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Original poster

We’ve just inherited a house in lockdown

37 replies

TeawithCakes · 28/04/2020 18:13

Hi,

We were left a house in trust following the death of my FIL a few years ago. He had remarried and his will instructed that she was to carry on living there and the house be placed in trust for my husband.

Step MIL has recently, sadly, died in a nursing home.

Her family had power of attorney so we presume her accounts will be frozen but we don’t know what to do about bills. As we’re in lockdown we are unable to proceed with putting it up for sale as it needs clearing out, redecorating etc. FIL died of kidney cancer and often had accidents in his room so that room needs gutting. We both work FT but hubby is off 12 weeks self isolating as he is asthmatic. I work away (NHS) a lot of the week. So, until lockdown is over we feel like we can’t move forward and the house sits empty.
It is a recent death so we haven’t been insensitive about bills but we need to know what she was paying. I presume we will have to pay them until the house sells.

Anyone been in this position?

OP posts:
notapizzaeater · 28/04/2020 18:15

Can't DH make a start whilst he's on lockdown ? He owing be mixing with anyone if just chucking, cleaning etc ?

Original poster
TeawithCakes · 28/04/2020 18:16

He has been over a couple of times but the tip is shut and no charity shops open etc.

OP posts:
Pebbles574 · 28/04/2020 18:25

Firstly, sorry for your loss Flowers.

A few things to consider:

  • Has probate actually been completed, and the house been transferred into your names yet? If not, then any bills accruing before then will likely have to be paid from the estate before distribution, not by you.
  • The bills may not be too onerous anyway, as there will be no services being used, and most councils give some period of respite on council tax for properties left empty after bereavement - do check.
  • How far away is this house? Is there no way your DH could use his self-isolating time to get it cleaned and tidied up? There is actually room in the guidelines for people travelling to move house etc, so this may be considered acceptable. If the house is empty, he wouldn't be mixing households etc. (But be prepared for lots of people on here to shout "NO!")
Pebbles574 · 28/04/2020 18:29

Could he take a lock up space at a self-storage unit (they are still operating) to allow the house to be cleared and then decorated?
It might be worth it, if he is "time rich" now and council tax will become due at some point.

Then when tips and charity shops reopen it can be moved.

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 28/04/2020 18:32

Could you send a message to her family along the lines of:-

Hi Lucy,

We were so sad that Julie passed away last week. We have such good memories of her and dad and the life they had together.

I’m sorry to intrude on you at this time but I’ve had a nasty thought - were any of Julie’s bills for the house on direct debit? As obviously they shouldn’t be coming out of Julie’s estate as we should be paying them now. When you get a chance could you have a look and let us know the details and we’ll try and get it sorted. And obviously let us know if anything has already come out of her account since she passed away.

It is obviously difficult with the funeral at the moment and although we would love to come I know you will have to limit the numbers. Perhaps we could meet up later in the year and spend some time looking at photos of Dad and Lucy - we have some lovely ones from the wedding.

All the best

Tea

IDefinitelyHaveFriends · 28/04/2020 18:32

Given the conflict between his illness and your work, it might make a lot of sense for him to move in there and get to work: the closure of refuse tips and charity shops would be a pain but maybe he could still get a lot done.

But first of all you need to discuss the actual transfer and bills with the executor.

ChicCroissant · 28/04/2020 18:40

The executors will be responsible for the bills until the house is passed to you, and if they do not have probate yet (if it is recently) then it's not a worry just now. I would not contact them and ask about it yet. Sorry for your loss OP.

babynamesarehard · 28/04/2020 18:43

@Mumoftwoyoungkids

Just wanted to say what a lovely message you composed is! It's perfect balance of personal, factual, considerate etc. There should be a job writing difficult letters for people and you'd be great x

fartyface · 28/04/2020 18:46

It is a nice message but I am not sure it is factual if probate is not through

BillieEilish · 28/04/2020 18:49

I'd leave it for a while, personally. Sounds like you're chomping at the bit otherwise!

2bazookas · 28/04/2020 18:50

You will perhaps need legal advice to make sure the property title is transferred to yourselves.

Probably the most pressing issue is to make sure the property is secure, and get it insured with a policy in your name. You will have to tell the insurer the property is vacant .

