Am I a grabbing money loving g*t?
Discussion
SWMBO's Godfather died last year. He had no children, just four distant nephews and nieces on his late wife's side. When his wife died three years ago she left a lot of her jewellery to my wife, worth about £10k, thank you very much godmum.
As I said, Godfather died last year and left an appreciable estate, his flat and stocks and shares come to £2.7million which his will distributes among the four relatives.
We used to see him perhaps once or twice a year and he always told my wife "there's something in my will for you" and on two occasions told her he'd "leave her his Kruggerands", 50 are mentioned in his will. But there's no mention as to what to do with them and my wife's not mentioned in his will at all, so the executors intend to just include their value with the rest of his estate. Our visits to him were always private affairs with no-one to witness what he'd said.
Would it appear mean and penny pinching to question the executor about this since there's no mention of the Kruggerands or my wife or his "promises" in his will? Am I just skating on incredibly thin ice with about as much chance as Ken Livingstone winning the Kensington seat in the next Parliamentary elections?
As I said, Godfather died last year and left an appreciable estate, his flat and stocks and shares come to £2.7million which his will distributes among the four relatives.
We used to see him perhaps once or twice a year and he always told my wife "there's something in my will for you" and on two occasions told her he'd "leave her his Kruggerands", 50 are mentioned in his will. But there's no mention as to what to do with them and my wife's not mentioned in his will at all, so the executors intend to just include their value with the rest of his estate. Our visits to him were always private affairs with no-one to witness what he'd said.
Would it appear mean and penny pinching to question the executor about this since there's no mention of the Kruggerands or my wife or his "promises" in his will? Am I just skating on incredibly thin ice with about as much chance as Ken Livingstone winning the Kensington seat in the next Parliamentary elections?
I understand you can ask for a variation to be made to a will post-death, which would need to be agreed by the executors. However if there is no reason for the executors to do such a thing (i.e. no other way of late Godfather having communicated his wishes) then it's unlikely to happen.
TwistingMyMelon said:
You can ask, they can say no
Worth asking to confirm
At the cost of potentially poisoning any future relationship with the living relatives perhaps, if that matters to OP. Worth asking to confirm
With no witnesses to any of this I can't see how it would be interpreted as anything other than opportunistic money grabbing, even if it's 100% genuine. What's in the will counts, he obviously didn't care enough to formalise that offer.
You are basically asking the 4 distant relatives to gift you £40000 from their inheritance. Turn it around the other way if this was your uncle and some stranger told you that the old chap had promised you £40000 what do you think your reply would be - honestly?
You've got 2 hopes Bob hope and no hope!
You've got 2 hopes Bob hope and no hope!
ColinM50 said:
SWMBO's Godfather died last year. He had no children, just four distant nephews and nieces on his late wife's side. When his wife died three years ago she left a lot of her jewellery to my wife, worth about £10k, thank you very much godmum.
As I said, Godfather died last year and left an appreciable estate, his flat and stocks and shares come to £2.7million which his will distributes among the four relatives.
We used to see him perhaps once or twice a year and he always told my wife "there's something in my will for you" and on two occasions told her he'd "leave her his Kruggerands", 50 are mentioned in his will. But there's no mention as to what to do with them and my wife's not mentioned in his will at all, so the executors intend to just include their value with the rest of his estate. Our visits to him were always private affairs with no-one to witness what he'd said.
Would it appear mean and penny pinching to question the executor about this since there's no mention of the Kruggerands or my wife or his "promises" in his will? Am I just skating on incredibly thin ice with about as much chance as Ken Livingstone winning the Kensington seat in the next Parliamentary elections?
strange I too just had a godfather who died with similar assets and he promised me that I would get his Kruggerands when I visited him in private although I was not written into his will. I presume he forgot. I would like to claim my gold please.As I said, Godfather died last year and left an appreciable estate, his flat and stocks and shares come to £2.7million which his will distributes among the four relatives.
We used to see him perhaps once or twice a year and he always told my wife "there's something in my will for you" and on two occasions told her he'd "leave her his Kruggerands", 50 are mentioned in his will. But there's no mention as to what to do with them and my wife's not mentioned in his will at all, so the executors intend to just include their value with the rest of his estate. Our visits to him were always private affairs with no-one to witness what he'd said.
Would it appear mean and penny pinching to question the executor about this since there's no mention of the Kruggerands or my wife or his "promises" in his will? Am I just skating on incredibly thin ice with about as much chance as Ken Livingstone winning the Kensington seat in the next Parliamentary elections?
Perhaps its the same godparent? I wouldnt be suprised if the good old man said the same to quite a few on here as well. We all loved him you know.
ColinM50 said:
We used to see him perhaps once or twice a year...
Hmmm...that's not very often. We turned ourselves inside out for my wife's Godfather as he got older, and him and his wife, who died some years ago, almost regarded my wife as their daughter. They had no kids of their own.
But in his last few years distant (both in relationship and geographically) relatives did a good job of manipulating him even to the extent of taking him to his solicitor to maintain his will, and we were excluded from major decisions as we weren't "family", indeed we'd get regular calls from the relatives as if we were hired help.
Immediately he died they called his solicitor to a meeting to read the Will (the solicitor was a bit gobsmacked when he found out the funeral hadn't taken place!) and I must admit that no-one was more surprised than we were when it turned out my wife had been left half the residual estate (ended up being basically half the value of his house).
It wasn't that significant an amount of money, but I'd have been dismayed if it all gone to family.
elanfan said:
You are basically asking the 4 distant relatives to gift you £40000 from their inheritance. Turn it around the other way if this was your uncle and some stranger told you that the old chap had promised you £40000 what do you think your reply would be - honestly?
You've got 2 hopes Bob hope and no hope!
This.You've got 2 hopes Bob hope and no hope!
I'm sure your intentions are not to be a money-grabbing g*t, but you're on a hiding to nothing.
jeremyc said:
If your wife is not mentioned in the will, then how do you know the Kruggerands are also not mentioned?
Have you already contacted the Executor to find out whether there was anything for her?
You can access wills online now.Have you already contacted the Executor to find out whether there was anything for her?
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate
OP, SWMBO's godfather actually promised me the shares which he had.
You see, obviously what I just wrote above is ridiculous. But that's how it's going to sound if you ask the family. Perhaps the old boy looked at what the wife left your OH, which I guess would otherwise have stayed with him and become part of the overall estate when he died, and thought "well, they've had a nice little tickle from us already, that will do, I'll leave the KRs in the main estate".
You see, obviously what I just wrote above is ridiculous. But that's how it's going to sound if you ask the family. Perhaps the old boy looked at what the wife left your OH, which I guess would otherwise have stayed with him and become part of the overall estate when he died, and thought "well, they've had a nice little tickle from us already, that will do, I'll leave the KRs in the main estate".
Edited by CAPP0 on Thursday 2nd July 15:23
DJFish said:
jeremyc said:
If your wife is not mentioned in the will, then how do you know the Kruggerands are also not mentioned?
Have you already contacted the Executor to find out whether there was anything for her?
You can access wills online now.Have you already contacted the Executor to find out whether there was anything for her?
https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate
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