I find it interesting to talk to executors of estates when money or valuables are left to an elderly person who has Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. The executors' attitude is sometimes along the lines that the elderly beneficiary won't know or realize that he or she has inherited something, and certainly won't spend it, so why bother giving it to them. The executor then wonders if the elderly beneficiary's gift should be given to someone else who will appreciate it.
This goes completely against logic for me. The elderly person with dementia that prevents him or her from looking after finances is exactly the person I'd think an executor would want to protect.
I've talked in a few posts about the executor's role and the fact that the executor can't simply decide not to pay an inheritance to a beneficiary for his or her own reasons, so I won't discuss that again right now. I would like to talk about the logistics of paying an inheritance to a person with dementia.
Assuming that the beneficiary is elder and that the existence of dementia is not a question, then there is quite likely someone legally appointed to help with their finances. The first thing to look for is whether anyone under is acting under an Enduring Power of Attorney. If so, the executor can send the beneficiary's inheritance to the person acting under the Power of Attorney, to be looked after on behalf of the beneficiary.
If the elderly person with dementia did not appoint anyone under an Enduring Power of Attorney, and is disabled to the point where he or she cannot deal with an inheritance, then it is highly unlikely that he or she can still sign an Enduring Power of Attorney. In this case, the next option is to have someone appointed by the court to act as legal Trustee for the beneficiary.
Trustees are most often family members, but sometimes it happens that the elderly beneficiary will have no relatives available to do this job. Perhaps the person who left the beneficiary the inheritance in question was the last living relative. In that case, a trust company or the Public Trustee could be appointed by the courts as a trustee. The executor is perfectly within his or her rights to make a telephone call to a trust company or the Public Trustee to ask for help in determining whether he or she should pay the inheritance not to the beneficiary but to a representative for the beneficiary.
Many executors in this situation will take the attitude that going through court-appointed trustees is just too much trouble, and will simply write a cheque and deposit it into the elderly beneficiary's bank account. This solves the issue of moving the money out of the estate and into the hands of the beneficiary. However, it doesn't do anything to protect the elderly person who just inherited the money, either from strangers or from other beneficiaries who are aware that the elderly person now has money but can't manage it due to dementia.
If the executor deposits the money and doesn't have a signed Release from a person acting under an Enduring Power of Attorney or court Order, there is a risk. A beneficiary or family member of the elderly beneficiary may later realize that there was an inheritance, and if the money is no longer in the elderly beneficiary's account (either because it was dissipated or because someone scammed it from the elderly person) then the executor is going to be in a tough position. The executor can be held personally liable for a beneficiary's inheritance if he or she can't prove that it was paid to the proper person.
As an executor, take a cautious approach and ask questions as you go. You should have a legal advisor if you are faced with unusual difficulties such as an incapacitated beneficiary, both to protect the beneficiary and to protect yourself.
This goes completely against logic for me. The elderly person with dementia that prevents him or her from looking after finances is exactly the person I'd think an executor would want to protect.
I've talked in a few posts about the executor's role and the fact that the executor can't simply decide not to pay an inheritance to a beneficiary for his or her own reasons, so I won't discuss that again right now. I would like to talk about the logistics of paying an inheritance to a person with dementia.
Assuming that the beneficiary is elder and that the existence of dementia is not a question, then there is quite likely someone legally appointed to help with their finances. The first thing to look for is whether anyone under is acting under an Enduring Power of Attorney. If so, the executor can send the beneficiary's inheritance to the person acting under the Power of Attorney, to be looked after on behalf of the beneficiary.
If the elderly person with dementia did not appoint anyone under an Enduring Power of Attorney, and is disabled to the point where he or she cannot deal with an inheritance, then it is highly unlikely that he or she can still sign an Enduring Power of Attorney. In this case, the next option is to have someone appointed by the court to act as legal Trustee for the beneficiary.
Trustees are most often family members, but sometimes it happens that the elderly beneficiary will have no relatives available to do this job. Perhaps the person who left the beneficiary the inheritance in question was the last living relative. In that case, a trust company or the Public Trustee could be appointed by the courts as a trustee. The executor is perfectly within his or her rights to make a telephone call to a trust company or the Public Trustee to ask for help in determining whether he or she should pay the inheritance not to the beneficiary but to a representative for the beneficiary.
Many executors in this situation will take the attitude that going through court-appointed trustees is just too much trouble, and will simply write a cheque and deposit it into the elderly beneficiary's bank account. This solves the issue of moving the money out of the estate and into the hands of the beneficiary. However, it doesn't do anything to protect the elderly person who just inherited the money, either from strangers or from other beneficiaries who are aware that the elderly person now has money but can't manage it due to dementia.
If the executor deposits the money and doesn't have a signed Release from a person acting under an Enduring Power of Attorney or court Order, there is a risk. A beneficiary or family member of the elderly beneficiary may later realize that there was an inheritance, and if the money is no longer in the elderly beneficiary's account (either because it was dissipated or because someone scammed it from the elderly person) then the executor is going to be in a tough position. The executor can be held personally liable for a beneficiary's inheritance if he or she can't prove that it was paid to the proper person.
As an executor, take a cautious approach and ask questions as you go. You should have a legal advisor if you are faced with unusual difficulties such as an incapacitated beneficiary, both to protect the beneficiary and to protect yourself.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteMy parents gave me Power of Attorney. I appointed my deceased brother's friend to be liquidator of the estate. This was because we were in different provinces. That was March, 2004. The executor has given me no information. Properties were sold and I imagine all accounts were closed. Nothing to date. My parents are waiting for this to close. Where can I get information on my brother's estate, since the executor has offered nothing and my family fears the worst. Is there a statute of limitations on such an estate's holdings?