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Johanet V

1 reviews | Active since Nov 2023

12 Oct 2025, 00:02

Letter of renunciation of the Estate of the Late SA Bouwer: date of death 3 April 1998

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding the ongoing lack of support and follow-through from Old Mutual in relation to the estate of my late father, Mr SA Bouwer, who passed away on 3 April 1998. Old Mutual was appointed as the executor of his estate at the time.

Despite multiple emails and follow-up calls, I have yet to receive any meaningful assistance. Typically, I receive a call, explain the issue in detail, and then never hear back again. This pattern of poor communication and unresolved queries has left me extremely frustrated.

The matter concerns an unclaimed pension benefit recently brought to our attention. In order to process this benefit, we are required to activate my late father's tax number. SARS has informed us that they need a Letter of Executorship to do so. However, the Master of the High Court requires a formal letter from Old Mutual confirming:

That the estate will not be reopened, and

That Old Mutual renounces any further involvement or interest in the estate.

My mother, Mrs Johanna Maria Bouwer, was the sole beneficiary of the estate. I have personally visited both Old Mutual and Nedbank offices seeking assistance, but was redirected without resolution.

I urgently request that Old Mutual either:

Provide the required letter of renunciation, or

As the appointed executor, activate the tax number directly with SARS.

This matter is time-sensitive, and the Trustees of the fund have already processed the claim in terms of Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act. I understand that the passage of time may present administrative challenges, but surely someone within Old Mutual must be able to issue the necessary documentation.

I trust that this complaint will be taken seriously and that appropriate action will be taken without further delay.

Sincerely, Johanet Venter email adress: ***

0
Replies (11)
Old Mutual
Old Mutual's reply12 Oct 2025, 10:39
Official
Good Day Johanet, we appreciate you taking the time to review us, and we acknowledge receipt of your review and sincerely apologise for the service experience you encountered. We are committed to investigating this matter thoroughly and will make direct contact with you during business hours should further information be required.

Kind regards
Old Mutual Complaints Management
JV
Johanet V's update13 Oct 2025, 22:32
Reviewer Update
Thank you for your response. However, I will not be dealing with Nedbank Trust and Wills directly. My late father, Mr S.A. Bouwer, who passed away in 1998, was a client of Old Mutual, and Old Mutual was appointed as the executor of his estate at that time.
It is therefore Old Mutual’s responsibility to obtain any necessary documentation or correspondence from Nedbank, as this was an internal outsourcing arrangement between Old Mutual and Nedbank. As a client, I should not be required to deal with a third party that Old Mutual chose to outsource to.
I expect Old Mutual to handle this matter internally and provide the required confirmation or letter regarding the estate and unclaimed benefit directly.

See email received from Old Mutual:


Dear Johanet,


We acknowledge receipt of your complaint regarding Nedbank Trust and Wills.
I sincerely apologise for the service you received. Please note that the Wills service has been outsourced and is administered directly by Nedbank Trust and Wills.
Unfortunately, we do not have access to their systems or information.
I have taken the liberty of escalating this matter to our complaints team, who will contact you directly to assist further.


Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Please do NOT amend the subject line in your reply as this ensures that your reply will activate my electronic file.

Kind regards

Coleen Aanhuizen
Old Mutual
Old Mutual's reply14 Oct 2025, 09:54
Official
Good Day,

We note your comments, please be advised that this matter is being attended to and feedback will be provided via email.

Regards
Old Mutual Complaints Management
JV
Johanet V's update21 Oct 2025, 20:00
Reviewer Update
I refer to my previous correspondence regarding the late estate of my father, Mr. S.A. Bouwer, who passed away on 3 April 1998. Old Mutual was appointed as the executor of his estate at the time.
On 13 October 2025, Old Mutual confirmed that my complaint was forwarded to Nedbank Estates & Trust. However, I am still waiting for the requested letter and proper feedback regarding the matter. Despite my follow-ups, I have not received any meaningful response from either party.
Old Mutual, as the appointed executor, I kindly request that you please follow up with your outsourced company and ensure that this matter is addressed urgently. The ongoing delays and lack of communication are extremely disappointing and unprofessional.
Please provide:
  1. Written confirmation of the current status of the estate query; and
  2. A timeline for when I can expect the requested documentation and final feedback.
I look forward to your urgent response.
Old Mutual
Old Mutual's reply22 Oct 2025, 08:00
Official
Good Day,

Thank you for making contact. Please be advised that this matter is being attended to and feedback will be provided via email.