In some circumstances a
local council will give a 6 month CT Tax relief on unoccupied property, though you may find stepmother has already used it up.

Pebbles574 · 28/04/2020 18:50

I'm sorry, but please don't send the email @Mumoftwoyoungkids suggests - the bills are not your responsibility until the house is registered in your name at the Land Registry.
Whoever is doing probate should have an idea of what sums will need paying for the house in the period between death and the date of transfer, and these will be paid before the rest of the estate is distributed.

Another alternative for your DH would be to hire a skip (assuming there's space) and/or a waste removal service such as www.anyjunk.co.uk (or similar) since commercial waste tips are still open in some places.

AgentProvocateur · 28/04/2020 18:53

I second @babynamesarehard’s suggestion that @Mumoftwoyoungkids should set up a business writing difficult letters. That’s a perfect one for the occasion.

Poppybeaumydarlinggirl · 28/04/2020 18:53

I paid someone to take rubbish away!! You found still prob get a skip dropped off

Pipandmum · 28/04/2020 19:05

The trustees and executors should contact you (do you know who they are)? Is there a lawyer in any of this?
Presumably a lot of the possessions in the house belong to your MIL, and now her family, so you shouldn't rush in there and start clearing it out if you have keys, or do you legally have possession now?
If the executors are disinterested in the estate approach them.

Mummyoflittledragon · 28/04/2020 19:19

You need to contact the executors. Has your step MIL’s family removed things of value and sentiment belonging to her? It would be heartless to throw such things out. Obviously you don’t want things, which formerly belonged to your Fil or your dh’s mum taken.

You could contact her family and ask if they are aware of any things in the house belonging to her that they would like. This would be a starting point.

BloomedAgain · 28/04/2020 19:23

Absolutely contact the executors. Do not pay any bills until you are the registered owner.

CMOTDibbler · 28/04/2020 19:34

I've inherited a house (well, half as jointly to my brother) during lockdown as both my parents died in the last month, so I've been dealing with exactly this situation.

The executors need to ring the utility suppliers (after taking a meter reading) and register the death of your stepMIL. They then issue a bill, and put a hold on the account so you don't have direct debits going out. The water supplier my parents were with, you fill out the moving house form and say that they have moved out, again for a final bill for her estate to settle. The insurers put my name on the insurance as executor and said they are currently waiving the 30 day unoccupancy rules and will let me know more.
We're getting a house clearance company in, once we've removed everything we want to keep.

Jilljams · 28/04/2020 19:36

I was just going to mention what has already been said about checking with her family whether they want any of her personal belongings. My step grandmother’s family hired a skip and chucked everything out without speaking to us first. All my grandfather’s possessions gone including war medal, documents, photos etc and no thought that we might have wanted to keep some things.

Thighdentitycrisis · 28/04/2020 19:43

I heard that local to me the British Heart Foundation are collecting; they send out their bags which you fill. Might be worth trying them?

Lochroy · 28/04/2020 19:56

Who are the executors of her estate? Is your DH involved?

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 28/04/2020 20:07

Aww - that’s kind everyone. Funnily enough I’m rubbish at dealing with things when talking - always put my foot in it!

That’s a good point about probate. Does it apply when the house wasn’t part of StepMIL’s estate? I’ve just had a go with Lawyer Google and it wasn’t very helpful.

Pebbles574 · 28/04/2020 20:20

Oh good point - if it isn't part of DMil's estate then you definitely need to find out the terms of the trust - whose name is it currently in?

And yes, I definitely agree with asking other family members if they want to keep anything as memories.
When my parents died we had a difficult situation with a sibling who didn't want to take anything, as they didn't have space to store it, but also didn't want us to throw anything out Confused. When challenged about this, they said it should all be kept "for the family archives" (meaning at my house!)

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 28/04/2020 20:25

The house wouldn’t be included in the probate as it wasn’t hers or anything to do with her estate. Her family need to clear it out and let you know when it’s empty. If they’re waiting on probate before they do anything with it be prepared to wait, the process can take months.

Mummyoflittledragon · 28/04/2020 20:28

CMOT Flowers. I’m sorry both your parents died within such a short period.