access to money

[Connemmara]

My brother died in April RIP and his girlfriend (did not live with him) - took all to do with the funeral which of course suited me because I could not cope with his sudden death.

However can anyone enlighten me as to how she was able to access his post office account and bank account and lift the money to bury him. She said there was enough for all the burial costs but surely the bank and post office should have had contact with the siblings or what is your take on it. Thank you.

[ubasses]

One of the things Banks are permitted to do is pay Funeral Expenses from the account, so as long as they were informed of the death, presented with the invoice they will have released the funds from the frozen account.

[Connemmara]

thanks Ubasses

[Connemmara]

I am thinking then say she needed £2,000 hazarding a guess and there was 4,000 would the bank still release the £4,000

[factor-fiction]

Sorry to hear it Connemmara.
Was she named on the accounts in some way?
Did he have a will?

[Connemmara]

No no will - no we don't think she was named in any way as this brother would not go down that route of wills etc - he used to say to me bury me in your back yard

[ubasses]

No, They should have just paid the bill, but the if she told the Bank she was next of kin and the 4000 was the total of the Estate they would have released the funds under Indemnity. This means anybody with a claim on the Estate could go to the Bank and claim against the Indenity.

As Factor has said if your brother made the account joint anything in it would automatically become hers.

If you have any concerns present yourself at the Bank as next of Kin with a copy death certificate and find out what has actually happened.

[woofgang]

who did the formal bit of administering the estate? Even a small estate needs sorting formally.

[Connemmara]

the girl friend did everything - how could she say she was next of kin she would have to give id and evidence etc.

[Connemmara]

I would be nearly 100 per cent his account was his own definitely.

[Pumbah]

Did the GF register the death? If so her name will appear on the death certificate. Thated, might persuade the bank to release money for funeral expenses. In all other respects your brother died intestate, and certain legal formalities have to be completed. Could the GF have had access to, say, a debit card PIN number, to enable her to withdraw the money? I really think you need to consult a solicitor, and let them contact the bank and PO.

[ubasses]

I think to put your mind at rest you need to visit the Bank, you would then be able to have access to more information such as what date were they advised of the death and were there any withdrawals between death and them receiving the inforrmation.
The girlfriend may have been very underhand, making them think they were in a formal partnership and the family were too distressed to cope with it all.

I am sorry that you are having all this stress at such a sad time, she may have genuinely thought she was helping and paid any outstanding bills with the balance of his account but on the otherhand there may have been a fraud committed.

If his account is the sum total of his estate it is small enough not to require probate and can be sorted informally. Banks do have a responsibility though to ensure they get satisfactory answers to the right questions when paying funds away.

[Connemmara]

thanks everybody for your intakes. I won't be doing nothing as I am glad it is all over for him RIP. I do think she would have known his pin number and I did think that - I just thought it was ironic that she said he had £2,000 in the post office and £4,000 in the bank (you know verbally) and the funeral expenses including headstone came to just that amount!?

[ubasses]

You have probably made the right decision. A Funeral is around £2000 these days, headstones can also go up to that amount, if she also arranged any food/drink for mourners after and any small final bills there probably was not an awful lot left that she may have kept.

[Connemmara]

I understand what you are saying ubasses but my take is that what was the true amount of money left.

[bednobs]

only basic funerals cost £2000 - lots of things can make the bill add up. Even if she was underhand, it's probably a good idea you don't plan on doing anything - it sounds like we are talking of a small sum anyway, and most people (i would guess) leave everything to their partner when they have a will, so it's probably what he would have wanted. So sorry you had to deal with his sudden death - grief is an awful thing

[EDDIE51]

A basic cremation comes to around £2000 now , a burial with a headstone could easily be £4000.

[ummmm]

My Dads funeral cost way more than 4k.