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Wretched life assurance companies

Six months ago I lost my mother, and amongst other things she held a life assurance policy. As a co-executor in her will, I then wrote to the life assurance company, and sent them a death certificate and copy of her will, but they refused to meet the claim until Probate was granted. I took this to be a breach of contract, but decided to wait for Grant of Representation. Having now received this and sent this off a sealed copy to the life assurance company, they then write back 2 weeks later to inform that they still cannot meet the claim until my co-executor and myself complete one of their forms. The grant of Probate is a High court legal document allowing myself and co-executor access to my mother's estate. So far every other company I have written to concerning money due to the estate have co-operated.

I am rapidly running out of patience with the life assurance's stalling tactics, and am considering taking out a High Court Writ and suing the b*st*rds for the sum assured plus lost interest (approx 2000) since I first notified them of my mother's death. I don't see how the life assurance company would have a leg to stand on. Would anybody recommend that this would be a sound idea, or could I lose the case and end up paying heavily in legal costs? Or should I just complete their silly form and hope that they'll then pay up without further complications.

Reply to
Frank Booth
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This was the right and proper thing for them to do.

Well, I suppose if probate authorises "you and the co-executor" (as opposed to "you or the co-executor") to collect the payout, they are perfectly right to insist that both of you and not just one of you instruct them "with one voice" where to send the money. The problem is that, especially if the amount in question is worth you and your co-exec ripping each other off, they need to cover their backs by not just dealing with one of you.

If they gave you the money, and you ran off with it, your co-exec could sue them for releasing the funds without his/her co-authority.

If your mother had appointed a sole executor instead of the both of you, this complication would not have arisen.

No. Just jump through their silly hoops and be done with it.

Reply to
Ronald Raygun

There is no "could".

You *would* lose the case. And you would almost certainly be found liable for their costs.

Asking you to fill in a form is not unreasonable on their part.

The only thing they have done (slightly) wrong IMO, is that they should probably have sent you the form when you first asked, with instructions to fill it in when probate was granted.

Yes.

Reply to
Alex Heney

As yoour other correspondent says, it ain't worth it. This is par for the course for these parasites but their legal team will run rings round you.

Reply to
Tiddy Ogg

In article , Frank Booth writes

Which is, of course, not what they claim in their adverts. One company claims it will release "a tax-free lump sum to your loved ones, when they need it the most" -- which is a blatant *lie*. Whether or not the money is tax-free will depend entirely on whether or not the estate is liable to Inheritance Tax, and it certainly will not be released (unless to a surviving spouse) until and unless probate has been granted.

The latter. Fill in their form(s) and send it/them back by Special Delivery. If you want to complain that they *should* have sent the forms when you first contacted them, that's another matter.

Reply to
Paul C. Dickie

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