Finding out about a family member's finances.
Discussion
My brother is seriously ill and won't ever recover. He's not capable of communicating to give us any information.
He was living abroad for a long time and when he took ill his closest female friend was over with him a lot. My parents put a lot of trust in her to deal with matters over there and she took control of his finances.
Now what's seriously concerning is another "friend" has popped up claiming that my brother owes him a lot of money as they lent my brother money to buy his house. We knew his current account only had enough money to pay the mortgage for a few months so my parents have been topping up the account to pay bills.
Now his friend has introduced that my brother also has an offshore account which he started after the financial collapse in Cyprus. His female friend has become very secretive when pressed for answers about my brother's finances. We now feel that we aren't getting the full truth. The friend who loaned the money says the money that had been repaid to him was made from an offshore account,but he doesn't have the details now.
I was shocked to hear just how much money my parents have loaned my brother's friends over the last few years. They have been paid back, but I can't believe my parents have loaned out tens of thousands on pounds. What I'm struggling to accept is my brother has approached my parents to borrow large sums of money for his friends, but he couldn't approach them to borrow money for himself.
Basically I don't trust anyone in this scenario. I'm needing advice how I can go about tracking down all his financial accounts. He was living in Cyprus and I've not a clue where this offshore account might be.
What can I do?
He was living abroad for a long time and when he took ill his closest female friend was over with him a lot. My parents put a lot of trust in her to deal with matters over there and she took control of his finances.
Now what's seriously concerning is another "friend" has popped up claiming that my brother owes him a lot of money as they lent my brother money to buy his house. We knew his current account only had enough money to pay the mortgage for a few months so my parents have been topping up the account to pay bills.
Now his friend has introduced that my brother also has an offshore account which he started after the financial collapse in Cyprus. His female friend has become very secretive when pressed for answers about my brother's finances. We now feel that we aren't getting the full truth. The friend who loaned the money says the money that had been repaid to him was made from an offshore account,but he doesn't have the details now.
I was shocked to hear just how much money my parents have loaned my brother's friends over the last few years. They have been paid back, but I can't believe my parents have loaned out tens of thousands on pounds. What I'm struggling to accept is my brother has approached my parents to borrow large sums of money for his friends, but he couldn't approach them to borrow money for himself.
Basically I don't trust anyone in this scenario. I'm needing advice how I can go about tracking down all his financial accounts. He was living in Cyprus and I've not a clue where this offshore account might be.
What can I do?
Sorry about your brother, Driver101.
IANAL but I suspect Wacky Racer is correct.
(Edit: Not sure from your description if your brother is in the UK now. The following only applies if he is.)
Social Services have an obligation to safeguard the interests of people who can no longer speak for themselves, particularly where fishy characters start emerging.
The correct buzz-phrase to use to get the right people to pay attention is Safeguarding Of Vulnerable Adults (SOVA).
Read this too: https://www.gov.uk/become-deputy/overview but I'd get some decent legal advice before pursuing that route. Bear in mind that sometimes an independent solicitor/accountant/other independent professional may be a better choice of deputy than a family member.
IANAL but I suspect Wacky Racer is correct.
(Edit: Not sure from your description if your brother is in the UK now. The following only applies if he is.)
Social Services have an obligation to safeguard the interests of people who can no longer speak for themselves, particularly where fishy characters start emerging.
The correct buzz-phrase to use to get the right people to pay attention is Safeguarding Of Vulnerable Adults (SOVA).
Read this too: https://www.gov.uk/become-deputy/overview but I'd get some decent legal advice before pursuing that route. Bear in mind that sometimes an independent solicitor/accountant/other independent professional may be a better choice of deputy than a family member.
Edited by blearyeyedboy on Sunday 26th February 22:35
If this friend has received payments from this account, then ask (long shot I know) if when the payments came through it shows a sort code? Otherwise the only other option you have is to search the house for any paper work that maybe relevant. Good luck OP, sorry to hear about you situation.
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