Maxed out credit.
When my mother died, we found she had maxed out 5 credit cards to the tune of about £10k.

Like good little boys and girls my siblings and I sent copies of the death certificate to each of the companies, explaining that she wouldn't be paying due to her being a tad deceased.

Didn't make a difference, they still sent ever more strident and threatening letters demanding immediate settlement in full (as an aside, one company addressed their letters to "Mrs M XXXXX, Deceased!). My bro and I decided to teach these vultures a lesson. We arranged an "informal creditors meeting" at a local hotel.

The company representatives all arrived at the apointed time and place, each with reams of agreements and quasi-legal documents and sat one side of the large table we'd arranged across the hired room.

After we'd let them stew for half an hour or so,we announced that we'd "bring her in to answer questions and finalise arrangements". They looked smugly at each other and waited.

I wish I'd taken a picture when my bro solemnly gave them each a an envelope, supposedly containing a copy of her "payment proposals" (actually containing copies of her death certificate) as I carefully placed the box containing her ashes in the middle of the table.

They looked sick as I said "Go on, ask her what you like".

I think they got the message.
(Captain Placid 24/7 ball gags, brownie mix and clown porn, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 9:41, 2 replies)

Don't the debts have to be paid by her estate?

( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:27, closed)

That's what I thought
Mind you, if she died with all those maxed out cards I can imagine "the estate" didn't have a lot to pay with.
(Bazongaloid, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 13:33, closed)

yup
when my great-grandad died my grandad had to pay off all his huge debts from drinking, as well as give what was in his will to people out of his own pocket
(deadly_sinners, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 0:57, closed)

I think
but don't know, loans, overdrafts, mortgages etc. are paid of by the estate, but credit card debts are written off when you die.
Think I read this somewhere.
Or made it up.
( monkeyboyalpha jumping on the bandwagon since, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 11:33, closed)

It depends on the card company, laws, etc
I worked for MBNA before the Bank of America takeover.
Standard policy was to write off balances from the deceased persons' account. On-the-job policy was to forward it to "Customer Assistance" aka the debt collectors. They'd get as much as they could without triggering a solicitors letter from the next-of-kin.

Fucking lying thieving sharks, I was never happier to leave a job!
(blueberrypossum wants to Jaffa your Cake, Mon 26 Jan 2009, 12:28, closed)

Fantastic work.
I'd do the same. Only I'd invite the press too.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sun 25 Jan 2009, 12:43, closed)