Dead Reckoning

It's A Life-And-Debt Situation

A Lancashire man was surprised to discover his mortgage had been paid off and that his wife was getting a $50,000 payout. But Harry Wood's delight turned to shock when he was told it was because he was dead. When he rang insurers Norwich Union to investigate, he was told by a consultant: "But I'm looking at your death certificate." Paper mill worker Harry, 45, of Heysham, added: "If I'd have been a rogue I could have kept the money." When the error was verified, the company said: "A man with the same name and date of birth has died. We apologise for the mix-up."