Care Home Costs

Keep_pedalling

Bobbydue said:

Keep_pedalling said:

BooJewels said:

What I'm struggling to grasp with this thread is how much and of what nature the outstanding debt to the care home is - and over what time-frame - has the bill just surfaced because the home have learnt that the house is now sold?

If she was self funding and covering her own home fees, you'd think that there can't be that much left to pay.  I had a bill to pay after my father passed, as he'd had his hair cut, new glasses and some podiatry - I think I paid about 30 quid at the end - it was 2 or 3 weeks before it was finalised - certainly not months or longer.

At the time he died, I was a week in credit with them (I was paying his fees - 4-weekly - from his account, as PoA) and between the home manager and myself, we called it quits at that, as it was during the first big lockdown and they weren't prepared to let me in to collect his stuff anyway and it suited them to leave his room visually 'occupied', as there was pressure being applied to take Covid release-ees from hospitals.  By the time we collected it post-lockdown, it was all very carefully wrapped and packed in sealed boxes with his name on.  

The OP was asked about these debts over on his other thread in the cutting tax board but has not answered the question.

I suspect the house (and possibly other assets) was put into joint tenancy to avoid probate, but that does not mean she has no estate, certainly HMRC won’t see it that way, and probate may still be required for IHT purposes.

Her actual estate consists of 50% of the house (100% if she actually gifted the OP joint ownership) all gifts over her annual allowance from the last 7 years,100% of all other jointly held assets that came solely from her funds and 50% of any other jointly held assets. Quite easy to get in IHT territory if you take that lot into account.

No they house was purchased as Joint Tenants 30 odd years ago with no idea about probate etc.

This are no assets, the outstanding bill is circa 2k which was left when my mother went into a nursing home and the care home kept her place open expecting her to return.

My question was just hypothetical, but tbh I will pay the bill, I just wanted to know where I stood legally

Thank you for the clarification, there always seem to be the odd bill left over as I found out with my own mother.