Probate delay causing hardship

[Guest]

Hi all.

I imagine I'm by no means unique finding myself in this comical situation.

My Father (in my opinion the greatest man ever to walk this earth) passed away earlier this year. He had the foresight to prepare a valid will in which I was named both sole executor and beneficiary. I have been SO fortunate to inherit a substantial cash amount split between two building society accounts (one a saving account, one which you'd class as the equivalent of a current account). I am privileged also to inherit a property.
All in the estate is debt free and amounts to just under £280K.

Unfortunately I am now the 'victiim' of the knock on effect of Covid. I am out of work for the first time in my life (I'm 45 years old) and am in a position where all our own resources have been eaten up covering living expenses etc. This would have been fine as obviously the inheritance would keep us afloat whilst the current crisis, blows through, if the Probate system hadn't incurred such delay (15 weeks and counting).

This delay now means it seems like the pot we p------d in has been stolen. I have claimed Universal Credit, but again it's a wait and is 4 of the 5 weeks away still.I have spoken to the Building Society who know my family personally as we have used them for the past 50+ years if you count my parents custom. Their threshold for Probate is £15k and will not budge on their requirement for the grant. Of the 2 accounts held there one is 27K, the other just short of 3K. It seems stupid to be on 'skid row' for the sake of it and wondered if there is a way of getting access to the 3K account as it is way under the 15K limit. The BS say no, they combine the accounts to give one value and that's that. I am extremely upset with their stance on the matter, we are literally scraping the barrel, when in effect I can't access (what will be, iand for that matter, is without question my own money to avoid the proverbial not just hitting the fan, but outright smashing it to bits.

Is there anything I can do that doesn't involve a pair of tights and a short barrelled shotgun? (Joke).

If anyone can help?????

[des8]

If you can't get BS to budge (how far up the system did you complain?) will your own bank not permit an overdraft?
Or seek a loan against the anticipated inheritance? Expensive, but if needs must......

[Dave D]

Unfortunately I went as high as Chief Executive of the Building Society. It's a village setup, not National so the hierarchy there are on-site instead of the fictitious golf 'fund-raiser'

What makes me sick though is between myself and parents we accumulated 140 years of custom, 50+ each Mum & Dad and 40+ myself. Plus 3 full term mortgages borrowed & repaid over the years. They repeat 'risk and liability, but I'm not an unknown and would consider current crisis as extraordinary circumstances' of which there cannot be set rules for as they self define.

The only other possibility is and I hope isn't the case, is I've been dealing with a genuine idiot???,

Other option of loan against it? Doubt it, it's unsecured for a start on nothing more than my word. Can't even 'borrow' MY money, from where it physically sits, being looked after by people I know socially, llet alone someone else's money who I don't know.

I despair........

[des8]

If you have paid off your own mortgage (which appears to be the position from your last post) will your bank not allow a small secured loan against that property.
Backed by a copy of the will, land registry documents ......

I miss the passing of the old bank manager who had authority and you could talk to.
Now it is all (the computer it says..)