Please allow us a reasonable time ?

Dead_keen

Sorry about going on about this OP, but does the name Paul Hills mean anything to you in the context of Seagull Legal Services?  

Bebe1980

Dead_keen said:

Bebe1980 said:

A few weeks ago, I contacted Seagull Legal Services the “technical” executor of my father’s estate ...

Just remembered some stuff from some training a while ago and that is that "probate activities" are "reserved legal activities" (s12 Legal Services Act 2007).  So if they are charging for there being a "technical" executor (whatever one of those is) then they should be regulated by someone (e.g. SRA, ICAEW, etc).  I cannot see anything on their website about that.

Now the blog post mention "Julie West" and there is a regulated solicitor with that name but I strongly suspect that they are different people.

So the obvious question is what does "technical" mean in the context of your father's executor?

I don't know for sure but I suppose it could mean they have been appointed executor by Power of Attorney ...

Bebe1980

Dead_keen said:

Sorry about going on about this OP, but does the name Paul Hills mean anything to you in the context of Seagull Legal Services?  

The emails I get are just signed Paul - so might be Paul Hills might not !

Bebe1980

Keep_pedalling said:

Not sure what you mean by technical executors, they are either the executors because the will appoints then as such or have been appointed to act on behalf of the executors named in the will.

Regardless of that you do not need them to be involved on creating a deed of variation, you can do that yourself and just sent them a copy so that they eventually distribute the estate correctly.

You have 2 years from the date of your father’s to make one. 

Ahh OK thanks - I'll do that.

mta999

I am guessing there are ongoing costs that have to be paid as it is a retirement property and normally you have to pay these until the property is sold?

Dead_keen

Bebe1980 said:

Dead_keen said:

Sorry about going on about this OP, but does the name Paul Hills mean anything to you in the context of Seagull Legal Services?  

The emails I get are just signed Paul - so might be Paul Hills might not !

If it was me, I'd find out:

1. The Seagull Legal Limited company (which is dormant) has Julie Marie West as a director: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14012429/officers

2. Julie Marie West was also a director of EZ Law Limited before it was dissolved: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/RE7O7JwlZf974aNHN50qq4goCdk/appointments

3. There have been two directors of EZ Law Limited, Julie Marie West and Paul Hills: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14452282/officers

Before I go any further, I should emphasise that your "Paul" might not be "Paul Hills" or the "Paul Douglas Hills" who I mention below.

4. There is a Paul Douglas Hills (who became a solicitor in 1990) who was struck off from being a solicitor in November 2023: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/register/person/?sraNumber=147851&prevSearchText=paul hills&prevSearchFilter=Person

5. The reasons why he was struck off and fined £15,000 is set out in a lot of detail here: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/12478.2023.Hills_.pdf  Paragraph 11 says "The Tribunal was satisfied that this was a serious case of dishonest conduct on multiple occasions".  The statement of agreed facts later in the document goes into detail about his conduct, some of which relate to probate matters.  Just to give you an idea, Paul's defences included that he "had misplaced two of the cash payment and found them, months later, in his work bag" and that some clients "struggled with spelling the Firm's name when writing cheques and so he asked them to make the cheques payable to his name". 

6. There are articles here: https://todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/solicitor-disbarred-for-misappropriating-client-fees/ and here: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/solicitor-banned-for-holding-on-to-client-fees/5118425.article

So is "your" Paul the same Paul Douglas Hills?  I have no absolutel idea.  I can see "Paul Hills" here - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4068821 and here: https://www.dosfinds.co.uk/firms/seagull-legal-services - but his middle name is not used.  It might be someone completely different. It might not be.  I just can't tell.  

Mands

Dead_keen said:

Bebe1980 said:

Dead_keen said:

Sorry about going on about this OP, but does the name Paul Hills mean anything to you in the context of Seagull Legal Services?  

The emails I get are just signed Paul - so might be Paul Hills might not !

If it was me, I'd find out:

1. The Seagull Legal Limited company (which is dormant) has Julie Marie West as a director: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14012429/officers

2. Julie Marie West was also a director of EZ Law Limited before it was dissolved: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/RE7O7JwlZf974aNHN50qq4goCdk/appointments

3. There have been two directors of EZ Law Limited, Julie Marie West and Paul Hills: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14452282/officers

Before I go any further, I should emphasise that your "Paul" might not be "Paul Hills" or the "Paul Douglas Hills" who I mention below.

4. There is a Paul Douglas Hills (who became a solicitor in 1990) who was struck off from being a solicitor in November 2023: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/register/person/?sraNumber=147851&prevSearchText=paul hills&prevSearchFilter=Person

5. The reasons why he was struck off and fined £15,000 is set out in a lot of detail here: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/12478.2023.Hills_.pdf  Paragraph 11 says "The Tribunal was satisfied that this was a serious case of dishonest conduct on multiple occasions".  The statement of agreed facts later in the document goes into detail about his conduct, some of which relate to probate matters.  Just to give you an idea, Paul's defences included that he "had misplaced two of the cash payment and found them, months later, in his work bag" and that some clients "struggled with spelling the Firm's name when writing cheques and so he asked them to make the cheques payable to his name". 

6. There are articles here: https://todayswillsandprobate.co.uk/solicitor-disbarred-for-misappropriating-client-fees/ and here: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/solicitor-banned-for-holding-on-to-client-fees/5118425.article

So is "your" Paul the same Paul Douglas Hills?  I have no absolutel idea.  I can see "Paul Hills" here - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4068821 and here: https://www.dosfinds.co.uk/firms/seagull-legal-services - but his middle name is not used.  It might be someone completely different. It might not be.  I just can't tell.  

some clients "struggled with spelling the Firm's name when writing cheques and so he asked them to make the cheques payable to his name".  

As a defence that really is quite special. It's up there alongside "sorry Miss, the dog ate my homework".

silvercar

We don’t actually know if it is another Paul, let alone Paul Hills, or even Paul Douglas Hills.

Emmia

Does nobody pick up on the fact the registered address for this company and the people involved is at best a postbox?  Whilst legal, this would be ringing alarm bells loudly for me.

user1977

Emmia said:

Does nobody pick up on the fact the registered address for this company and the people involved is at best a postbox?  Whilst legal, this would be ringing alarm bells loudly for me.

Plenty of legitimate companies use those sorts of addresses (especially in an era when fewer people are office-based), I'm not sure it really adds much comfort if they use an address they actually trade from.

And the limited company is dormant anyway so isn't even their trading entity.