Father's ex partner claims she had property in bungalow.

[Matou]

My father passed away in April 2011 and I have inherited his bungalow in accordance with the terms of the will.
I am now living in it.
A clear out happened about 2 months after my fathers death (clothes etc) and my 2 daughters helped.
My fathers ex partner was at first upset that the bungalow had not been left to her although I do not know why she expected it as she has her own house and my father informed her I had inherited my mothers half of the bungalow and his half was willed to me.
I returned all property I knew was hers to hers a week after my fathers death and asked her to contact me if anything was missing. This never happened.
She has now presented me with a list of her property which was supposed to be in the bungalow and has said the value of it is £3,000.
I have asked my daughters if they noticed it in the clear out and the answer was no.
I am also finding it hard to believe as she claims there was a £900 laptop amongst it and she always said laptops and computers were rubbish.
My father never had a laptop but kept his financial records on mine and came to have a look at the internet if he wanted to buy something.
Does anybody know if I can be held liable for the £3,000 as she has only told me about this property nearly 8 months after my fathers death.
If I have to pay the £3,000 is there any legal document I can get her to sign to say she will not come to me for yet more money.

Matou

[HowardKennitby]

As her to provide receipts for the items she is claiming.

[RATTER15]

I would say that if she has no concrete proof she hasn't a leg to stand on.

[Prudie]

I think she's trying it on, anyone who has a £900 laptop must be a serious user and wouldn't not ask for it since April. Are you still able to get advice from the solicitor/executor who handled the will?

[Old_Geezer]

No legal eagle here, but I'd hope the above answers were correct. Otherwise one could claim anything. By the way, did you find the solid gold statue worth £1,000,000 that I lent your parents a while back ? :-)

No, just be honest, these sort of things are of necessity based on trust, and explain none of it could be found. Besides if your father's ex partner left a while ago one wonders how much a left laptop could be worth. Not £900 after all that time I'd expect.

[bednobs]

personally i would wait for her to make the next move (if she does) at worst, she will have to take you to small claims court, where you will be ordered to pay, so it wont cost you any more

[brenda]

Agree with the others -- she is just trying it on.

You returned her stuff to her , asked her to let you know if anything else was missing -- that didn't happen until now after all this time.

Put the matter out of your mind , let her make the next move. You have more than enough to deal with , and need to grieve for your father in a calm way.
All the very best to you.

[sunny-dave]

Receipts - and photographic evidence that the items existed and were in you father's bungalow - otherwise I can't see she has a leg to stand on.

[AMYSULLIVAN]

It is obvious that this woman is upset that she is not going to inherit the bungalow and is just trying to get some money.
We had a situation in our family where a daughter was widowed and inherited her mothers estate which included half of the house.
She sold her own house at her fathers request and moved in with her father.
She paid to have the house updated which the father and herself said cost £60,000.
Her father befriended a lady who had her own house. She suddenly came with plans for her and her father to live in the house owned by the daughter and her father and members of her family were going to live in her house.
When the father asked where his daughter was going to live this lady said she will be moving out.
The friendship was terminated.

Amy

[themas]

I agree with the above answers except that bednobs says you will be made to pay if she goes to Court. That is not necessarily the case. You would defend her claim on the basis that the items she is claiming for were not in the house when your father died. She would then have to prove to the satisfaction of the judge that she did own them & that they were left in the house; also explain why she left it 8 months to ask for them after you returned the other items. Ffom what you have said, I think she would find it very hard to make a convincing case.