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Does anyone know how to go about claiming stolen inheritance?

deleted1309549's avatar deleted1309549
Posted 4th Jun 2015
My sister lived with my parents and after my Father's death 9 years ago, she cleared the house of all his belongings and claimed she had been given control over all finances etc. At the time I was not concerned, until I realized she had taken everything including all his cameras, lenses, photographs etc. Some lenses are worth £500 each. Since then I had asked her for proof and for my 'share' of the inheritance and she basically laughed it off.
She stayed on as my mother's 'carer', lodging for free, whilst I was doing my mother's laundry, taking her shopping etc and she used to say how she was being bullied by her daughter. My mother claimed physical and verbal abuse. I reported this to social services and in their infinite wisdom tried to move my mother out, which caused her to panic and withdraw her statements she had made to the police and social services.
My mother was in hospital after a fall and whilst I was visiting her, a doctor came to carry out a psych evaluation at my sister's request. I asked whether this was normal for an elderly person (she was 70) after a fall and the doctor advised it wasn't but my sister had requested it in order to obtain the power of attorney.
Christmas 2012, my mother called me in panic stating my sister was emptying the house of all her possessions, I asked her to contact the police and went to visit her a couple of days later. She was sat distressed, unwashed with no money and no food in the house. I took her to my house and asked my partner to help her wash whilst I prepared food. I continued to look after her for the rest of the year until December 2013, when my mother asked me to stop coming round as my sister was back and did not want me around.
Less than a year later she died in hospital. I later learnt she had been committed under the mental health act and after many months of suffering in hospital she died. I was not notified of anything prior nor after and therefore did not attend her funeral. I later learnt, my sister had been living in my mother's house ( warden control housing for elderly people) rent free, bill free and council tax free for over 20 years.
I gave up my job to look after my mother and now I am struggling to find work. I do not claim benefits as I have always worked and paid my way in life. Now my partner and I struggle on a daily basis to make ends meet whilst she is living the high life and travelling the world on money my parents saved.
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  1. deleted126783's avatar
    Speak with the executor of the will

    Why not sign on etc whilst you are looking for a job?
    (edited)
  2. Argoj's avatar
    You firstly need to know did you're mum leave a will. if so you need to get a copy. if she didn't and the estate was worth more then £5000 then it would have to been taken to probate. You do not state clearly when your mum died, but I would suggest having a free half an hour with a solicitor and see where you stand.
  3. nickann1's avatar
    seek legal advice all the way. If your sister is like that then it would be best to get everything looked at by someone who knows the field
  4. troyb's avatar
    First and foremost, I am very sorry not only for the loss of your parents, but for the circumstances late in their lives.

    I would also say to make the most of any initial free time you get with a solicitor that you firstly find out as said if there was a will and obtain a copy and also take with you a chronology of events, similar to what you have explained here.

    Take the time to write it all down now, so you have hopefully more information than they need at this stage but saves you fumbling around trying to remember or becoming disjointed in the order of events when you are explaining your case.
  5. Bigfootpete's avatar
    Speak to a solicitor as soon as possible.
  6. deleted1067843's avatar
    Everyone's right. Citizens'Advice Centres will also advise you free. I'm sorry for your loss. You need to be calm and rational in this matter if you can. Your entitement to a share of the moveable estate will be explained to you, and how to get a copy of the will (which will say who he executor was, if any).
    Also agree with the suggestion of signing on, as at the very least this keeps up you National Insurance contributions. Good luck.
  7. EN1GMA's avatar
    Sign on and look for a job. Not getting help you're entitled to, well you doing yourself harm financially.
  8. mizzy1985's avatar
    Im so sorry to hear about your situation, your not alone though sadly, i experienced something similar, not for as long as yourself or with financial repercussions as badly as you have been affected but i know its draining emotionally and so upsetting aswell, it really changed my life and took me a long time to get back to myself i dont know if i still am but good luck with things i hope things work out, i didnt take legal proceedings forward as it eould cost more than my share was worth and i couldnt afford to at a loss but truly i hope you get justice your sister has been cruel and cold hearted but what goes around comes around and we dont know how or when we will die so we should treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves, sorry if im rambling
  9. deleted1309780's avatar
    You need to see a solicitor first session is free, like someone said write all you know before, if there is a will and if it mentions you it makes life a lot easier, think who your parents dealt with for important decisions contact them. The problem you will have if there is no will is proof, if your parents had bank accounts then fine or other provable assets e.g. just as you would need to claim on an insurance scheme e.g. recipients etc then you can take these to a solicitor and say I'm joint next of kin I should have received equal share, but as I say you need proof that goods existed and proof that they belonged to your parents, I believe what you are saying but having had this in my own family were no will was made and one sibling kept everything, how can you prove that you father didn't give your sister the camera and lenses etc or that your mother didn't either. There possessions are just that, you or I could give all of ours away tomorrow so you unless they are named in the will then or somewhere else proving and knowing they were not gifted are two different things.

    Money in the bank however taken after both parents deceased can be sorted, and the sooner you get to a solicitor the sooner you can get a stop put to any transferred balance being used. However if money was taken out before your mum passed away and she was of sound mind then you would have to prove it was misused, or same under power of eterny all will cost money to make a case if your sister fights. Plus you may have to be practical rather than with your heart and think by now what is left, i.e. if your proved right and she's spent it you would be awarded on her ability to pay you back in her current financial position.eg Half of nothing. See a solicitor
  10. deleted1679900's avatar
    need help to get my inheritance back:(
  11. andywedge's avatar
    lebogang

    need help to get my inheritance back:(


    Hi lebogang
    This thread is over a year old now; you'll be better starting a new thread
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