Can Power Of Attorney be changed during a house sale process if the owner dies?
Not so simple to answer, if contracts have exchanged then the sale will complete whether the old lady dies or not. If she dies before contracts are exchanged it will be up to the executors of her will whether or not the sale completes and anyone with a power of attorney will be discharged, unless there are express conditions in the POA that change that or that person is also an executor, of course. The way you describe it the person currently having the POA is even now acting criminally in that he is deliberately undervaluing the property let alone his intention to pocket a sweetener, although it is possible there is a clause in the POA that could make the £20,000 a legitimate expenses/fee claim, in which case his only ‘crime’ would be in undervaluing the property in order to expedite the sale. In those circumstances it may or may not be a crime depending on the conditions pertaining. If this person with the POA is a solicitor, often the case, then you can be sure that what he is doing
