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……….the person who administers an intestate estate is a Personal Representative with a capital P and R.  Yes there is only one in the majority of cases.  They have a duty to make sure that distribution is only made to people that can prove their blood line and not to someone who says they are entitled because they are a relative.

A scenario:  4 children to the deceased man's estate.  2 have signed with a Researcher and 2 haven't, so is it correct that the other two are paid without proving through certificates that they are entitled?

Ray you are not correct in what you say.

Just to give you a scenario :  A deceased man with an uncommon name has died, you find a birth in the database that fits, you find a marriage that fits, you find a daughter.  You check that there may have been a divorce so that fits, you find the daughter and ask her if her parents divorced, and if her father was born in the year that you have for the deceased.  She asks what it is all about and you tell her that you think it is her father that died, she asks when, you say about 6 months ago, then she tells you that she saw him 2 weeks ago!

So how can it be a good thing to tell somebody that a relative has died before you have purchased all the certificates that will prove or disprove that you have the correct family?  The researchers will only start to buy the certificates once they have a signed agreement from you.  Then if they are wrong then it has been at their expense as they took the risk.

All cases have to be administered and each case is different depending on what is involved, therefore the charges for administration are to the estate and not the person.

Please don't give out information about legal things when you are only guessing as this is not fair and it can confuse people.

A

..... in continuation:

With regards to people sorting out their own claims they should note:

1.  The purchase of the certificates or documents they may require might not be covered by the amount of money they receive back.
2. Under intestate law, they will need to find all the beneficiaries and prove them before the funds from the estate can be distributed.  If there is a significant amount and only a known hand full of beneficiaries are paid, then the personal representative may find themselves in court.

I hope this is helpful.

Anna

Hi

I was wondering if anybody can remember the Smith family who lived at 24 Wardley Street in 1911.

There was Benjamin, Minnie and their daughter Blanche.  Blanche later moved to 36 Lydden Road and married James Bennett.

Any help or ideas welcome.