Chris

Hello, I did phone the help line before posting the question here. The person told me to read up on the subject, I told her I did already but couldn't find answers to my question. She told me to seek legal advice. I'm just trying to find out what we do next. Thanks.

Hello. My parents gave my brother in a deed of trust their house in 2005. Father passed away in 2009, and mother passed away August 2022, so we are trying to figure out what supposed to happen now. We are aware of the 7 year rule, and gift of reservation. Our mother stayed living in the house, but I did read somewhere that the gift of reservation doesn't apply in the case of the parent (our mother) having to be looked after and cared for by my brother who lived with her in the house, because our mother was elderly and infirm. My brother had registered her as disabled when she was aged 82 to get a blue badge for the car in 2015, and had to had carers come in to wash her. My brother had to look after her for well over 10 years. What happens in a case like this? Also, with regards to inheritance tax, the house is worth at the very most £400k, so no inheritance tax has to be paid, because the house was given direct to a son by my parents, in this case £500k being the tax threshold. I did read somewhere, because it's a gift of deed, no probate is needed, because a document of ownership already exists. I've been going around in circles trying to read up on what needs to be done. Please point me in the right direction. We are feeling very lost. Thanks very much.