Help regarding late fathers estate please

[Gemgirl]

Hello everyone,

my father died recently,he lived in Wales with my sister and her husband,I live in Kent.I was named as executor of the will and everything has to be divided between my sister and I.Shortly before he died he died my father had purchased a stair lift for himself,an electric bed,an electric chair and various electrical gadgets for his room,all in all he spent several thousands on these items.I believe that these things should be sold and the money divided between us,my sister is proving to be awkward about this even though they are of no use to her and says that if I want them selling I need to come up from Kent to Wales and sell them myself as she is refusing to do it.I am not in good health myself so would struggle making the journey to do this,there is a small insurance policy between us that my father left so getting a solicitor to sort things out is really not an option,trouble is that I know the minute I said to my sister that we would just forget about selling my fathers things she would sell them straight away and keep all the money,sad that it's come to this but does anyone have any advice about what I could do please?

[Sapphire]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

I take it there's no property apart from the possessions ? I think that as executor you are responsible, so if you can't do it then you could appoint someone to act on your behalf to sell the possessions, but make sure you keep strict accounts and do the dividing of monies at the end, don't forget to take out for your reasonable expenses.

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Gemgirl - if you are the sole executor (or even if you're not) - a not unreasonable thing to do would be to get a sensible value on all these electrical goods and put them as part of your sister's inheritance deducted propotionately to what is divided between you.

[Gemgirl]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Thankyou for your reply,no there is no property involved,just the possessions.

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Is it just these things then?

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Having re-read your post, it looks like you would be completely justified in dividing the inheritance as a proportionate amount of cash to you and the possessions to your sister (with appropriate adjustments).

[Gemgirl]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Thankyou,that seems like a good idea although I can't see her agreeing to it,the insurance policy is not much,probably about £1,500.

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

If you're the sole executor then she doesn't need to agree

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

And do bear in mind that the electrical goods will be worth less than half their value for resale even though they may be nearly new

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

If I were in your shoes I would suggest that I would take the money and she could have the goods. That might be, in theory, a lot more for her (but it might not) but it gets you out of the hassle and in your shoes that would be my priority, FWIW. x

[Gemgirl]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Thanks for all your advice,I appreciate it,problem is my sister is quite a devious person,my father owned a gold watch and 2 gold rings,he never wore them but we all knew where he kept them,unfortunately they weren't mentioned in his will and have mysteriously vanished,probably into the nearest pawn shop knowing my sister.

[MissFM]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

It's really horrible how grabby people are isn't it Gemgirl? Which is why I would, in your position, take the money (even if it's apparently less than the value of the disappearing posessions) and run. The nastiness can go on for years (forever) and it will eat into your life. Just my opinion, based on bitter experience. x

[Inca]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Gemgirl.I'm sorry for your loss and that this situation has arisen,,Death brings out the worst in some people.
Only one thing I will say,,the goods your Dad purchased that cost him a Kings' ransom no doubt will have a very limited re-sale price,we found this out the hard way.A perfectly new unused stairlift that my FIL purchased for several hundred pounds not long before his death only raised £250 when we sold it,,a pittance,,but as it was deemed 2nd hand that's about the going rate.
I would try and talk sense to your sister
Good Luck

[CleverClogs]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Thanks for all your advice,I appreciate it,problem is my sister is quite a devious person,my father owned a gold watch and 2 gold rings,he never wore them but we all knew where he kept them,unfortunately they weren't mentioned in his will and have mysteriously vanished,probably into the nearest pawn shop knowing my sister.

Did she also remove his gold tooth?

[Inca]

Re: Help regarding late fathers estate please

Thanks for all your advice,I appreciate it,problem is my sister is quite a devious person,my father owned a gold watch and 2 gold rings,he never wore them but we all knew where he kept them,unfortunately they weren't mentioned in his will and have mysteriously vanished,probably into the nearest pawn shop knowing my sister.

Yep...i can relate to that one. I have 5 siblings,(i'm the youngest)..My dad died in the middle of the night,totally unexpected,,we all went to my sisters house after to have a cup of tea and discuss what happened next,,my dads wallet was on the coffee table,I picked it up (for no reason,,just mooching) and one of my brothers nearly took my hand off !!! There was a lot of money in it....never seen again.