Cash being held by police 21 December 2022 at 6:31PM edited 23 December 2022 at 9:25AM in Deaths, funerals & probate 20 replies 2.1K views

tracey29

My aunt died in August and when the police found her in her flat she had a coat on and £210 in cash in her pocket.

That cash was taken to the police station and I was told to collect it from there.  When I went to the station I was told that that counted as me making myself known to them and that they'd be in touch to arrange for me to collect it.

It was a while until they got in touch and then the officer dealing with it went quiet for weeks.  The only way to get in touch with them is via email but I couldn't get a response so I went onto the Met Police website and filled in a comment box saying what had happened.  Strangely enough the officer got in touch...

I've now been told that they cash has been banked and that they're going to send me a cheque - this hasn't been forthcoming.  I've chased again and again, I was told at the beginning of November that it might take a couple of weeks...
I chased again at the end of November and was told they're working very hard to get the cheque to me - honestly, they've had my information and proof of ID for weeks and aren't disputing my identity - how hard is it???

I've just emailed again and said if I don't receive it by the end of the year I'm going to have to take further action.

Where do I go next?

EDIT: My aunt had virtually nothing and didn't leave a will.  The closest living relatives are her brothers (my dad and my uncle) and they've appointed me to arrange everything.
I've had no problem with registering the death, organising the funeral, postal redirection to my house, paying remaining bills and reclaiming money from other organisations.  I've given the police a copy of her death certificate and of my driving licence and they've said they're happy with that.

msb1234

I would have thought that they would need to see proof that the cash actually belongs to you now before they hand it over.

Marcon

tracey29 said:

My aunt died in August and when the police found her in her flat she had a coat on and £210 in cash in her pocket.

That cash was taken to the police station and I was told to collect it from there.  When I went to the station I was told that that counted as me making myself known to them and that they'd be in touch to arrange for me to collect it.

It was a while until they got in touch and then the officer dealing with it went quiet for weeks.  The only way to get in touch with them is via email but I couldn't get a response so I went onto the Met Police website and filled in a comment box saying what had happened.  Strangely enough the officer got in touch...

I've now been told that they cash has been banked and that they're going to send me a cheque - this hasn't been forthcoming.  I've chased again and again, I was told at the beginning of November that it might take a couple of weeks...
I chased again at the end of November and was told they're working very hard to get the cheque to me - honestly, they've had my information and proof of ID for weeks and aren't disputing my identity - how hard is it???

I've just emailed again and said if I don't receive it by the end of the year I'm going to have to take further action.

Where do I go next?

It's certainly an odd way for the police to carry on. They would need proof that you were the 'right' person to hand over the cash (?executor if there was a will, perhaps?), but this promise of sending a cheque...and promising again...makes no sense. If they're working very hard to get the cheque to you, what are they doing - training a pigeon to deliver to you?

I'd go back to the Met Police website since that yielded a result last time.

Abbafan1972

Sorry for your loss. 

Chances are it's gone towards their Christmas do (that's the synic in me!).

Spendless

With all due respect is the money yours to be retuned to? . I'd have thought it would become part of your Aunt's estate and either belongs to whoever she left money in a will to or if no will whoever inherits under intestacy rules, would that be yourself? If she left next to nothing might it also belong to whoever absorbed the funeral costs? 

I wonder if you were incorrectly informed in the first place that it counted as the money being yours and when you've chased it that's come to light and the delay is whilst it's established who the cash should legally go to.

I'm sorry for your loss.  

macman

OP, are you next of kin, the executor, the Administrator? By what right are you claiming the money from her estate?

tracey29

macman said:

OP, are you next of kin, the executor, the Administrator? By what right are you claiming the money from her estate?

My aunt had next to nothing and didn’t leave a will. 

My dad and uncle are next of kin and they’ve asked me to be the executor so I’ve arranged everything and had no problem with repayments from TV licence and BT etc

macman

As she died intestate then you can apply to be the Administrator, not the Executor. But, in practice, the process is much the same.

mr_stripey

After my dad died (in a nursing home), the police attended as there were some concerns about the manner of his passing and the police were involved in the investigations. They retained some of his possessions including wallet with a small amount of cash.

These were returned to me some time later after the investigations were concluded. If I recall correctly, I got a letter from Leicestershire Police telling me to go to the police station to collect the items.

user1977

macman said:

As she died intestate then you can apply to be the Administrator, not the Executor. But, in practice, the process is much the same.

And you'll need to do it before you can expect third parties to treat you as representing the estate.

Keep_pedalling

user1977 said:

macman said:

As she died intestate then you can apply to be the Administrator, not the Executor. But, in practice, the process is much the same.

And you'll need to do it before you can expect third parties to treat you as representing the estate.

There should be no need to apply for letters of administration for such a small estate.