Advice/help sort

G-G

G-G

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A friend of mine died recently in hospital and did not leave any contact details with them as to who to call/contact. I only found out as another friend and I had been trying to contact here by phone/email etc with no luck and then she didn't turn up at Ascot so I drove to her home and a neighbour told me she had gone into hospital, which is how I found out.
I am the only person who had contacted them, she'd had not visitors when she was in there so I took it upon myself to register her death and collect her effects from the ward.
What happens next? If she didn't leave a contact I would suspect she didn't leave a will or why not otherwise give that information to the hospital because logically ( although not always logical I appreciate ) that is who she would want to be informed and who could take the next step?
Do I tell the police? If yes can they actually do anything practical? If not them, who?
Thanks.
 
Surely the hospital administration office would be able to advise?

They must have had hundreds of such cases.

Sorry for your loss, G-G.
 
So sorry GG you are going through this. I think if you go on Gov.uk there is lots of advice and possibly a helpline.

Just checked and there is a step by step guide what to do.
 
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Thank you both. The bereavement office at the hospital just basically said that if I had not come forward they would place a notice in local papers and see if anyone came forward, if no response after a month they would arrange a 'funeral' for her. Nothing else really in terms of help with what to do about her house/car etc. I can't even do the 'tell us once' information as it says on the website whoever does that needs permission of executor/administrator of the estate and not knowing who that is, I daren't do it. I know she was in receipt of a works pension -ex civil servant - and obviously a state pension as she was retired. She was an only child, had a step dad but always said she had no family left. I've known her 20 years plus and she never mentioned anyone. She never married or had children either. I have the keys to the house so I could go and look for a will? I'm also slightly worried that it may be obvious it's empty and would hate to thing any one would break in there. The neighbours I spoke to said she pretty much kept herself to herself and not offering to get involved. I have left my number with one of them in case.
 
Then I think I would approach the Citizens Advice Bureau? They surely would have free advice for how to proceed. I imagine it happens more than you think it does.
 
RIP to your friend G-G

Echo jinnyj & DO's sentiments. Nothing further to add other than that this may be a timely reminder to us all to check that we all have our affairs in order.
 
Was she a person of faith?

If so, maybe her parish priest/vicar/minister would know what to do?

(Not the same situation, but I know of one family who lost someone recently and had no idea what to do. They told me they informed their priest and he got in touch with all the necessary people on their behalf.)
 
No she wasn't.
I'm going to the local police tomorrow and hand them the death certificates I have, and the effects from the house and say I can't do any more legally. Someone telling me the hospital should not have let me take the effects but they knew I was just a friend and they didn't say I couldn't? They asked if had family etc, I said no. She never knew who her real father was , war baby, and her Mum never told her but I knew she had no sublings etc and always said she had no family. She was going to get married when younger but called it off 2 weeks before the date. When I asked her why, she said I just thought I actually didn't like him that much. Braver than some!
Thanks again.
 
This is a traumatic episode for you GG. And the world is a better place because you care. Stay strong. It will resolve itself.
 
Thanks everyone.
The police don't want to know. Basically said I could contact a solicitor for advice or CAB, or do nothing, or put the keys back through the letterbox and walk away. I explained the whole situation, and since the death have gone into the house as the windows were all on the latch. The police officer actually asked if I had looked for a will.. well yes - I was expecting her to say I shouldn't have gone in there. Well no I know that really but the windows were open and there was no longer fresh food aside from anything else. A friend came with me as witness and I told the neighbours what we were doing and one witnessed us trying to make sense of the kitchen. We did find documents from a solicitor when the house was bought, we googled him, he died in 2014 and looked from the docs like a one man band.
I can apparently arrange the funeral although legally I have no rights to do anything else, but can ill afford not to get the money back. We asked the police what about the house and the car, they're just going to sit there? She just shrugged.
I really don't know what to do next other than maybe try the CAB if I can actually get to talk to someone.
 
Have you tried Citizens Advice online? There’s a fair bit on there. Go into “Family” and there’s lots about what to do and who pays for funeral etc.

Otherwise Ardross who sometimes posts on here, I am pretty sure is a lawyer? Maybe drop him a pm.
 
