Police in Australia have discovered the skeletal remains of an elderly woman who appears to have been dead in her house for as long as eight years.

Acting police superintendent Zoran Dzevlan said Wednesday the home was searched after police received a call from the woman's sister-in-law. He said the women had not spoken to each other since an argument in 2003.

Dzevlan said no one in the neighborhood checked on the woman, would have turned 87 years old next month. The government's welfare office continued to deposit money to her account, which remained untouched.

As the years passed, the house's utilities were cut off, and mail was redirected to another address.

Dzevlan says the incident serves as a reminder that residents should keep an eye out for their neighbors, especially the elderly.