Germanshepherdsmum
I was somewhat annoyed recently when one of the charities I support, who had sent a mail shot about gifts in wills, asked if I had, or would consider, leaving them a gift in my will. I replied truthfully that I had done so. Within days there was another letter asking if I had left a specific amount (and if so how much), my entire estate or a percentage of it. There was a ‘prefer not to say’ option. I could see no reason for the question being asked and thought it rather rude. Letter, meet bin.
Goodness, what a cheek!
Almost more of a cheek IMO was after someone we knew very well had left the house where he’d lived with his wife for over 20 years, to a favourite charity. (There was another house but I still thought it was a shocking thing to do - TBH he wasn’t a very nice man.)
He’d been advised by the solicitor to leave the house, not the proceeds of the sale, otherwise there’d be endless hassle - why hadn’t it sold yet, why hadn’t it sold for more money, etc.
Several months after the charity had been informed of the bequest (dh was executor) they wrote to the widow (who was up to her eyes trying to clear the place - her dh had been a hoarder) to say, basically, ‘Actually, it’d be much easier for us if you would sell the house yourself and just give us the money - thanks.’
The widow was distraught.
I’m glad to say that dh wrote back PDQ, telling them in slightly more polite language, to sod off.
It’s a major charity with their own legal dept. - all they had to do was pass the keys to an estate agent!