Beneficiary turned 18

brooke68

HampshireH said:

I doubt OP will get a response today either being that we are running into a bank holiday weekend. Good excuse.

Indeed. One week on and not a peep.

Sea_Shell

Have you (has your daughter) given them another gentle nudge yet?

brooke68

Sea_Shell said:

Have you (has your daughter) given them another gentle nudge yet?

Yes. Having received no response to her previous emails, she sent a polite text message on Wednesday (just over a week after the solicitor’s meeting) to ask if there was any update. Still no response to that and we are none the wiser as to what is going on. 

I know people have commented on our “impatience” but we genuinely have no frame of reference and no idea how long this should normally take. As someone who has an awful compulsion to respond to emails immediately (I’m not saying that’s a good thing!!), I find it incomprehensible that the trustee has seemingly ignored two emails and one text message. Surely courtesy would dictate at least an acknowledgement and possibly an outline of the process and a likely timeframe?

Sea_Shell

I get where you're coming from.   Is it that hard to at least acknowledge receipt of the email and text, even if they don't have an actual update.   To not do so is just rude IMO.

Also being ignored just raises suspicion and anxiety levels (well it would for me!).   Maybe they're just working to a "no news is good news" agenda.   Not that that helps your Daughter!!!

Do you have an actual physical address for them, or a landline number, or is it only email or text?   Do they live locally to you?

brooke68

Sea_Shell said:

I get where you're coming from.   Is it that hard to at least acknowledge receipt of the email and text, even if they don't have an actual update.   To not do so is just rude IMO.

Also being ignored just raises suspicion and anxiety levels (well it would for me!).   Maybe they're just working to a "no news is good news" agenda.   Not that that helps your Daughter!!!

Do you have an actual physical address for them, or a landline number, or is it only email or text?   Do they live locally to you?

It is starting to become a bit of a worry.
We don’t live locally (about 75 miles away) but we do have an address on the original will.

Sea_Shell

brooke68 said:

Sea_Shell said:

I get where you're coming from.   Is it that hard to at least acknowledge receipt of the email and text, even if they don't have an actual update.   To not do so is just rude IMO.

Also being ignored just raises suspicion and anxiety levels (well it would for me!).   Maybe they're just working to a "no news is good news" agenda.   Not that that helps your Daughter!!!

Do you have an actual physical address for them, or a landline number, or is it only email or text?   Do they live locally to you?

It is starting to become a bit of a worry.
We don’t live locally (about 75 miles away) but we do have an address on the original will.

Oh, that is a bit far for a "pop round to see if everything is OK" visit.

xylophone

What exactly does the will say in respect of the bequest to your daughter?
How old was she when her step grandfather died?
Is the friend of the  new partner (widow?) of the late step grandfather the only named Trustee or is the friend's solicitor also a Trustee?

naedanger

brooke68 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Have you (has your daughter) given them another gentle nudge yet?

Yes. Having received no response to her previous emails, she sent a polite text message on Wednesday (just over a week after the solicitor’s meeting) to ask if there was any update. Still no response to that and we are none the wiser as to what is going on. 

I know people have commented on our “impatience” but we genuinely have no frame of reference and no idea how long this should normally take. As someone who has an awful compulsion to respond to emails immediately (I’m not saying that’s a good thing!!), I find it incomprehensible that the trustee has seemingly ignored two emails and one text message. Surely courtesy would dictate at least an acknowledgement and possibly an outline of the process and a likely timeframe?

Yes, completely agree the lack of a substantive response by now is unacceptable. At the very least your daughter should have been told what is causing the delay and the plan and expected timescales for resolving the situation.

Having said that, short of speaking to a solicitor, I am not sure what action your daughter can take to force the trustee to act.

But the time for being patient has passed, in my view. She has every right to be pressing, politely but firmly, for a reply as often as she wishes until she is given a meaningful update.

JamoLew

brooke68 said:

Mojisola said:

Do you know what they have done with the money?

No, the will stated that they could invest it as they saw fit. They have never disclosed where or how it was being held.

Hate to say this - but there could be no money left (easily done if they don't have a clue what they are doing)and they are just afraid/embarrassed to admit it

warby68

If you can text, have you tried actually calling?