We ran a news item a few weeks back which covered how a family expected to gain a father’s inheritance, except, he left his estate to a charity, the RSPCA. Here’s another person who has clashed with that same charity.
We received a comment directly from Victoria Devlin, one of the grandchildren involved. As we believe it’s fair to see both sides of a story, here are her comments:
My grandfather died and left all his estate to the RSPCA leaving my parents living in a caravan. He was coerced into leaving his estate to the RSPCA as his first love was for his grandchildren who are now living in virtual poverty. I hope you are happy with this!
We asked her to give us further information and her viewpoint. Here’s how she replied:
I made a comment regarding the blog about the RSPCA receiving inheritance money. My family has lost approximately £250,000 because my grandfather changed his will that he made with my grandmother where everything was to be left to my parents. My parents are now living in a caravan and caring for my Grandfather in his later years has contributed to this. My grandparents were a loving couple and we (I and my brother and sister) spent a lot of time with them in our childhood, we were a totally devoted and very close family.
My Grandmother died of cancer and my Grandfather died later after spending a while living with my parents who looked after him. He had changed his will some time earlier leaving his whole estate to the RSPCA I must say that he was not lucid during the last 3/4 years of his lifetime.
I know my Grandparents and I know how much they loved their family, for this to happen is just inconceivable.
My original post was intended to re-iterate the fact that though animals cannot help themselves against the atrocities that humankind can sometimes inflict on them - how would these people (who are self opinionated and self confessed animal lovers) feel if they thought their actions and beliefs had left a couple of married pensioners living in a state of near poverty? (Probably they would not care because my parents do not have fur coats and wet noses).
I am an animal lover, I do not wear fur and I have two very well cared for and pampered Border Collies!
I asked what the family were hoping to do next, in their fight to gain some if not all of the assets they believe they should own:
Sorry to say the fight is over - neither I or my parents can afford to fight such a massive corporation as the RSPCA.
I just wanted to put my point across that even though we are all a massive animal loving family, and would never wish harm to any animal, I wish I could make my parents happy and comfortable in their retirement.
We are pleased to be able to show the granddaughter’s viewpoint on this subject. Readers will see two distinct points of view. You almost certainly had to be there to know the full truth which this family and the RSPCA will probably never agree upon.
Being sufficiently mentally capable to make a will is a vital legal requirement as is the need for a charity to chase money it believes is rightly left to it.
There have been many comments and articles written about this subject. The family are ridiculed quite often for being greedy. We hope that showing the granddaughter’s point of view, people will think before writing. If people find themselves in her place, what would they do?
Filed under: News
“Unfourtunately the RSPCA seem to have lost track of what they were originally formed to do, their prosecutions department seem more interested in generating publicity at any cost, some of the cases where they have prosecuted recently are more than dubious. They seem to totally ignore animal lovers where a fast £ can be made through donations generated by media exposure.The RSPCA are calling for pets to not be sold in petshops ! Schools not to keep animals ! Go around killing holy cows ! prosecuting pensioners, the disabled, elderly and School Children (the more high profile the case the more revenue from media coverage)To cap this they are one of the richest charities in the UK, yet still ask for our money when they have over £100 million in assets, they then spend it prosecuting some unfourtunate 15 year old cat lover !They totally flout and ignore the law of the land where it suits them, basically impersonate Police Officers and will trespass at will whenever it suits them. They should be stopped from mounting prosecutions due to the conflict of interest, or at least ought to be controlled by the CPS or some other safegaurd to ensure fair process.”
While we have no way or endorsing or disagreeing with these last comments, it does mean that the charity is being closely watched and therefore, should be careful in how it acts, legally and correctly, which can only be good for the charity to ensure it is beyond approach.
I think that the first question that should be asked here is whether the Solicitor who drew up the will does any work for the RSPCA or is connected to the RSPCA in any other way !
Public Opinion -
I do not know if the RSPCA was connected at all to my Grandfather’s solicitors - how would you know/ They are under no obligation to disclose that surely?
One thing though. My grandfather’s solicitors were over 5 miles from where he lived and given the hip operation he had about 6 years previous and the fact that he couldn’t walk from the front room to the kitchen without help I would like to know how he managed to change his will!
All this is irrelevant, my parents cannot afford to take on the RSPCA (again advice from their solicitors)
V
We always travel to client’s homes to write/update their wills so they are comfortable and not put off by plush offices which make the will writer look so overwhelming.
We always check for competancy, capacity and ability to undertsand especially when changes are ‘odd’.
We would always question any ’strange’ changes, strange suggestions, strange legacies.
I am appalled at people who think they have the natural right to inherit money from relatives (parents or otherwise).
If someone makes a will leaving money to whoever or whatever, provided they are not forced into doing so or are not mentally incapacitated, then NO-ONE has the right to overturn that Will.
Parent raise children and provide for them until they are adults. Those children have no automatic right to inherit from their parents, nor to “fight” their parents’ will/s.