Liam Payne’s £3 million estate has unexpectedly been withdrawn from the real estate market, coinciding with the complex finalization of his substantial estate division.

The former One Direction member tragically lost his life a year ago after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an event that plunged his global fanbase into deep sorrow.

The Daily Mail has obtained exclusive insights into the £25 million financial aftermath of Payne’s untimely demise, shedding light on why his opulent Chilterns residence is no longer listed for sale.

Moreover, it has emerged that Payne’s final partner, Kate Cassidy, is facing a two-week deadline to file a legal claim or potentially forfeit any inheritance from the man she fondly called ‘the love of my life.’

This report also updates the profiles of Cassidy and other pivotal individuals linked to Liam’s passing and its consequences, including a statement from his bodyguard, who has spoken publicly for the first time. These figures may hold stakes in Payne’s considerable wealth.

A significant piece of Liam’s estate is his £3.2 million property in Buckinghamshire. Purchased to maintain proximity to his eight-year-old son, Bear, it was put on the market just a month prior to his unexpected death.

He had bought the five-bed mansion in November 2021, but instead of settling there instead moved to Florida with US cocktail bar waitress Cassidy just weeks before he died.

As well as five bedrooms, the house in prosperous commuter town Chalfond-St-Giles also boasts six bathrooms and a swish outdoor courtyard with a saltwater pool and waterfalls while a nearby clubhouse offers resort-style amenities including a gym, spa and tennis courts.

The mansion had been on the market for almost a year – suggesting potential buyers may have been put off by the association with such a famous name who died in such shocking circumstances. 

But the Arts and Crafts house was quietly removed from listings earlier this autumn – and it’s unclear this is because it has finally found a buyer or whether it indicates a change of plan by the executors of his £24m fortune.

The removal of the house sale listing coincides with a period of intensifying activity around Liam’s estate – with a deadline looming for any claims on it.

According to probate documents Liam left a total of £28,594,88 when he fell to his death from that hotel balcony following a drink-drug binge last October 16.

Paperwork issued on May 1 by the Newcastle District Probate Registry shows that after expenses and debts were paid the final total he left was £24,279,728.

The estate will be worth over £25m by now as it would have already earned almost £1 million in interest or even more if invested in the stock market which has grown 15% in the year since he died.

But as Liam died intestate – ie without making a will – Letters of Administration were issued by the High Court for his estate.

The file shows music industry lawyer Richard Bray and Liam’s ex-wife Cheryl Tweedy, 42, the mother of his eight-year-old son Bear, have been appointed administrators.

Mr Bray is a partner in the law firm Bray & Krais which has also worked with Ed Sheeran, The Rolling Stones and Oasis.

English law says an intestate person’s estate is usually passed to the lawful spouse or their nearest blood relative.

Liam’s fortune is thought to be likely to go in its entirety into a trust for when Bear to inherit in a decade when he turns 18 – which would mean that Cassidy, his girlfriend at the time of his death, would receive nothing.

As administrators, Mr Bray and Cheryl have limited authority to preserve the assets of the former One Direction star but cannot distribute them.

According to the Letters of Administration Mr Bray and Cheryl were appointed so they could ‘receive the estate and do such acts as may be necessary for the preservation of the same and until further representation be granted’.

It is possible that as Liam did not leave a will specifying who he wanted to benefit from his fortune, some third parties may consider making a claim – which would leave the way open for influencer Cassidy to submit a claim.

But if she were to do this there is a looming imminent deadline.

Craig Ridge, of probate law firm Higgs, explained: ‘Under UK law, individuals who were financially dependent on the deceased may have grounds to claim reasonable financial provision, even if they are not married.

‘This means that his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, could potentially be considering a claim.

‘Such claims are complex and subject to many legal conditions and evidential requirements.

‘But the challenge would need to be initiated within six months of the Grant Letters of Administration, so time is a critical factor.’

The Letters were issued on 1 May which means Cassidy has until the end of this month – by the end of the afternoon on Halloween in two weeks time – to register any opposition.

Sources close to Cassidy have previously suggested she does not intend to do this but it remains possible that she or others could suddenly throw Cheryl and Mr Bray’s financial plans askew.

Others who might consider a claim could include Liam’s family: parents, Karen and Geoff Payne, and his two older sisters, Nicola and Ruth

It’s unclear if they have not been informed of any executor plans to acknowledge them – or if they have any plans in this sphere as they have fiercely guarded their privacy.

Mr Ridge added: ‘Given the size of Liam’s estate and high-profile nature of his career and death, there is always potential for disputes, particularly where there is no will to express Liam’s wishes.’

Friends have previously said that Liam had planned for his money to go to his only child in the event of his death.

A source said:’ It’s quite clear from the size of the estate Liam left that Bear will never want for anything which is what Liam wanted.’

Liam’s cause of death was confirmed to be ‘polytrauma’, a term which means a person has multiple traumatic injuries to their body.

