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.
11 Comments
sorted bySorry, commenting is no longer available on this discussion.
Why not sign on etc whilst you are looking for a job?
(edited)
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.
Also agree with the suggestion of signing on, as at the very least this keeps up you National Insurance contributions. Good luck.
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
Hi lebogang
This thread is over a year old now; you'll be better starting a new thread