How do find out who is responsible for an empty property if the owner is deceased?
Empty properties can cause problems for neighborhoods and councils, potentially being unsightly and attracting anti-social behavior. There is also a housing shortage which makes getting properties back into use even more important.
In many cases, a home may be unoccupied as the owner has sadly passed away. In these circumstances, it can be difficult to get the property back into use. The deceased’s estate may not be managed as those entitled to the estate may be unaware of the circumstances. This can be the case for those who have died intestate and had little contact with family members. In some cases, the deceased may have left a Will, however, the Will may not have been located and those named as the executors may also be unaware of the situation.
We are able to identify who entitled to act in the administration of the estate and get the deceased’s property back into use. We provide a comprehensive search for a Will, locate any named executors and apply for a Grant of Probate. If a Will is not located, we have connections who can locate the deceased’s next of kin and identify those entitled to obtain a Grant of Letters of Administration.
In some cases, those entitled to act in the administration of the estate may be aware of the circumstances but still feel unable to act for several reasons. For example, the next of kin may be entitled to take out a Grant where the deceased died intestate, however, they may be reluctant to assume this responsibility due to their limited knowledge of the deceased’s affairs.
In other cases, the task of administering the estate may seem too daunting and upsetting. In some cases, the estate may be large and inheritance tax may be payable. The executor or administrator may not have access to funds to pay the inheritance tax and may be reluctant to progress with the estate.
We can also assist in these cases. We locate the various assets of the estate and gain a full understanding of the deceased’s affairs and prepare the application for the Grant. We take on the responsibility for the administration of the estate and apply for a Grant on another’s party behalf via a power of attorney if preferred. We also apply for a Grant to pass over a named executor if they are unable to act for various reasons, such as ill health or if they are unable to be located and further arrange for any inheritance tax to be paid from the assets held by the deceased.
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