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Apparently the Environmental Health department of the local council are the people to contact who 'will arrange everything' so need to call them tomorrow and ask them to sort it. I stopped at the house yesterday on way back from a family visit and someone has told the council as council tax bill addressed to 'exors of' was on the mat which is unbelievable fast as her death was only made official the previous week.
I am still struggling to understand why she didn't leave a will. The house is worth several hundred thousand never mind money in the bank. She always supported charities, animal ones and the IJF, why not leave it to them? It's very sad that a life well led will benefit only the government, which she didn't like!
Without being morbid, if anyone has not made a will reading this, please do it as soon as possible. Whatever you leave behind, leave it to someone or something you love and care about.
 
I think the local authority arrange a funeral if that hasn’t happened yet. The Probate Office will know if a will has been registered or not if you haven’t tried that already. I can’t believe that it is that of a rarity and I would have thought the hospital almoner would know the drill. It’s so good of you to be trying to sort it out, but I suspect you’ll tie yourself in knots if you keep at it. For your own sanity, GG, you have to pass on the responsibility, even if that means walking away.
 
So it's a year tomorrow since she died. A friend and I cleared all the food and did a final sweep of the house to try and find some paperwork but no. Everyone we spoke to said I had no rights and could get in trouble etc. I put the keys through the letter box and walked away. Eventually I was pointed at a government department who deal with these sorts of instances, sent them a form and a copy of the death certificate. They said they 'advertise' for a year and if no one comes forward, sell assets etc, sit on the money for a further 9 years in case anyone then makes a claim. Yesterday I decided to look and see if she's still on the list being advertised. No she's not so I thought I would be cheeky and ring and see if they would tell me if anyone had come forward. Never heard of her, didn't get my form/death cert, done nothing. Lady there also told me I should have held onto the keys/removed paperwork/bank cards etc and waited until resolved....... I could cry, seriously. I drove past about 6 weeks ago just to look, car still on drive way, garden untidy but not too bad but what an utter waste. The woman I spoke to yesterday totally contradicted what the woman I spoke to last year said. How can this be with a government department for goodness sake?
If anyone at Newbury tomorrow, a friend and I had a plaque put on a bench for her near the weighing room, and I'll be leaving some flowers and cleaning the plaque after 1 o'clock.
I could still kill her for not leaving a will.
 
G-G said:
So it's a year tomorrow since she died. A friend and I cleared all the food and did a final sweep of the house to try and find some paperwork but no. Everyone we spoke to said I had no rights and could get in trouble etc. I put the keys through the letter box and walked away. Eventually I was pointed at a government department who deal with these sorts of instances, sent them a form and a copy of the death certificate. They said they 'advertise' for a year and if no one comes forward, sell assets etc, sit on the money for a further 9 years in case anyone then makes a claim. Yesterday I decided to look and see if she's still on the list being advertised. No she's not so I thought I would be cheeky and ring and see if they would tell me if anyone had come forward. Never heard of her, didn't get my form/death cert, done nothing. Lady there also told me I should have held onto the keys/removed paperwork/bank cards etc and waited until resolved....... I could cry, seriously. I drove past about 6 weeks ago just to look, car still on drive way, garden untidy but not too bad but what an utter waste. The woman I spoke to yesterday totally contradicted what the woman I spoke to last year said. How can this be with a government department for goodness sake?
If anyone at Newbury tomorrow, a friend and I had a plaque put on a bench for her near the weighing room, and I'll be leaving some flowers and cleaning the plaque after 1 o'clock.
I could still kill her for not leaving a will.
Click to expand...

Nice touch with the plaque and bench. I hope you had a nice day remembering your friend.

To be perfectly honest, if you want action in these sorts of cases most Government departments will be next to useless; your best bet is to contact a firm of probate researchers or ''heir hunters'' - especially as she owned her own property, was likely to have had savings etc...Considering the estate was likely to be sizeable they would 100% have invested the time to discover if there were any living relatives entitled to their share of the estate. A good percentage of their work is from private referrals or tip offs in cases just like this.

It's quite likely she has distant relatives out there who, whilst they may not have been her first choice to inherit, would at least have a more deserving familial link to the estate than the crown.
 
