+++ Whoops! Here comes the cheese! +++

Humdinger1

Yes I agree with @KajiKita re self-flagellation.  It's only acceptable if you're an albino monk firmly living in the pages of The D* Vinci Code.  Please confirm that this is not the case...

redofromstart

Rant of the day, but potentially useful for anyone else stuck in the same Sadmin loop.

Vehicles, when the registered keeper dies - the tax dies with them.  No grace period, nothing.  Once you have the death certificate you can transfer the ownership (and add an owner which may devalue the vehicle) and then once it is is registered to a new owner, it can be taxed or sorned but otherwise you shouldn't be driving it. I have yet to identify how long you have to make these changes although I have done the tellus thing but need to follow up with V5s by post. 

I want, where possible, for them to list new owners without a transfer to me.

Bike 3 to SS2 - simple.  He needs to sign I think but it may be simples online now. Staying here for now. Taxed but pennies for refund.
Motorhome to SS1 - due to collect in the week and will need to sign, as above though. Not doing it till he has collected her. 
Bike 2 I need to sell - see below. Taxed but pennies.
Bike 1 is a monument to us, owned since new and his most treasured possession.  I may sign over to a family member - Mr Redo would have been happier with this than it rotting in the garage. So either transfer to them or transfer to me. Will need to reSORN.


His car - decided to keep mine and sell his.  Worth more, harder to park.  Untaxed for reasons shown above.  The online buyers will not touch it because it is in his name, over £10k and no probate or will.  Fine, says I, I will transfer it to me and add an owner.  Still need probate or a will because if you have owned it for less than six months, you have to show how you bought it.
Argh!
Argh!
Argh!

I could sell my car now and keep his car for six months but mine is worth far less and I just spent all that money on tyres and brakes because I was keeping it, and his is a pain to park.  And I'm paying someone a lot of money to come tomorrow and 'deep detail' valet his car for selling, not for me to drive it round full of mud and dog for six months before trying again.  I could keep them both on the drive for six months, and run his for ten minutes every week to keep the battery alive, and watch it depreciate a bit more.

I assume this is the same for bike 2, but worth a few thousand max so it may be ok.

Annoyed, and eating chocolate.

PennysIntoPounds

That is very annoying. Well done for making inroads into what needs to be done though.
I know nothing about vehicles and their tax etc but it does sound like the best option is to keep it for six months (or less in the unlikely event of swift probate) then sell it, whilst keeping it clean and battery working. 
Hopefully it won't depreciate too much if it's not having mileage added to the clock? 
Would it be worth getting in touch with not-the-online-sites dealers and explaining the situation and seeing what they quote you?
Glad you have chocolate x

greenbee

What did they say when you told them probate isn't a requirement due to the size of the estate?

I don't remember this being a problem when my dad died. I know (confusingly) his car was actually in my mum's name, and hers in his. We transferred hers into her name two days before he died and she sold it within a couple of months with no questions - although it was a private sale, so maybe that's the answer. 

Have you tried a local dealer?

redofromstart

Yes private sale appears to be the answer. Have contacted the garage who services it, and an online place who specialise in (not) probate sales. 

Online people Not interested in how intestate works, just want probate or a will or proof if less than six months. Not
doing Probate thanks. Then we can't list it. Fine.

PIP, I would but it's very much in the way of builders and skips and scaffolding. One of the two has to go. 

greenbee

It's surprising the number of people who don't realise that probate isn't always required. But I guess some of them are being overly cautious in their money laundering due diligence. 

PennysIntoPounds

I was mistakenly using the term probate, apologies for misunderstanding. Surely they can't expect everyone who owned a vehicle to have had a will/an estate over a certain amount?! Could DVLA be contacted to ask what to do in this situation? 
Well if private buyers/sellers can help that would be good, fingers crossed for you

redofromstart

The commitment for the day is the person coming to do the detailed refurb on his car ready to sell.

Worst case I guess I register it to me, tax it and then go and sell it, then get a tax refund. I find the idea of a private sale really stressful. It's hard enough dealing with builders.

No updates this week from the two pension pots but they did say up to ten working days so middle of next week hopefully.   Mildly irritating because I was the named beneficiary and also the next of kin, and no dependent children so surely it should be straightforward but I guess they have to do the due diligence.

Banks, M have sent me the original cert back (which says they got it at least), and are reviewing my request to return the funds to the original funding account. I hope they confirm once they have done that because I will have no way of knowing or checking. Nothing from the Skip yet but that was free post and it's always slow. Business account I updated companies house, and did the thing to add me to the account. Once that's processed then I can register for internet banking. It's a good job we didn't need to pay suppliers or wages - that has been the slowest to respond. 

Life insurance is apparently on its way and should arrive late next week. Three weeks from sending them the death certificate so that is very good. The house repairs will eat this money up but that was why we had kept it running. 

KajiKita

Much dogged virtuousness here. 👏

Anything slightly more battery recharging / or I hesitate to say it, ‘fun’, in the plan for today? 😊

KK

Watty1

Have just read through the last few days, phew is all I can say. You are hanging in there and doing so well.    As people often remind me when needed, your batteries need a recharge from time to time, is there something light hearted you could do?