Probate and homelessness

catcatcatty

Hello, I am dealing with my homeless brothers estate, he had some inheritance 2 years ago but unfit died before he could claim, he was homeless for 20 years and probate are asking for his address and won’t accept mine as a c/o address, help?

sammyjammy

So sorry for your loss, thats really sad, have you been able to speak to someone at the Probate office on the telephone?  Could you give the last address he lived at?  

JGB1955

Would they accept 'No fixed abode'?

Flugelhorn

sammyjammy said:

So sorry for your loss, thats really sad, have you been able to speak to someone at the Probate office on the telephone?  Could you give the last address he lived at?  

I think this is the answer -  need to speak to someone and explain, one size doesn't fit all with these things. 

Keep_pedalling

I doubt if anyone here has experienced such a problem as homeless people rarely require probate or letters of administration. The probate forms certainly assume the deceased must have had a permanent abode. 

Who is administering the other estate? It is quite possible you don’t actually need probate if the first estate has not been distributed, as that administrator can distribute your brother’s inheritance to his beneficiaries. 

catcatcatty

Thank you,
The other solicitor is the one who has requested probate and is hard work herself as been waiting over 3 years for her to tie up the first estate,
My brother has over the minimum amount of inheritance, so yes this is the correct approach. He has been homeless living off grid for 20 years. 
I have rang the probate helpline and they just say his case is complicated and can’t tell me anything more, emails say the same.

Marcon

catcatcatty said:

Thank you,
The other solicitor is the one who has requested probate and is hard work herself as been waiting over 3 years for her to tie up the first estate,
My brother has over the minimum amount of inheritance, so yes this is the correct approach. He has been homeless living off grid for 20 years. 
I have rang the probate helpline and they just say his case is complicated and can’t tell me anything more, emails say the same.

That's not an answer - just a brush off. It may be complicated but it still has to be dealt with, and it's for the Probate Registry to tell you what information they will accept in such a case. It might be unusual but I can't believe it is unique. If you've not yet done so, start a formal complaint: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service/about/complaints-procedure

Savvy_Sue

Did he have any dealings with support organisations? The charity I used to work for allowed clients to give our address for official correspondence. Or was he registered with a doctor? If so, what address did they use?

catcatcatty

Savvy_Sue said:

Did he have any dealings with support organisations? The charity I used to work for allowed clients to give our address for official correspondence. Or was he registered with a doctor? If so, what address did they use?

No unfortunately not, somehow he managed to live totally off grid for 20 years. On one occasion in 2020 the police found him wandering around and took him to hospital but he walked out

catcatcatty

Thank you Marcon, I have been googling extensively but this isn’t something I had considered, even though I have started the ombudsman route with the first solicitor.
I don’t understand how they get away with doing so little and not even keeping us informed.
They don’t just brush you off they make you feel like a pest trying to get answers.

Marcon

catcatcatty said:

I don’t understand how they get away with doing so little and not even keeping us informed.
They don’t just brush you off they make you feel like a pest trying to get answers.

That's how. Which is why a formal complaint is needed to get action...