GERMAN HEIR HUNTERS

Shelldean

You can obtain letters of administration by yourself no solicitors needed.
My husband was administrator for his grand mothers and I managed to deal with all the paperwork on his behalf!

jiggsy155

Shelldean said:

You can obtain letters of administration by yourself no solicitors needed.
My husband was administrator for his grand mothers and I managed to deal with all the paperwork on his behalf!

where do i start if you dont mind me asking?

Keep_pedalling

Shelldean said:

You can obtain letters of administration by yourself no solicitors needed.
My husband was administrator for his grand mothers and I managed to deal with all the paperwork on his behalf!

Prolly not that easy for someone in the U.K. dealing with an estate in Germany.

jiggsy155

Keep_pedalling said:

Shelldean said:

You can obtain letters of administration by yourself no solicitors needed.
My husband was administrator for his grand mothers and I managed to deal with all the paperwork on his behalf!

Prolly not that easy for someone in the U.K. dealing with an estate in Germany.

thats what i thought.

Shelldean

But your brother died in this country didn't he??
And it's letters of administration for him you need? To prove to the German heir hunters that you are entitled to his share of your uncle's  estate which is in Germany??

So you need to go through the English procedures 
https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate

I have understood correctly haven't i?

Your brother died in Uk? Am assuming England as Scottish rules are different! No letters of administration were required at the time as his  assets didn't rrequire it?
Everything went to you his sibling?
Now an uncle has died in Germany presumably with no will do the estate has gone to heir hunters. They've identified you and your brother as beneficiaries? And to prove you are entitled to his share, you need official documents ( letters of administration) to show to the heir hunters.
The heir hunters don't want to send your brother's share to you on just your word! They want to be certain you are entitled to it.

So you need "probate/letters of administration for where your brother died NOT where the estate being distributed currently is.

You're not dealing with the estate in Germany, the heir hunters are.

Shelldean

Also wait for the German heir hunters to reply to your email before doing anything.
Tell them in England we don't have certification of inheritance. And as you brother had no assets, you didn't apply for letters of probate.
Ask is there any other way of resolving this issue? But they may want official documents to ensure everything is going to the correct person

carefullycautious

Don't sign up with them as they will take a hefty fee. You should be able to do the work yourself if you know where your uncle lived. If it is a straight forward case of your being sole beneficiary.

JGB1955

carefullycautious said:

Don't sign up with them as they will take a hefty fee. You should be able to do the work yourself if you know where your uncle lived. If it is a straight forward case of your being sole beneficiary.

I'm not sure that's something I would want to take on - foreign country, foreign language, foreign laws .....

jiggsy155

Shelldean said:

But your brother died in this country didn't he??
And it's letters of administration for him you need? To prove to the German heir hunters that you are entitled to his share of your uncle's  estate which is in Germany??

So you need to go through the English procedures 
https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate

I have understood correctly haven't i?

Your brother died in Uk? Am assuming England as Scottish rules are different! No letters of administration were required at the time as his  assets didn't rrequire it?
Everything went to you his sibling?
Now an uncle has died in Germany presumably with no will do the estate has gone to heir hunters. They've identified you and your brother as beneficiaries? And to prove you are entitled to his share, you need official documents ( letters of administration) to show to the heir hunters.
The heir hunters don't want to send your brother's share to you on just your word! They want to be certain you are entitled to it.

So you need "probate/letters of administration for where your brother died NOT where the estate being distributed currently is.

You're not dealing with the estate in Germany, the heir hunters are.

yes, you are right.

jiggsy155

it appears i need to fill in forms IHT205 & PA1A to proceed.