Hi,
I hope I can keep this as short as possible!
My Grandmother died at the end of last year and I was named as executor along with my cousin. I have done the bulk of the work which I was happy to do and just checked in with cousin if I was making any decisions to check he agreed.
The will was very simple, house to be sold, anything left over from bank accounts to be split equally between her 4 children, (My Aunts and Uncle) so pretty straightforward.
The main problem at the start of the year was that my unemployed alcoholic uncle was still living in her house as he has done for the past 10 years. He had agreed to move out 3 months after her death. I had to keep badgering him to ring the local council to be put on the housing list which was slow going. One Aunt was very angry about him living there and wanted him out ASAP and kicked up such a fuss about the whole situation I ended up getting a solicitor involved to get him evicted. He eventually moved out last month.
This particular Aunt has complained about everything and upset everyone during the whole process to the point none of the siblings are talking to each other and has made the situation very stressful and difficult for me with her various demands and tantrums.
Cut to now, house has been sold and we exchanged last week. Cousin has been dealing with any issues with Aunt as Ive just been finding it too much. She is very angry about the price the house sold for, it's gone for average market value and I sold it for 10K less than the asking price (decided by her and the estate agent and she just wouldn't stop going on about it, I didn't want to list it for so much)
I received the funds into my account last week, three of the beneficiaries sent over bank details and I transferred their share over the same day. For a week my cousin and I have tried repeatedly tried to contact her and my uncle, messages, phonecalls etc but have been met with radio silence.
I rang and had a quick word with my solicitor to see what I could do as I just wanted the whole situation finished and signed off. She advised to send a cheque by recorded delivery saying it needed to be cashed by X date or I would be transferring her share off the estate to my solicitor to keep in a client account and she would deal with the remaining executor duties.
I posted the letter and came home to receive a message from her to say that she wouldn't be accepting any funds till she had seen the estate accounts to go through them with her solicitor. I have no problem with this and was waiting for a completion statement from the solicitor dealing with the house sale but she is off sick at the moment before I sent everyone a copy. (turns out the other three aren't bothered about seeing them) I posted them the same day, but she still hasn't received them four days later even though the were sent 1st class recorded. She is refusing to give me her personal email or her solicitors so I can send them that way, and said if they don't get to her by next week she will just cancel her appointment with her solicitor on Tuesday until I send another copy out because she's in no rush apparently.
I suppose what I'm asking is, is there any comeback on me? I've done everything correctly as far as I'm aware. I don't know what game she is playing, or why she is dragging this out? If she won't accept the funds what exactly is she looking for? can she complain about something Ive done or sue me for something? I'm just so stressed with the whole thing. I've sent a full list of of assets and everything that I've spent is that ok? I stupidly shredded a load of old paperwork after I sent the others their money as I thought I was done with the whole thing. I've spent some time this morning ringing around and getting copis of receipts just incase her solicitor asks for them.
I hope someone can help or provide some reassurance about what might happen next.
Thanks so much if you have got this far!
I hope I can keep this as short as possible!
My Grandmother died at the end of last year and I was named as executor along with my cousin. I have done the bulk of the work which I was happy to do and just checked in with cousin if I was making any decisions to check he agreed.
The will was very simple, house to be sold, anything left over from bank accounts to be split equally between her 4 children, (My Aunts and Uncle) so pretty straightforward.
The main problem at the start of the year was that my unemployed alcoholic uncle was still living in her house as he has done for the past 10 years. He had agreed to move out 3 months after her death. I had to keep badgering him to ring the local council to be put on the housing list which was slow going. One Aunt was very angry about him living there and wanted him out ASAP and kicked up such a fuss about the whole situation I ended up getting a solicitor involved to get him evicted. He eventually moved out last month.
This particular Aunt has complained about everything and upset everyone during the whole process to the point none of the siblings are talking to each other and has made the situation very stressful and difficult for me with her various demands and tantrums.
Cut to now, house has been sold and we exchanged last week. Cousin has been dealing with any issues with Aunt as Ive just been finding it too much. She is very angry about the price the house sold for, it's gone for average market value and I sold it for 10K less than the asking price (decided by her and the estate agent and she just wouldn't stop going on about it, I didn't want to list it for so much)
I received the funds into my account last week, three of the beneficiaries sent over bank details and I transferred their share over the same day. For a week my cousin and I have tried repeatedly tried to contact her and my uncle, messages, phonecalls etc but have been met with radio silence.
I rang and had a quick word with my solicitor to see what I could do as I just wanted the whole situation finished and signed off. She advised to send a cheque by recorded delivery saying it needed to be cashed by X date or I would be transferring her share off the estate to my solicitor to keep in a client account and she would deal with the remaining executor duties.
I posted the letter and came home to receive a message from her to say that she wouldn't be accepting any funds till she had seen the estate accounts to go through them with her solicitor. I have no problem with this and was waiting for a completion statement from the solicitor dealing with the house sale but she is off sick at the moment before I sent everyone a copy. (turns out the other three aren't bothered about seeing them) I posted them the same day, but she still hasn't received them four days later even though the were sent 1st class recorded. She is refusing to give me her personal email or her solicitors so I can send them that way, and said if they don't get to her by next week she will just cancel her appointment with her solicitor on Tuesday until I send another copy out because she's in no rush apparently.
I suppose what I'm asking is, is there any comeback on me? I've done everything correctly as far as I'm aware. I don't know what game she is playing, or why she is dragging this out? If she won't accept the funds what exactly is she looking for? can she complain about something Ive done or sue me for something? I'm just so stressed with the whole thing. I've sent a full list of of assets and everything that I've spent is that ok? I stupidly shredded a load of old paperwork after I sent the others their money as I thought I was done with the whole thing. I've spent some time this morning ringing around and getting copis of receipts just incase her solicitor asks for them.
I hope someone can help or provide some reassurance about what might happen next.
Thanks so much if you have got this far!