Avery Associates

  After a person passes on from this world, they may leave a multiplicity of assets behind. Here we think of property and investments, as well as furniture, jewellery, and loose gear. Some else then has to pick up the pieces and pass these things on to their heirs. But first, they have to know how to apply for probate. Applying for Probate Versus Letters of Administration Probate and letters of administration achieve the same aim, in that they empower someone to administer a deceased estate, and pass the assets to the rightful heirs. However, the process for getting there is slightly different: The deceased may have nominated an executor as part of their will, in which case the nominee applies for probate. This is semi-automatic, unless the will is technically flawed, or another person objects. But if there is no such appointment in a legal will, then the state must act. Usually, a close relative or friend steps in, and applies for letters of administration. The government arbitrat...

Greater disposable income coincided with the emergence of the late 20 th   century phenomenon of accumulating trappings of wealth. But there does come a time when we must start to declutter. However, as Gloria Stafford says so eloquently, we must first face the question what is to be done with unwanted possessions in our  compulsively hoarded house . Lest our quality of life suffers while customers queue up thrift charity shops. The Long Gradual Process Leading to Compulsive Hoarding Compulsive hoarding does not appear out of nowhere like the big bang theory of creation. We longed for those trappings of wealth when starting out in life and gradually acquired them. Fast forward the decades and half of us have more possessions than we need. However, research does suggest this process slows for most of us when we reach 50. By then we have enough possessions and may be funding looking after them stressful. However, compulsive collecting often departs from the main stream at this ...

Hampshire straddled the land bridge from Europe during the last great ice age. Mesolithic hunters gathered in river valleys where they hunted giant beasts. Until these became extinct and they began to experiment with agriculture instead. Roman and Norman colonists added to the genetic chain during several invasions. This contributed to a rich culture still evident in museums and antique dealers. I am mindful of this when clearing a hoarded home in Hampshire for I never know what I will find. A Display Cabinet Filled with Old China Pieces  The 21 st  Century Scourge – Fly Tipping in Hampshire I was traveling down to Southampton a few months ago to attend a  hoarded house clearance  after the occupant passed away. I left London early to avoid the worst of the morning rush, and followed a more leisurely route branching off from the motorway. On an impulse I headed down through B roads to visit a village I always wanted to see. It was everything I expected and I was thor...