The Inheritance Tracing Team at Taylor Emmet are sadly no strangers to the disturbing rise in probate fraud. A recent BBC investigation has laid bare how criminals are exploiting loopholes in the probate process in order to steal millions from the estates of the deceased. But what’s more troubling is Read more…
This week marks Empty homes week, organised by Action on Empty Homes, which uses the week to highlight the growing problem of long-term empty properties across the UK. In the financial year 2023-24, councils in England spent over £2 billion on temporary accommodation. This was spent on generally cramped, unsuitable Read more…
In 2024 the UK experienced a significant surge in repossession claims, marking a concerning trend for homeowners, landlords, and tenants alike. The increase is likely a consequence of economic pressures, high interest rates, policy changes, and the legacy of the pandemic. It can also occur where the property owner has Read more…
BBC File on Four’s recent episode, Ghost Houses, highlights the increasing number of empty properties in England & Wales and the issues these cause their surrounding neighbourhoods. The rise of ghost homes So called “Ghost homes”, effectively empty homes, are properties that remain unoccupied for extended periods of time. These Read more…
Sadly, there have been some recent high profile cases in the media involving missing persons such as the heartbreaking and tragic stories behind the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, Michael Mosely and Jay Slater, to name a few. My heart goes out to all the families and friends of those involved, Read more…
As we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, recent figures show the number of families on council housing waiting lists increased to 1.18 million in 2021 with 96,060 households living in temporary accommodation in England. This week marks Empty homes week, organised by Action on Empty Homes, which uses the Read more…
What is the issue Administering an estate can take a considerable period of time, especially where the deceased owned a property. Anyone working with empty homes will have no doubt encountered difficulties when a property owner dies and there is a delay in administering their estate. Some of the common Read more…
When people go missing, it can leave their family and possessions in limbo. Properties may lie empty for years because the registered owner cannot be traced, or be repossessed due to missed mortgage payments. This can cause excessive delays, burdensome processes and unnecessary costs. Thankfully, empty property practitioners and families can now utilise relative new powers to Read more…
The number of households in emergency accommodation increased by 14% in the last three months. This is an unprecedented rise and another unwelcome effect of the coronavirus pandemic. Even with an eviction ban in place, many people have been tipped into homelessness. By the end of June 2020, 98,300 UK Read more…
Parliament has proposed some positive changes to inheritance tax. This month, Ben Brown looks at how they could benefit you, if they are implemented… An All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on inheritance and intergenerational fairness recently recommended simplifying the inheritance tax rules. The government didn’t announce any changes at the recent Read more…