26 Feb 2015

A question about : Grandma's will

Hi i posted this on another page and was suggested i put it here

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I wonder if anyone here knows about what happens when someone doesn't leave a will. This has happened with my grandma and I'm not getting far with trying to find out about it...

My grandma died a few years ago (2009), and when I was a child she let me know on the phone and in a card that I would be her 'heir' when she died (sad I know). Unfortunately my mum and her didn't get on, and my mum tried very hard to turn me against her... I was living abroad in 2008 and 2009 and actually didn't know she was dying. My mum threw away letters if she sent them to us, but she didn't call me and tell me or ask anyone to tell me. It came as a shock, I literally got posted an invitation to her funeral out of the blue. My mum said she wouldn't be leaving us anything as she left it all to an american lady who had befriended her. I didn't mind very much, and was glad at least she had a good friend.

I did not think about my gran's will again and wasn't fussed about it, I just missed her. Last year I wondered if there were any photos or family tree about her online and googled her name... and found it in the london gazette with a note from the co-op bank that any relatives must come forward to claim her estate by october 2009. I did want some family photo albums so wrote to the co-op bank but never got a reply. I contacted the unclaimed estates list and she was not on it... meaning someone had come forward.

Sorry to waffle to tell the story, but basically I feel someone has pretended to be a family member. That would be a horrible thing to do... if anyone on here understands how this kind of thing works and how can I find out who did this? I dont know if she had money or not but would rather it gone to charity than someone fake. Is there a way to find out who claimed it? And who they claimed to be or if they had to give ID or anything? Surely it must be fraud?

Best answers:

  • Dying without a will (intestate) means that no matter what your nan wished it doesnt count. Dying intestate lays down a set way that the inheritance is dished out.
    First is her spouse if she was still married. This does not include someone she is not married to. Then if there is no spouse her full blood children. I am assuming your mum is still alive and therefore she would inherit an equal share with any siblings she may have. If they have all died then your grandmothers grandchildren ie you and any cousins.
    This is complicated further in so much as if any of your grandmothers children have died then the surviving children of that deceased person would inherit their parents share
    If the coop put that piece in the paper and someone came forward they would have to prove beyond a doubt that they were entitled to that money. It is unusual for a bank to put a notice like this in a paper. When you say you checked the list do you mean the bona vacantia list? If you would like me to have a dig around for you I can do but would need you to PM me the name of your grandmother
    Rob
    Rob
  • Do you know if there's a particular way i can write to them? like should i send proof of who i am and thats im a relative?
  • Hi Rob as far as i know mum is an only child, and grandad died years ago (he was divorced from her)
  • OP, do you know for definite that your mother didn't come forward and claim the inheritance (and not tell you./lied to you)?
  • Even if there was no will, if the estate was administered it would be on record at the probate office.
    If you get a copy of the PA1 with an enquiry that should tell you the key information to get started.
  • Did your mother just claim it and say that your Gran had left all her stuff to an american lady?
  • Hello all, thank you for all the replies.
    My gran did not leave a will. I know this because I've seen the copy of the london gazette online where they are asking relatives to come forward and claim the estate, and I know someone claimed it as she is not on the unclaimed estates list on direct gov.
    I am really hoping my mum hadn't lied to me about it. I'm trusting that she didn't, because I have asked her about it a couple of times, and she seems genuinely upset that she doesn't have some personal items from my gran's house (nothing fancy).. if she had them I think I would have seen them by now... it's not nice to suspect your mum of lying so I'm just going to think she's not unless I get proved otherwise...
    I think I will fill in that form and contact co op and try and find a bit more about what's going on. I really don't think mum has it.
  • Could it be that it was taken off the unclaimed estates list as the amount was found to be below the threshold? Not sure if that is what happens - sometimes values of estates take some time to be sorted out.
  • Who paid for/arranged the funeral?
  • Estates only appear on the BV list if the estate has a net value of Ј500 or more. It is not unknown for insolvent estates to be on the list as well although this is very rare. The only reason if it appeared on the list for it not to be there now is a claim was made and accepted. This doesnt have to be the most entitled person but could be anyone with an entitlement. When the treasury pay out you have to sign an indeminity. Whether that person then researches to see if anyone is more entitled is up to them but if they dont they are breaking the law.
    Rob
  • Angie if your mum doesn't have her money/belongings then no one does, when there is no will only certain people can inherit, as your grandmother didn't have a living husband the only person able to inherit is your sister, even if she had other children the estate would be shared between all equally.
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