In the aftermath of his death Liam’s friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, hotel operator Gilda Martin and receptionist Esteban Grassi faced manslaughter charges, although these were later dropped.

Hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz have been charged with supplying cocaine to the singer.

Liam arrived in Argentina with Cassidy and US-Argentine businessman Nores.

They were there to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan and were seen at the Movistar Arena on October 2.

Cassidy posted videos of the couple on her social media, singing and dancing while Liam posted a photo of him with Horan.

Cassidy then left for the Florida mansion two days before the singer died.

Nores had become one of Liam’s inner circle after being introduced to him by a Florida based Argentine investor Gonzalo Avendano who also encouraged him to play polo ‘as a form of healing’.

Nores was initially charged with manslaughter along with two members of hotel staff but in February these charges were dropped.

Following the decision Nores did initially start a defamation suit against Liam’s father Geoff but this was later dropped.

Geoff had told prosecutors he felt Nores had ‘abandoned’ his son and should have done more to look after him.

Initially a judge agreed, and an initial indictment issued in December accused Nores of ‘failing in his duty of care, assistance and help’ towards the singer.

Once the charges were thrown out Nores was able to return to the United States after his passport was returned and he has picked up his career in the energy sector.

Nores – who is now in New York – said: ‘Obviously you feel it, I’ve been feeling the anniversary the last few weeks and to think one year ago we were all having fun is hard, we had years of friendship.

‘Time heals things, but this will take a long time, and I have so many fun memories of Liam, he was a brilliant, brilliant guy, there will never be another Liam, he’s irreplaceable.’

Meanwhile Liam’s veteran bodyguard has spoken of his employer’s death for the first time on its anniversary.

Bledar Vata, 48, watched over Liam as part of his security detail and was with him the last few weeks of his life.

Vata, who is of Albanian heritage but a UK citizen, can be seen with his trademark thick black beard in several of the last pictures taken of the One Direction star in America and Argentina.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, he said: ‘I miss him, and I think about him every day.

‘It’s still really hard to talk about Liam, I was part of his family and he was part of mine.

Vata, who runs his own London-based security firm, was said to have been part of the ‘circle of trust’ around Liam when he was battling drink and drug addictions in the months up to his death.

Vata is said to have been hired by Liam’s father Geoff to ‘look after’ his son and according to court papers filed in Argentina was his ‘paid caretaker’.

He was so close to Liam they went bowling together for his birthday and he is thought to have started working for him the year before his death.

But just days before he went to Argentina with Kate, Liam fired Bledar although it remains unclear why.

Geoff, 64, a former aircraft fitter, flew out to Argentina the minute he was alerted to his son’s death and was later pictured reading tributes left by fans outside the hotel.

He and the rest of the family have since maintained a low profile although Liam’s two sisters Nicola and Ruth did post tributes to their brother on what would have been his 32nd birthday last month.

Nicola wrote:’ A year ago today, we were so full of hope and excitement for what the year ahead would bring you.

‘Celebrating your birthday with bowling and McDonald’s. We celebrated you, your show, your dreams and spoke of all your plans you had for the future.

‘We ended the evening with a hug, telling you how proud we were and how much we loved you.

‘If I had known that would be the last time I’d see you, I would have said so much more. I wish I could step into a time machine and relive that night and hug you tighter.’

She signed off her emotional tribute with a heart and a pair of blue angel wings.

Ruth Gibbins wrote:’I remember what I said as we said goodbye for what was supposed to be a few months, only now I wished I’d have said more, hugged you more, made you stay in England and then maybe today would have been exactly the same perfect day for you, but with you being here.’

Cheryl is not publicly known to have had any serious boyfriends since the sudden ending to their relationship in 2018 and was said to have been devastated by his death.

Posting on Instagram shortly after, she said: ‘Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven year old son.

‘A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.’

Liam successfully became sober at a rehab clinic in 2023, but by the night of his death he had relapsed and consumed alcohol and drugs.

He was seen hanging around the hotel lobby, smashing up his laptop and introducing himself to fans in the hours before his death.

His funeral in November close to the Chalfont St Giles house in Buckinghamshire was attended by Cheryl and fellow One Direction stars Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, along with his family and friends including Cassidy.

Cassidy is back in the United States after spending time in London – even living in Liam’s Waterloo flat for a short period.

She has been resuming her life as an influencer regularly posting to her 952,000 followers fashion promotions and make up tips.

In the wake of Liam’s death Cassidy revealed he had handed her a note before he died detailing plans for them to marry.

Cassidy said her heart was ‘shattered’ by his shock death, calling the singer her ‘best friend, the love of my life’.

The pair had lived together in a Spanish-style mansion, with the singer showing off his new pad in a video just a month before his death.

The rented $1.73million home sits in an exclusive gated community in Wellington, a well-heeled Florida enclave known as ‘Horse Town USA’ for its abundance of equestrian sports.