Bequeathed the residue of an estate both real and personal whatsoever.

ikati5

My very good friend has recently died and has left his partner his share or interest in the property known as..’

i have been left ‘the rest’

my question is; Does this mean ‘What is left in his bank accounts and his clothing and perhaps a watch or does it include anything from the contents of the house.

They were tenants in common and therefore, he must have owned a 50% share of the contents, which includes a substantial amount of antique furniture.

I have questioned the solicitor dealing with the estate, which was not received favourable.

My friends partner is the executor and not best pleased that I am a beneficiary. I am not ‘money grabbing’ but I would like to ensure that my good friends last wishes are honoured as intended.

Also, he owned a large collection of books, which have great sentimental value to me. Am I able to have those ?

Keep_pedalling

It is rather difficult as a lot of things in the house would have been in joint ownership. It is a shame he did not specify things like the books to avoid any doubt, but they should form part of his residual estate and they should go to you.  

ikati5

Thank you.
Does joint ownership apply if they were tenants in common?

TW1234

House may be held as TIC but contents could be either, though  more likely to be joint ownership

Mojisola

ikati5 said:

My friends partner is the executor and not best pleased that I am a beneficiary. I am not ‘money grabbing’ but I would like to ensure that my good friends last wishes are honoured as intended.

Also, he owned a large collection of books, which have great sentimental value to me. Am I able to have those ?

As you're not money grabbing, why not ask his partner if you can have the things that are of sentimental value to you like the books and leave the household intact so the bereaved partner can continue to live in the house with all the belongings?

theoretica

ikati5 said:

 I would like to ensure that my good friends last wishes are honoured as intended.

So what do you think his intentions probably were in leaving his partner his interest in the house?  That it be partly stripped of furniture?  Or that they can continue living there with it furnished as before?

ikati5

You could ask why the partner has only been left the house.

ikati5

I didn’t ask for anyone’s opinion, I hoped there might be someone on here who has working knowledge of the probate system who could advise.

68ComebackSpecial

ikati5 said:

My very good friend has recently died and has left his partner his share or interest in the property known as..’

i have been left ‘the rest’

my question is; Does this mean ‘What is left in his bank accounts and his clothing and perhaps a watch or does it include anything from the contents of the house.

They were tenants in common and therefore, he must have owned a 50% share of the contents, which includes a substantial amount of antique furniture.

I have questioned the solicitor dealing with the estate, which was not received favourable.

My friends partner is the executor and not best pleased that I am a beneficiary. I am not ‘money grabbing’ but I would like to ensure that my good friends last wishes are honoured as intended.

Also, he owned a large collection of books, which have great sentimental value to me. Am I able to have those ?

If any of the bank accounts were in joint names then they will automatically go to his partner.

Being tenants in common doesn't always mean that each party owns 50% of the property and certainly doesn't mean that any of the household contents are owned in an equal split. The antique furniture may very well be virtually worthless depending on it's style - heavy, dark Georgian/ Victorian/ Edwardian furniture really isn't desirable anymore and has very low sale prices at auction. 

ikati5

My friend was a regular visitor to antique fairs, the furniture he collected isn’t just vintage.

Thank you though, interesting that you can be both tic and joint owners, I thought one or the other.

Manxman_in_exile

ikati5 said:

...Thank you though, interesting that you can be both tic and joint owners, I thought one or the other.

Has anybody said that?  The post before yours simply said "Being tenants in common doesn't always mean that each party owns 50% of the property and certainly doesn't mean that any of the household contents are owned in an equal split... "