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Date Published: 15/11/2023

Costa del Sol donkey sanctuary receives generous donation following sudden death of British woman

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The UK expat’s properties were gifted to two Mijas charities as she didn’t leave a will

Costa del Sol donkey sanctuary receives generous donation following sudden death of British woman

A memorial lunch was held in honour of British woman Maureen Thomson last week, whose two Costa del Sol properties were donated to the Cudeca foundation, a cancer charity, and Donkey Dreamland animal shelter following her sudden death in 2020.

The expat’s sister Liz attended the event, having made the decision to gift her sister’s homes to the charities when Maureen died without making a will. Originally from London, Maureen had lived in Benalmádena since 1998 and her bereft sister said she failed to formally detail her wishes because she was “allergic to paperwork” and “never liked planning ahead.”

“I’d initially thought I could sell the apartments and spread the money around various charities. I received conflicting advice, and no one seemed to know how to begin with someone who had died intestate in two countries. In the end, a dual-qualified lawyer in Britain confirmed that I could gift the two properties without inheriting them first,” Liz explained.

Related story: The importance of making a will in Spain

Liz scattered her sister’s ashes in the donkey sanctuary last year and believes Maureen would be pleased with her choice of charities, a final contribution to the country she called home in her later years.

Cudeca’s Director of Finance, Rafael Olalla, said, “Maureen's sister, Liz, has donated a beautiful apartment to us. This long and complex process was resolved a few days ago, so we are extremely grateful for her generosity. Inheritances are already a fundamental source of our income.”

A spokesperson for the donkey charity added, “We are so grateful to Liz. Gestures like this enable us to go on giving care to our donkeys. Maureen is always with us in our hearts. Her ashes were spread around the sanctuary, a place we think she would have loved to rest since she was a donkey lover.”

In other news: Norwegian launches new routes with Spain for summer 2024

Image: Freepik

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