Long court delay will see my mother evicted from care home

Q

I am in an increasingly difficult situation with the Court of Protection. In March last year I applied for permission to sell my parents’ house to fund residential care for my mother. Other means of funding are now nearly exhausted and unless her home is quickly sold she will be evicted. My mother has severe dementia and must remain where she is.

Unfortunately, I do not have time on my side. I have terminal cancer and my oncologist says I probably have less than six months to live. I sent the Court of Protection a letter explaining this three months ago. It sent me a request for some forms to be completed, which were duly returned in February, but I have heard nothing from it except acknowledgment of receipt.

My subsequent attempts to contact the court have yielded nothing. Please help – I don’t know where else to turn and am feeling increasingly desperate. – LR, Northamptonshire

A

That HM Courts & Tribunals Service knew you were dying and that your elderly mother faced eviction yet still failed to take action is truly unforgivable. What an absolute disgrace that you have had to involve this newspaper. After I contacted it your order was approved and processed within a matter of days, showing what was possible if it really pulled its finger out.

You have had an absolutely rotten time with all this to contend with; you also lost your husband to a sudden heart attack last year. I hope the resolution of this matter will free up some of your precious time to do things you truly enjoy and spend time with loved ones.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service said: “We have apologised to Ms R for these unacceptable delays and the court has now issued the outstanding order.” It added that it had introduced “e-filing tools” and made its processes more efficient following the “unprecedented” effects of the pandemic on its services.