Regards
Old Mutual Complaints Management
JV
Johanet V's update28 Oct 2025, 10:27
Reviewer Update
Old Mutual, It has been 10 working days with Nedbank and still I did not get proper feedback, Only they are working on it, Not good enough. I stick to what I said, we are your client Old Mutual, not the of Nedbank and you should follow this through.
Old Mutual
Old Mutual's reply29 Oct 2025, 07:35
Official
Good Day Johanet,

We note your comments, please be advised that this matter is being attended to and feedback will be provided via email.

Regards
Old Mutual Complaints Management
JV
Johanet V's update17 Nov 2025, 12:25
Reviewer Update
Old Mutual, it seems far too easy for you to outsource your estate department to Nedbank and then wash your hands of any responsibility. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated. It has been more than a month, and I have received no progress, only empty promises from Nedbank.
My late father was your client — not Nedbank’s. I expect Old Mutual to ensure that the company you outsourced to provides the level of service your clients deserve.
Old Mutual
Old Mutual's reply18 Nov 2025, 07:45
Official
Hi Johanet

We note your comments, please be advised that this matter is being attended to and feedback will be provided via email.

Regards
Old Mutual Complaints Management
JV
Johanet V's update03 Dec 2025, 16:00
Reviewer Update
Email to Both Old Mutual and Nedbank
Good day Sheldon,
I have just returned from the Master of the High Court. According to them, they have not received any of the documents referenced in your email below, unless they have not yet been registered. Unfortunately, this means that a 77-year-old woman has once again been sent on a fruitless and exhausting process.
While there, she even had to deal with an individual pretending to work at the office who attempted to solicit a bribe from her in order to “assist” with the documents.
Please urgently follow up with the High Court and confirm when the documents you indicated as submitted have in fact been submitted, received, and captured on their system. My mother simply needs to obtain the Letter of Authority without being sent from one office to another again.

TO: Old Mutual
I must once again express my disappointment in the service received. My late father was a long-standing client of Old Mutual, and you were responsible for handling his estate at the time. You received the relevant fees for this service. However, now that your late client’s widow requires assistance, responsibility is being shifted to your outsourced provider, Nedbank, and she is being treated with disregard.
Assisting a 77-year-old widow should not be this difficult. It is unacceptable that she is repeatedly subjected to poor service and misdirection.
This matter will again be reported on HelloPeter for South Africans to be made aware of the poor service currently being delivered by both Old Mutual and Nedbank.

To both Old Mutual and Nedbank:
Please ensure that Mrs. Bouwer is assisted with the correct process as a matter of urgency, especially with many offices preparing to close for the December break.
Your prompt assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
[Your Name]

Good day Sheldon,
I have just returned from the Master of the High Court. According to them, they have not received any of the documents referenced in your email below, unless they have not yet been registered. Unfortunately, this means that a 77-year-old woman has once again been sent on a fruitless and exhausting process.
While there, she even had to deal with an individual pretending to work at the office who attempted to solicit a bribe from her in order to “assist” with the documents.
Please urgently follow up with the High Court and confirm when the documents you indicated as submitted have in fact been submitted, received, and captured on their system. My mother simply needs to obtain the Letter of Authority without being sent from one office to another again.

TO: Old Mutual
I must once again express my disappointment in the service received. My late father was a long-standing client of Old Mutual, and you were responsible for handling his estate at the time. You received the relevant fees for this service. However, now that your late client’s widow requires assistance, responsibility is being shifted to your outsourced provider, Nedbank, and she is being treated with disregard.
Assisting a 77-year-old widow should not be this difficult. It is unacceptable that she is repeatedly subjected to poor service and misdirection.
This matter will again be reported on HelloPeter for South Africans to be made aware of the poor service currently being delivered by both Old Mutual and Nedbank.

To both Old Mutual and Nedbank:
Please ensure that Mrs. Bouwer is assisted with the correct process as a matter of urgency, especially with many offices preparing to close for the December break.
Your prompt assistance will be greatly appreciated.
JV
Johanet V's update05 Dec 2025, 11:48
Reviewer Update
No response from previous emails. I have never been so disappointed in service from a company as I am with Old Mutual and Nedbank.
Good day,
I just received a call from Athi ***) at the Office of the Master of the High Court. She took my number and confirmed that she will look for the documents after my visit earlier this week. However, the person whose stamp appears on the document that Sheldon sent me is asking where you obtained his stamp from, as he does not have these documents on record.
I urgently request that you please send me copies of all the documents that were supposedly submitted to the Master of the High Court. According to Athi, this is the only way they can assist me—if I physically bring all documents that should have been submitted.
I do not understand why I need to do this myself as I am your client, but if this is the only way to resolve the matter, I will comply. Please send me the documents as soon as possible.
At this stage, it appears that someone is not fulfilling their responsibilities.
Kind regards