This has not been the best week we have ever had here on the island - lots of reasons obviously but not helped by the bloody awful weather we have endured over the past few days. We had an excessively thick and unpleasant sandstorm for several days and then weather that included gales, thunder and lightning and massively destructive hailstorms. We managed to escape quite lightly but friends and neighbours found their gardens resembling a war zone yesterday morning.
We have managed to make some positive steps with regard to the administration required following my Dad's passing. I had woken in the middle of the night worrying about the return of my mum's original birth certificate etc which I had returned to the UK to sort out her share of Dad's occupational pension. I know that once mum knows what her income is going to be she will feel happier because then she knows what she can and what she cannot afford. I rang to ask about progress and the pension people said that the documents were on their way back and today mum got notification that there was a document requiring my signature at the main post office from them so that is good news.
Yesterday I braced myself for a trip to the Tax Office to sort out Dad's Tax. I managed to find it which was a bonus and managed to park up easily in the carpark that costs 2 euros but rather that than try and squeeze in somewhere at the back of the offices. I could hear Dad in my ear telling me that there was always parking at the back and he never paid 2 euros but I ignored him!
I have to say that if you speak to any Cypriot in officialdom telling them that your father has recently passed away that they treat you with such care and sympathy. I may well have visited every floor of the tax office and many of the individual offices but by the end I had spoken to someone who partially filled in the forms that are required and spoken to someone that assured me it was unlikely that there would be anything outstanding and another who printed off a complete record of Dad's tax payments from the year he first started until the end of last year. I learned something, Cyprus's tax year runs from the beginning of January until the end of December.
Mum also got confirmation from a very helpful solicitor called Marion Carter that her existing will needs no amendment following Dad's death. We met with Marion Carter completely by accident when we were trying to sort out the log book for Mum and Dad's car. Marion's husband was sitting in the cafe attached to the Tax Office when he befriended Mum who had just about had enough by that point. I was less than charitable thinking he was busy touting for business but as it happens, any my apologies to him, he was a genuinely nice guy and his wife Marion was really helpful. Her advice enabled us to get the car into Mum's name and she also advised Mum that her will was ok - both of which came free of charge so this is a big THANK YOU to Marion and if anyone in Cyprus is looking for a solicitor who specialises in Wills and Probate and only that then we would thoroughly recommend her.
On the subject of solicitors I had a dream last night that I had gone back to my old place of work to meet up with people and no-one recognised me and I didn't know anyone or even recognise the place which isn't surprising because the offices have moved since I worked there - my office is now part of an exclusive apartment complex!
It upset me though - I think the fact that they dispensed with the IT department when I left and outsourced it made me feel that my 20 years of contribution had been for nothing but then when they decided that had been a bad move I felt somewhat vindicated.
We have managed to make some positive steps with regard to the administration required following my Dad's passing. I had woken in the middle of the night worrying about the return of my mum's original birth certificate etc which I had returned to the UK to sort out her share of Dad's occupational pension. I know that once mum knows what her income is going to be she will feel happier because then she knows what she can and what she cannot afford. I rang to ask about progress and the pension people said that the documents were on their way back and today mum got notification that there was a document requiring my signature at the main post office from them so that is good news.
Yesterday I braced myself for a trip to the Tax Office to sort out Dad's Tax. I managed to find it which was a bonus and managed to park up easily in the carpark that costs 2 euros but rather that than try and squeeze in somewhere at the back of the offices. I could hear Dad in my ear telling me that there was always parking at the back and he never paid 2 euros but I ignored him!
I have to say that if you speak to any Cypriot in officialdom telling them that your father has recently passed away that they treat you with such care and sympathy. I may well have visited every floor of the tax office and many of the individual offices but by the end I had spoken to someone who partially filled in the forms that are required and spoken to someone that assured me it was unlikely that there would be anything outstanding and another who printed off a complete record of Dad's tax payments from the year he first started until the end of last year. I learned something, Cyprus's tax year runs from the beginning of January until the end of December.
Mum also got confirmation from a very helpful solicitor called Marion Carter that her existing will needs no amendment following Dad's death. We met with Marion Carter completely by accident when we were trying to sort out the log book for Mum and Dad's car. Marion's husband was sitting in the cafe attached to the Tax Office when he befriended Mum who had just about had enough by that point. I was less than charitable thinking he was busy touting for business but as it happens, any my apologies to him, he was a genuinely nice guy and his wife Marion was really helpful. Her advice enabled us to get the car into Mum's name and she also advised Mum that her will was ok - both of which came free of charge so this is a big THANK YOU to Marion and if anyone in Cyprus is looking for a solicitor who specialises in Wills and Probate and only that then we would thoroughly recommend her.
On the subject of solicitors I had a dream last night that I had gone back to my old place of work to meet up with people and no-one recognised me and I didn't know anyone or even recognise the place which isn't surprising because the offices have moved since I worked there - my office is now part of an exclusive apartment complex!
It upset me though - I think the fact that they dispensed with the IT department when I left and outsourced it made me feel that my 20 years of contribution had been for nothing but then when they decided that had been a bad move I felt somewhat vindicated.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.