Ask The Complainer is our segment for consumer queries on complex questions. Each month, Jasper Griegson, aka The Complainer, picks one submission to respond to.
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Last month, Jasper responded to Paul – who was caught up in a dispute between a retailer and courier company.
This month, Jasper responds to Marceline, who, following the loss of her husband, has been struggling with her insurance company and bank.
This is Marceline’s question…
Dear Jasper,
My husband passed away suddenly in 2021, aged 58. He had no will, and I have become his Executor. He had a life insurance policy. When I went to claim the premium of £600,000.00, the insurance company refused to pay up, and I was in dispute until I suffered a stroke.
I wrote to the NatWest CEO, Lady Alison Rose, in 2022 to inform her of my situation regarding the insurance claim, not expecting a response. To my surprise, Lady Alison Rose replied to my email, reassuring me that the bank understood what I was going through and was prepared to wait until I got a resolution with the insurance company.
I haven’t resolved with the insurance company and have taken it to the Financial Ombudsman. I put the house up for sale in August 2024 to pay off the mortgage balance, but it hasn’t sold yet, and NatWest is threatening to evict me on November 12th 2025. I am writing to inform them that I am selling my Grade II listed property at auction at the end of November.
What are my chances of staying in my house until I sell?
This is The Complainer’s advice…
Dear Marceline,
Thank you for raising your concerns, and I am very sorry to hear about the series of extremely difficult circumstances you have faced following the sudden loss of your husband. Dealing with bereavement, serious health issues, and financial uncertainty at the same time is an enormous burden, and it is entirely understandable that you are seeking clarity and reassurance about your position.
I would like to address the life insurance issue first, as this appears to be central to the wider situation. As your husband sadly passed away without leaving a will, his estate is considered intestate. In legal terms, this means you would be appointed as an administrator rather than an executor, as executors can only be named under a valid will. That said, an administrator has broadly similar responsibilities and powers when it comes to managing and settling the estate, including dealing with assets such as life insurance policies and liabilities such as mortgages.
Given the value of the life insurance policy involved (£600,000), this matter is both legally complex and financially significant. While the Financial Ombudsman can be helpful in resolving disputes, claims of this size often exceed what is realistically achievable through that route alone. If you have not already done so, I would strongly and unequivocally recommend obtaining specialist legal advice from a solicitor experienced in insurance disputes and probate matters. If the refusal to pay out is unjustified, formal legal proceedings may ultimately be the most effective way to pursue the claim.
Turning to your situation with NatWest, I am afraid that banks can, in practice, take a very rigid and commercially driven approach, even in cases involving exceptional personal hardship. If NatWest has already obtained a possession order and scheduled an eviction date, your options may unfortunately be limited. However, that does not mean there is nothing you can do.
The fact that you have actively been trying to resolve matters, placing the property on the market and then arranging for it to be sold at auction, does work in your favour. If you are able to provide the bank with clear evidence that the property is genuinely being sold at auction, including a confirmed auction date and supporting documentation from the auctioneers, this may persuade them that proceeding with eviction before that date would be unnecessary and counterproductive. In many cases, banks prefer to avoid taking possession themselves if a sale is imminent, as it involves additional costs, delays, and reputational considerations.
That said, I must be honest and say that once matters have reached this stage, the bank is under no automatic obligation to delay enforcement unless ordered to do so by a court. You may therefore wish to seek urgent legal advice to explore whether an application to suspend the eviction could be made, particularly in light of your health issues, ongoing insurance dispute, and the confirmed auction sale.
In summary, while there is no guaranteed outcome, demonstrating that a sale is imminent does improve your chances of remaining in the property until it is sold. Given the seriousness of the situation and the sums involved, I cannot stress enough the importance of obtaining professional legal advice as soon as possible, as this goes well beyond a routine consumer or complaints issue.
I hope this provides some clarity, and I truly wish you the best in reaching a resolution during what has clearly been a very challenging period.
Best regards,
Jasper Griegson
The Complainer
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