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Thanks but the woman at the government department said 2nd /3rd cousins would not be considered as close enough relatives. My friend told me her memory, when she was very young, of visiting relatives was that she was the only young person there and everyone else was 'elderly'. She was an only child, a war baby who never knew anything about her natural father, and was adopted by her step father when her mother married him. I think she will have no one who would qualify even if anyone is found. All the estate should have gone to charity at the very least. She would be very cross to think the government will get it. I really could kill her. If I ever see her again that's the first thing I am going to say to her.
 
I would be inclined to folow JJ's steer GG. Government officials are usually semi-informed at best and disinterested at worst. Her input on legacy entitlements are dodgy.
 
Well yes. She also said that I could get a locksmith to open the house, change the locks and keep the new keys, taking out anything financial, including the £5000 worth of premium bonds we found amongst other things. When I told my friend, who's been on every visit with me to the house as witness etc. she couldn't believe it. Nor could I to be honest.
I have yet to send the form in as don't have a scanner for the death certificate , my phone's not got a great camera, but I think I will put that suggestion in the email and ask to confirm and if yes we will go back. Goodness knows what state it will be inside after a year with no heating etc but if nothing else we could check the post.
She also told me that I could have arranged a funeral and taken the invoice to the bank and the bank would have paid it out of her account. Someone else told me that and I didn't believe them - I think that's so open to fraud but the bank will do it, just for info for anyone.
 
GG, please, please you must clear yourself of all this for your own well-being. I’d go back to the hospital almoner and find out to whom she/he refers the death certificate and associated paperwork when they have done their bit for the funeral. Then I’d write to whoever that is outlining the facts, enclosing the house keys and tell them it’s not your responsibility to take things further and if it’s not theirs then pass it on to the appropriate authority. Then sing Queen’s “I want to break free”
 
Barjon, thank you but I registered the death as the hospital told me I could even though only a friend. The registrar didn't say I couldn't either - but she did tell me I could go on the Tell Us Once website and I absolutely could not. It is very specific as to who can report a death and who cannot. The woman at government department also said I could have used this - I said you read it, no I could not. I don't have the keys now, I put them back through the letterbox. The government department lady told me to go with a locksmith and get the locks changed and keep the new keys. I quite frankly can't believe that is legal.. there are coppers at my livery yard, I will ask them as surely that's breaking and entering?
We, my friend and I, know there is nothing we can do about the house/estate but the house was full, and I mean full, of books, dvds, cds, clothes - you wouldn't believe the amount of clothes- which we could , if nothing else, give to charities.
The other almost awful thought is that if I wasn't bothered, no one would be and the house etc would just sit there for who knows how long? The hospital staff told me they would have advertised for a month and if no one came forward, would have arranged a cremation, but they would have nothing to do with the estate. Again how is that right? They surely should report it to some official department?
All very depressing. Even if anyone has no relatives, or hates all of them and doesn't want them to have anything when you are gone, if you haven't made a will, please do it. Plenty of organisations will do it for free as I know money tight. :(
 
“If the deceased has died intestate without known blood entitled relatives the estate of the deceased passes to the Crown. The Treasury Solicitor acts for the Crown to administer the estate”

“Refer a deceased person's estate to the Treasury Solicitor -
Notify the Bona Vacantia division that a person has died without leaving a will or any known blood relatives.”

Dunno if this will help, GG, but you will have followed the “right” procedure.
 
Yes but someone has to report it and there's no obligation in place for that to be a hospital/hospice/police ( if body found at home/suspicious circumstances) etc. There's nothing that states any emergency service have to report a death to anyone other than local authority if no one comes forward etc. Nothing about assets or bank accounts etc .
I'm going to scan the docs to the government department, ask them to confirm in writing that I can get a locksmith and if they do, we will go back in. If they don't, then that's really the end of it as far as I can see. Easier said than done to just let it go though. :(
 
G-G said:
Yes but someone has to report it and there's no obligation in place for that to be a hospital/hospice/police ( if body found at home/suspicious circumstances) etc. There's nothing that states any emergency service have to report a death to anyone other than local authority if no one comes forward etc. Nothing about assets or bank accounts etc .
I'm going to scan the docs to the government department, ask them to confirm in writing that I can get a locksmith and if they do, we will go back in. If they don't, then that's really the end of it as far as I can see. Easier said than done to just let it go though. :(
Click to expand...

Why not just send a letter explaining the circumstances - with keys enclosed - to The Treasury Solicitor, Bona Vacantia Division and leave it to them?
 
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