Court of protection - unable to track down savings and assets

Jamby

New member
Mar 30, 2022
7
0
North Yorkshire
Hi, apologies if this has already been asked. I did a quick search but didn't spot anything similar.

My mother has dementia, I feel it's in the mid stages. We briefly looked at the LPA route but it became evident she doesn't have the mental capacity to understand it.

We've now started with the Court of Protection route. The problem is, we just don't accurately know all her savings and investments and she is not able to help. It seems like a stipulation of the CoP application, so I was wondering if anyone has experienced this sceario and can share any advice.

Thanks
 

thistlejak

Registered User
Jun 6, 2020
486
0
Hi we had the same situation when we applied for Deputyship for MIL & FIL.
We were aware of some of their bank accounts but knew that there were more. We completed the forms to the best of our knowledge and asked for an Interim Order so that we could get the rest of the information for them. The Interim Order was granted and then I took it round all the local banks and building societies asking if they had accounts. Don't forget NS&I for premium bonds and savings accounts. We managed to find 8 accounts with 5 different banks and premium bonds for both of them. The other thing that we couldn't tell the Court was who owned the house - we told them that there was a house but would need the Interim Order to ascertain ownership.
Once we had all the information we resubmitted the form and got Deputyship for both of them.
Hope this helps.
 

Jamby

New member
Mar 30, 2022
7
0
North Yorkshire
Hi we had the same situation when we applied for Deputyship for MIL & FIL.
We were aware of some of their bank accounts but knew that there were more. We completed the forms to the best of our knowledge and asked for an Interim Order so that we could get the rest of the information for them. The Interim Order was granted and then I took it round all the local banks and building societies asking if they had accounts. Don't forget NS&I for premium bonds and savings accounts. We managed to find 8 accounts with 5 different banks and premium bonds for both of them. The other thing that we couldn't tell the Court was who owned the house - we told them that there was a house but would need the Interim Order to ascertain ownership.
Once we had all the information we resubmitted the form and got Deputyship for both of them.
Hope this helps.
That's super helpful, thank you!
It's things like Premium Bonds that we know she has but have no idea of the details. I'll look to pursue an interim order for now.

Did you only need one interim order to get access to several accounts? The website seems to imply it's a single purpose/payment exception.
 
Last edited:

MartinWL

Registered User
Jun 12, 2020
2,025
0
67
London
If there is property involved you can find out who owns it from the Land Registry. I think there is a small fee to pay.
All you can really do is take the steps suggested by others, and declare that you have given a full pictuy to the best of your knowledge. There are numerous financial institutions, companies with shares etc and you cannot ask them all. Do ensure any post comes to you as most institutions send a statement once a year.
 

thistlejak

Registered User
Jun 6, 2020
486
0
For information just in case, @MartinWL 's suggestion about the Land Registry is a valid one , however in our situation they had lived in the house since 1962 and it was not registered with them.
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
There is a site to trace lost bank and building society accounts. It could be useful in tracking down where your mother has accounts. I've not used it so not sure how it works. Hope it is OK to post this link:-


This article might help too:-

 

heffy

Registered User
Oct 24, 2021
11
0
Hi Land registry only costs £6.00 and you get a code that you can then use for Paperwork. The N&I form is really easy and I got a great letter that said they would look into things more if I have more information. I am going through a similar thing following a death and issues with surviving relative, who has gone down hill greatly in the 22 weeks it has taken to get POA of anything. Dealing with financial institutions is a nightmare, especially when there was a lot of hidden information and COVID has made it so much more difficult.
 

heffy

Registered User
Oct 24, 2021
11
0
The house that I am talking about has been in the family since 1969 and if there have been any land deals or transactions you might still find something. I did and I was not expecting to find anything.
 

Shedrech

Registered User
Dec 15, 2012
12,649
0
UK
Hello @Jamby
a warm welcome to DTP

It might be worth having a chat with an advisor on the AS support line as they have a lot of knowledge of legal issues
 

Jamby

New member
Mar 30, 2022
7
0
North Yorkshire
Hi, just an update if anyone finds this thread.

We ended up going to a solicitor. Fees are limited by the CoP (around £1000) and we don't require all the details of the assets. It's probably worth finding a solicitor that specialises with dementia cases

The medical assessment needs to be done independently, as we found her doctor, social worker and mental health liaison wouldn't/couldn't do it.
 

MartinWL

Registered User
Jun 12, 2020
2,025
0
67
London
Glad you have made some good progress. You couldn't ever be expected to know for certain that you had found 100% of her savings. It would be wise to make sure you receive her post for a couple of years in case a statement of account that you did not know about, or something else of importance, drops on the door mat.
 

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