Readers' forum: Unexpected payment

Nearly a decade ago and before retiring and ceasing to practise one of my personal tax clients who had no immediate family and was updating her will asked me and her neighbour to each take a joint financial power of attorney for her and we agreed. I never saw the terms of the will. Later when I retired and my trade ceased I handed over all her tax affairs to another accountancy practice. Five years ago she sold her house and moved into a retirement home from where about 18 months ago she had to move to a secure dementia unit. From then I and her neighbour only had to operate the financial power of attorney on a very few occasions. Neither of us has received any monies for ourselves from her while the power has been operated.

The client died...