970

thegreenone said:

Okay, I found it very easy to shut down my late brother's accounts and was never asked for a penny.

Wheeler, I'll bow out and let you take advice from the others.

I'm very grateful for your advice don't think otherwise. 

wheeler1970

I've been intouch with the natwest bereavement dept, told them of his passing and they asked for a copy of D/C and ID of mine, i thought that was it but yesterday i got sent his latest bank statement but in my name and address, i told them there is no probate but i feel that ive shot myself in the foot, my other issue is i also bank with natwest and could they freeze my account? as unbeknown to me he owes 5k as a overdraft.

xylophone

 my other issue is i also bank with natwest and could they freeze my account? as unbeknown to me he owes 5k as a overdraft.

Your brother's debt is not your debt and the bank cannot require you to repay it.

naedanger

wheeler1970 said:

I've been intouch with the natwest bereavement dept, told them of his passing and they asked for a copy of D/C and ID of mine, i thought that was it but yesterday i got sent his latest bank statement but in my name and address, i told them there is no probate but i feel that ive shot myself in the foot, my other issue is i also bank with natwest and could they freeze my account? as unbeknown to me he owes 5k as a overdraft.

Write a letter to the bank's bereavement department along the following lines:


Dear Sir/Madam

I recently contacted you to inform you of my late brother's death, and as requested supplied a copy of his death certificate and my ID. However there seems to have been some misunderstanding as I have now received a bank statement of his but in my name. 

I am not my late brother's executor nor his personal representative. I informed you of his death so that correspondence to him personally would stop. However I have never had anything to do with administering his estate other than informing interested parties of his death. Please correct your records accordingly and send me written confirmation that this has been done.

Yours faithfully



Make sure everything is in writing so you have evidence.