Andrew Reay, probate manager at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, explains to a Financial Times reader what to do, and how to get probate, where a co-owner of a property has passed away leaving no Will and no known heirs.
I bought a second home in Hull for £38,000 for which I paid 100 per cent of the purchase price with my friend, then seriously ill. We bought the property as tenants in common rather than in joint ownership, as was my intention. My friend died in 2001 with no will or known heirs. As I often worked abroad, I never got probate. The house was left empty. Now, aged 78, I am anxious to sell up but can’t, as getting probate is too complicated. I am also being charged double council tax on an empty property. How do I get probate in the light of this and finally gain closure?
https://www.ft.com/content/36f04152-c485-47d9-991a-621334243633
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