Probate: How to treat large cash withdrawal within last 7yrs of death?

Section62

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

Offered as an example of the stuff people were reading/worrying about, not a statement of fact.  You could read about the 'Great Reset' in the Guardian (again, for example) so it was hardly confined to users of the dark web and hardcore conspiracy theorists.

Another example, more mainstream perhaps, was chatter about negative interest rates (remember them?)  The point being that during the pandemic some people were more isolated and afraid than they might normally be, and potentially exposed to information that might make them do atypical things.

I have no idea whether the OP's father used the internet, nor whether he might have been vulnerable to the kind of ideas in circulation, nor the timings of the withdrawals .  Hence it was posed as a question for the OP to consider.

The question what an 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash potentially has more answers than just spending or gifting it.

boingy

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

It's a valid suggestion though. Folks worried about all sorts during the pandemic and I know a few who kept more cash than usual at home "just in case", although none of them kept more than £1000 (unless they didn't admit it!) I also know someone who withdrew about £5000 of their savings in late 1999 because of all the hype about the millennium bug (which was actually a century bug if you want to be geeky).

Nasqueron

Section62 said:

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

Offered as an example of the stuff people were reading/worrying about, not a statement of fact.  You could read about the 'Great Reset' in the Guardian (again, for example) so it was hardly confined to users of the dark web and hardcore conspiracy theorists.

Another example, more mainstream perhaps, was chatter about negative interest rates (remember them?)  The point being that during the pandemic some people were more isolated and afraid than they might normally be, and potentially exposed to information that might make them do atypical things.

I have no idea whether the OP's father used the internet, nor whether he might have been vulnerable to the kind of ideas in circulation, nor the timings of the withdrawals .  Hence it was posed as a question for the OP to consider.

The question what an 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash potentially has more answers than just spending or gifting it.

boingy said:

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

It's a valid suggestion though. Folks worried about all sorts during the pandemic and I know a few who kept more cash than usual at home "just in case", although none of them kept more than £1000 (unless they didn't admit it!) I also know someone who withdrew about £5000 of their savings in late 1999 because of all the hype about the millennium bug (which was actually a century bug if you want to be geeky).

As I said, if there was a real great reset, what good would money at home be when the MiBs are coming to take you away to a camp? OP's already said above it's about the time of a kitchen refurb, what is more likely - a guy in his 80s read a conspiracy theory and took out cash to keep under the bed or that he paid cash in hand to a builder?

boingy

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

Offered as an example of the stuff people were reading/worrying about, not a statement of fact.  You could read about the 'Great Reset' in the Guardian (again, for example) so it was hardly confined to users of the dark web and hardcore conspiracy theorists.

Another example, more mainstream perhaps, was chatter about negative interest rates (remember them?)  The point being that during the pandemic some people were more isolated and afraid than they might normally be, and potentially exposed to information that might make them do atypical things.

I have no idea whether the OP's father used the internet, nor whether he might have been vulnerable to the kind of ideas in circulation, nor the timings of the withdrawals .  Hence it was posed as a question for the OP to consider.

The question what an 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash potentially has more answers than just spending or gifting it.

boingy said:

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

It's a valid suggestion though. Folks worried about all sorts during the pandemic and I know a few who kept more cash than usual at home "just in case", although none of them kept more than £1000 (unless they didn't admit it!) I also know someone who withdrew about £5000 of their savings in late 1999 because of all the hype about the millennium bug (which was actually a century bug if you want to be geeky).

As I said, if there was a real great reset, what good would money at home be when the MiBs are coming to take you away to a camp? OP's already said above it's about the time of a kitchen refurb, what is more likely - a guy in his 80s read a conspiracy theory and took out cash to keep under the bed or that he paid cash in hand to a builder?

It doesn't have to be a "great reset" though, does it? It just has to be people worrying that some things are going to be temporarily abnormal in some way, which they definitely were during lockdown. Mind you, during lockdown we shouldn't really have been popping down to the bank to get cash!

But we're getting off topic now. I suspect the OP or family would have come across the 20K if it was lying around somewhere. The "paying tradesmen" theory is the best so far and the OP can ignore it for probate purposes.

HillStreetBlues

boingy said:

 I suspect the OP or family would have come across the 20K if it was lying around somewhere. The "paying tradesmen" theory is the best so far and the OP can ignore it for probate purposes.

Would it just be laying about, or somewhere safe

wmb194

Particularly in prior decades when cash was more prevalent, elderly people have always been well known for hoarding cash at home. It’s a good idea to check cisterns and every nook and cranny. If it’s around people usually find it when clearing out their homes. If you’re unlucky it’s been buried in the garden.

callum9999

Nasqueron said:

Section62 said:

yellowpot21 said:

I don't want to dig too deeply. I may find I have some unknown half siblings out there!  But yes can't think what my 80+ dad was doing with this amount of cash on him.  I will try the kitchen place see if they remember. Thank you for all replies

You've checked all the mattresses? And similar places around the flat that cash could be stashed away?

How long ago was it?  In the depths of the pandemic some people were worried about the end of civilisation and/or the whole 'Great Reset' stuff.  I know some older people who decided to hold largish amounts of cash at home "just in case".  Does the timing and/or your father's views on the banking system generally give you any reason to think he could possibly have taken the cash out just to have an emergency supply?

Great Reset was a conspiracy about killing off billions to reduce the world population, having cash at home is the least of your problems if the men in black are rounding people up! It was also an internet thing, not the sort of thing your typical person, pensioner or otherwise would be talking about to the extent they'd actually want to take out cash

Having spent a significant amount of time helping elderly people with IT issues, it's not remotely unusual that they'll see random Facebook posts about this and other conspiracies and just blindly believe them...