Is it just me or is this pretty insensitive practice?

Hedge

Hedge

Hedge

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Somewhere in the middle.
As you may have read last week my Grandmother died so I've been helping my Mother deal with things.

Yesterday we tell the council about the death and enquire about how long we can have to empty her bungalow. Basically they say we have to pay 70 a week rent from the day she died.

Funeral is next Thursday and we plan to leave from there for the service. So we needed 2 weeks longer in the house to clear it out etc.

I find it insane that there isn't some kind of standard grace period when someone dies so grieving families don't need to worry about yet another cost.

Its not too bad for us because we can manage to pay it, but for poorer and smaller families I find it a little bit sad that the council just bill them from the day they die.
 
Does it belong to them?
Was there any money paid in advance?
-edit I'd have thought she would have a month paid in advance and a deposit to reclaim that could be used for some of this period.

I suppose it is the same, or similar rules to if you died in private accommodation that you don't own.
 
Yeah it does.

Maybe I'm just being a bit sensitive and taking it personal. I just think that families should be given a week without charge or something to actually deal with clearing personal belongings etc.

I think it's a bit cold, but probably acceptable.

Its a shame for poor people though, not everyone has much money and paying for funerals etc if you are a lone relative could be hard enough.
 
edscdk said:
if you don't have money you can take whats valuable and leave the reset on day 1? issue resolved?
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We want to funeral service to leave from her house. So that her neighbouring pensioner friends etc have a place to pay respects before the procession leaves.
 
Hedge said:
Yeah it does.

Maybe I'm just being a bit sensitive and taking it personal. I just think that families should be given a week without charge or something to actually deal with clearing personal belongings etc.

I think it's a bit cold, but probably acceptable.

Its a shame for poor people though, not everyone has much money and paying for funerals etc if you are a lone relative could be hard enough.
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can they chase you for the money?
Can they take possession without paperwork that surely cannot be done in 2 weeks?

I don't know the answers id be interested if anyone does... I mean it takes 6 months+ to evict, surely it would have to go to court and the council prove she is dead?
 
SpeedFreak said:
The landlord tenant contract is a business agreement so I don't think you should take it too personally.
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I'm not particularly upset by the issue. I just find it a bit cold. I just think a council could afford to let people have a week without charge to deal with more pressing things.

I guess it's because it's also the first time I've experienced the administration side of dealing with a death. Insurance companies, funeral directors, housing, taxes, bank account, pension etc. It's a lot to get head around.
 
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Hedge said:
I'm not particularly upset by the issue. I just find it a bit cold. I just think a council could afford to let people have a week without charge to deal with more pressing things.
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Yep it is cold.

Seems this world today everything is faceless and cold though. A week period to clear stuff out sounds reasonable.
 
edscdk said:
can they chase you for the money?
Can they take possession without paperwork that surely cannot be done in 2 weeks?

I don't know the answers id be interested if anyone does... I mean it takes 6 months+ to evict, surely it would have to go to court and the council prove she is dead?
Click to expand...
 
I also suggest once done, you clear the place yourself. The council wanted ~£250 to clear the place when my nan died.
 
Hedge said:
Maybe I'm just being a bit sensitive and taking it personal. I just think that families should be given a week without charge or something to actually deal with clearing personal belongings etc.
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Why? It isn't their fault she died. Do you want the electricity company to give you a bit extra too? Cost of it should come from her estate - it is pretty standard to have to settle debts, bills etc.. from someone's estate I don't see why there should be a special case simply because one of the parties is the council.
 
It's certainly insensitive, but it's also not really unfair if you take a cold, unpassionate stance on it.

When my gran died with not a penny to her name, there were issues with paying for funerals and rent etc as her offspring all also have barely a penny to their names.

It's quite sad when people are too poor to be able to have time to go through the grief process at the sort of pace others may expect to do so.

See also: the 'bedroom tax' after a child has died. You may want to keep their room as they left it, as many do, but you'll be 'taxed' for doing so.
 
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dowie said:
Seriously - were you just going to leave a bunch of stuff there for someone else to clear up otherwise?
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No, but I sure as hell wasn't going to pay them that much to remove about 3 cuboards and a couple of chairs (the rest was already dealt with).
 
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